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CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
Office of Financial Assistance
105 Sikes Hall · Clemson, SC 29634
financial.aid@clemson.edu · (864) 656-2280
This is a fictional sample for demonstration purposes
Academic Year: 2026–2027  |  Program: Undergraduate
This notice reflects estimated eligibility for financial assistance. Not all items listed below are applied directly to your student account.
University Grants & Other Assistance
University Grant + Scholarship Aid.....$23,100
Est. Financial Assistance †.............$23,100
Institutional Aid Subtotal.............$23,100
† Reflects institutional sources only. Subject to revision.
Estimated Direct + Indirect Costs *
Tuition and Mandatory Fees...........$15,558
University Housing...................$12,750
Indirect Cost Allowance...............$8,822
Subtotal (Direct + Indirect).........$37,130
* COA includes estimated indirect costs. See disclosures below.
Student Aid Index
Estimated SAI.........................8,450
Federal Fund Eligibility
Fed. Direct Sub. Loan.................$3,500
Fed. Direct Unsub. Loan...............$2,000
Federal Work-Study.....................$2,000
Total Federal Eligibility.............$7,500
† Loan funds require portal acceptance within 30 days and are not reflected in aid totals above. Work-Study placement is not guaranteed. Indirect cost estimates vary by student. Awards subject to FAFSA verification. This document does not constitute a bill or guarantee of funds.
Clemson University
Clemson University
2026–2027 · Financial Aid Package
ACCIn-State
62%FREE
What you actually pay
$14,030/yr
Total Cost of Attendance ▿$37,130
Tuition & Fees$15,558
Room & Board$12,750
Books & Supplies$1,200
Transportation$3,622
Other$4,000
Grants & Scholarships$23,100
What You Pay$14,030
$5,500
Covered by loansyou repay this
$8,530
From savings or incomeout of pocket
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
Student Financial Aid Services
Box 870162 · Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
This is a fictional sample for demonstration purposes
Congratulations on your admission to The University of Alabama. The information below reflects your estimated financial aid eligibility and cost of attendance for the academic year listed.
Term: Fall 2026 / Spring 2027  |  Enrollment: Full-Time
Your Financial Aid Award
Presidential Scholarship............$15,000
Capstone Achievement Grant.........$6,300
Total Awarded.....................$21,300
Other Aid Programs
State Grants...........................$0
Institutional Grants.....................$0
Federal Direct Loan *.................$5,500
Estimated Cost of Attendance
Tuition & Fees........................$14,500
Housing/Meals.........................$12,200
Books & Course Materials............$1,100
Subtotal.............................$27,800
Personal Travel Allowance...........$3,500
Miscellaneous Expenses...............$4,200
Total COA...........................$35,500
* Not included in award total above.
Federal loan funds are not automatically disbursed and must be accepted via myBama. This award is contingent upon full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress per UA SAP policy. Cost estimates may vary. This notice is not a bill.
University of Alabama
University of Alabama
2026–2027 · Financial Aid Package
SECOut-of-State
60%FREE
What you actually pay
$14,200/yr
Total Cost of Attendance ▿$35,500
Tuition & Fees$14,500
Room & Board$12,200
Books & Supplies$1,100
Transportation$3,500
Other$4,200
Grants & Scholarships$21,300
What You Pay$14,200
$5,500
Covered by loansyou repay this
$8,700
From savings or incomeout of pocket
VS
The Problem

The crisis starts at the kitchen table.
Not at repayment.

Bad decisions at 18 follow families for decades.

42%
of students who borrow money are still paying off loans 20 years later.
73%
of families say they don't understand their financial aid offer.
May 1st
deposit deadline — the date you must commit to a school.

Even financially savvy families struggle to tell what they'll actually owe.
Merit is the first product that takes you from a confusing letter to a clear, honest, side-by-side comparison of what you'll actually pay.

See it in action

One dashboard.
Every school.

Compare any school side by side — Power 4, state school, or anywhere in between.

Clemson University
Clemson University
2026–2027 · Financial Aid Package
ACCIn-State
62%FREE
What you actually pay
$14,030/yr
Total Cost of Attendance ▿$37,130
Tuition & Fees$15,558
Room & Board$12,750
Books & Supplies$1,200
Transportation$3,622
Other$4,000
Grants & Scholarships$23,100
What You Pay$14,030
$5,500
Covered by loansyou repay this
$8,530
From savings or incomeout of pocket
University of Alabama
University of Alabama
2026–2027 · Financial Aid Package
SECOut-of-State
60%FREE
What you actually pay
$14,200/yr
Total Cost of Attendance ▿$35,500
Tuition & Fees$14,500
Room & Board$12,200
Books & Supplies$1,100
Transportation$3,500
Other$4,200
Grants & Scholarships$21,300
What You Pay$14,200
$5,500
Covered by loansyou repay this
$8,700
From savings or incomeout of pocket
University of Texas
University of Texas
2026–2027 · Financial Aid Package
SECOut-of-State
49%FREE
What you actually pay
$22,900/yr
Total Cost of Attendance ▿$44,900
Tuition & Fees$21,448
Room & Board$13,250
Books & Supplies$1,200
Transportation$4,002
Other$5,000
Grants & Scholarships$22,000
What You Pay$22,900
$3,800
Covered by loansyou repay this
$19,100
From savings or incomeout of pocket
Ohio State University
Ohio State University
2026–2027 · Financial Aid Package
Big TenOut-of-State
40%FREE
What you actually pay
$25,700/yr
Total Cost of Attendance ▿$42,500
Tuition & Fees$19,500
Room & Board$13,400
Books & Supplies$1,100
Transportation$3,800
Other$4,700
Grants & Scholarships$16,800
What You Pay$25,700
$5,500
Covered by loansyou repay this
$20,200
From savings or incomeout of pocket
How it works

From confusion to clarity in seconds

Aid letters were designed by accountants, not families.
We translate them.

Upload your financial aid offer
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We standardize every offer
Every school formats aid differently. Merit standardizes grants, loans, and work-study into one consistent view across all your schools.
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Why Merit

The comparison tool families actually needed

Aid letters weren't built to be compared. We fix that.

See what's actually free vs. what's a loan
Schools bury loans inside "aid" packages to make offers look better. Merit separates the two so you know exactly what you'll owe.
True apples-to-apples comparison
Every school formats their letter differently. Merit normalizes them all into the same card so comparison is instant and fair.
Understand your options with confidence
No more guesswork, no more spreadsheets. Just clear numbers, laid out simply — so you can make the biggest decision of your life without the stress.
Questions

Frequently asked

Merit is a financial aid comparison tool that helps families understand and compare the true cost of college offers.
Upload your financial aid offers, and Merit standardizes and analyzes them to show what you'll actually pay at each school — side by side.
Merit shows your total cost, grants and scholarships, loans, and what you'll actually pay out of pocket for each school — all in one side-by-side comparison.
Merit is designed for students and families comparing college financial aid offers who want to clearly understand and compare the true cost of each school.
Yes. Completely free for families during our launch. No hidden fees, no credit card, no upsell.
Any school. Upload your letter and we'll extract the numbers, separate grants from loans, and show what you'll actually pay.
Your letter is encrypted in transit and at rest. We don't sell your data to any third parties.
Spring 2026 — well before the May 1 Decision Day deadline. Sign up and we'll email you the moment it's live.
We analyze each line item using available financial aid data and federal guidelines.
PDF, PNG, and JPG. Digital letter? Upload the PDF. Came by mail? Snap a photo — Merit handles both.
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