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Lesson plan · Money After High School · Lesson 8

College Costs and Scholarships

Sticker price vs. net price, the FAFSA, grants, and scholarships.

  • 45 minutes
  • Grades 9–12
  • Beginner
  • Activity: pairs
Present slidesWorksheet + keyStudent lesson

Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Distinguish sticker price from net price
  • Explain what the FAFSA does and the difference between grants and loans
  • Spot scholarship scams

Materials

  • Slide deck and a projector
  • Worksheet (one per student)
  • Exit ticket slips (bottom of the worksheet)

Key vocabulary

Cost of attendance
The full yearly cost: tuition and fees, housing, food, books, transportation, and personal expenses.

45-minute agenda

  1. 0–5 min

    Warm-up

    Post: “School A costs $55,000 a year and School B costs $25,000. Which is cheaper? What would you need to know first?”

    Teacher note: Sticker price isn't what you pay. You need each school's net price after grants and scholarships.

  2. 5–15 min

    Direct instruction

    Present the lesson slides. Make sure students leave with these points:

    • Net price = cost of attendance − grants − scholarships.
    • Use every college's net price calculator.
    • The FAFSA is free and unlocks most aid.
    • Never pay to get a scholarship.
    • Dual credit and community college can save a lot.

    Use the “See it” slide (Sticker price vs. net price) to make the idea visual.

  3. 15–20 min

    Worked example

    Walk through “The "expensive" school that cost less” on the slides. Pause before the result and ask students to predict it.

  4. 20–32 min

    Net Price Showdown

    Format: pairs · 12 minutes

    1. Two made-up award letters. School A: cost of attendance $55,000; grants and scholarships $38,000; federal loans offered $5,500. School B: cost of attendance $25,000; grants $4,000; federal loans offered $5,500.
    2. Pairs calculate each school's net price (without counting loans).
    3. Pairs circle anything in the letters that must be repaid.
    4. Pairs decide which school is actually cheaper and what else they'd consider.

    What to look for: School A net price: $17,000. School B: $21,000. The “expensive” school costs less. Loans are not free money — they must be repaid.

  5. 32–37 min

    Check for understanding

    Use the question slides — or run them as a Four Corners game. Answers:

    1. What's your net price? — C. $14,000
    2. Which type of aid must be repaid? — C. Student loans
    3. What should you do? — C. Avoid it — legitimate scholarships don't charge fees
  6. 37–42 min

    Discussion

    • What should matter more when choosing a college: net price or reputation? Why?
    • Why do you think many families never use net price calculators?
  7. 42–45 min

    Exit ticket

    Prompt: What's the difference between a grant and a loan?

    Answer: A grant doesn't have to be repaid; a loan does, usually with interest.

Differentiation

Common misconception

“Expensive private colleges are always out of reach.” Generous aid can make their net price lower than a cheaper school's.

Support

Provide a net-price formula card and a highlighter for loan lines.

Extension

Use a real college's net price calculator for a made-up family profile and report the result.

Homework or make-up work

Students can complete the full interactive lesson — including its knowledge check — at learnwithflc.org/courses/money-after-high-school/college-costs. No account needed; progress saves on their device.