Pricing FAQ
Common Questions About Pricing
Everything you need to know about College Aid Index pricing, subscriptions, and billing.
What's included in each subscription plan?
Navigator ($39/one-time):
- Full access to College Affordability Data Table
- College Spreadsheet Tracker
- Up to 5 Polished PDF Reports (up to 50 colleges each)
- 4–5 Business Day Email Support
- All new features added during subscription
Is there a free trial or promo code available?
Not right now. We occasionally run promotions, but there is no active promo code at the moment. You can still try any plan for 90 days. If it does not save you more than it costs (time, application fees, or aid clarity), we will refund you in full.
What is your refund policy?
Try any plan for 90 days. If it doesn’t save you more than it costs (time, application fees, or aid clarity), we’ll refund you in full. Email [email protected] within 90 days for a no-questions-asked refund.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) and debit cards. All payments are securely processed through Stripe, a leading payment processor trusted by millions of businesses worldwide.
How do subscriptions work?
All plans are recurring subscriptions:
- Navigator: Billed one-time at $39/one-time
You can cancel anytime—no questions asked. You'll retain access through the end of your current billing period. All subscriptions come with a 90-day money-back guarantee.
Is pricing per account or per user? Can my family have separate logins?
College Aid Index uses an account + user model—your subscription is tied to the account, not each individual person. Think of it like a Netflix membership: you pay once and the whole family can sign in.
- Invite parents and students to create their own users under the same account at no extra cost.
- Each person gets their own login while sharing the same subscription, saved colleges, and reports.
- Prefer simplicity? You can also share a single user and account if that works better for your family.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my subscription?
Right now we only offer the Navigator plan. If you already have a different plan and want to switch, contact support and we'll help you out.
Do you offer institutional or counselor pricing?
Yes! We're developing special pricing for:
- High school counselors: Bulk access for student advising
- College access organizations: Discounted rates for nonprofits serving low-income students
- Educational institutions: Site licenses for college prep programs
Contact us if you're a counselor or organization interested in institutional pricing.
How often is the data updated?
We update our data annually when the U.S. Department of Education releases new College Scorecard data (typically in the fall). All subscribers automatically get access to the latest data as soon as it's available—no extra charge.
All data tables and reports include the most recent federal data available, with the data year clearly indicated.
Why do you charge for access? Why not make everything free?
We charge a subscription fee because:
- No conflicts of interest: We don't sell your data to colleges or accept advertising
- Quality over quantity: Professional reports include quality checks and verification
- Sustainability: Subscriptions ensure we can maintain accurate data and improve the platform
- Aligned incentives: We work for families, not institutions trying to recruit students
We believe transparency should be affordable—our pricing starts at $39/one-time, far less than a single college counseling session ($50-$200).
Will subscription prices change?
Our current pricing is locked in for existing subscribers—if prices increase in the future, your rate stays the same as long as you remain subscribed.
We'll notify any pricing changes at least 30 days in advance for new subscribers.
What if I have a billing issue or can't access my subscription?
We're here to help! Contact us at [email protected] and we'll resolve any billing or access issues within 24 hours (usually much faster).
Common issues we can help with:
- Subscription access problems
- Payment processing errors
- Duplicate charges
- Questions about charges on your statement
- Upgrading or downgrading plans
How accurate is the data? Can I trust these scores?
All data comes directly from official U.S. Department of Education sources:
- College Scorecard: Earnings, debt, completion rates
- IPEDS: Institutional aid, net price, enrollment data
We don't use marketing materials, self-reported surveys, or estimated data. Our methodology is fully transparent and documented. You can verify calculations independently—no secret algorithms.
Still have questions?
We're here to help! Contact our team and we'll respond within one business day.