College Financial GPS

A school's served College Scorecard figures: earnings four years after graduating (downside, typical, upside), fields of study with their 4-year median earnings, median student and Parent PLUS debt with the 10-year payment on each, average net price by family income band, and six-year completion rates. Optionally the cost page's table of Parent PLUS pressure by household income. Doesn't model a borrowing plan; student_check and parent_check do that.

get_school

Financial GPS family check (Split the Bill) for one school, under the federal loan rules for loans made on or after July 1, 2026. Part one: how four years are paid for at the parents' income, in order: family money, federal student loans up to the annual limits, Parent PLUS up to its caps, then private loans. Part two: whether the student and parents can carry the 10-year payments in three scenarios (each pays their own, pooled, the student pays everything), plus a chosen split of the Parent PLUS payment.

family_check

Financial GPS parent check for Parent PLUS made on or after July 1, 2026, at one school: the $20,000-a-year and $65,000-per-student caps, cash received after the fee, what the parent would owe when repayment starts, the 10-year payment (a yardstick) and its share of household income above 200% of the poverty guideline for three with the tier (Safe, Caution, High pressure), the standard plan's bill with the ages it runs, and an estimate of the school's net price at that income.

parent_check

Financial GPS student check for one school and optional field, under the federal loan rules for loans made on or after July 1, 2026: what the student would owe when repayment starts, the 10-year payment (a yardstick, not a repayment plan), its share of pay above 150% of the poverty guideline with the tier (Excellent, Good, Concerning, High risk), money left each month before tax, and the most they can owe and stay in Good. Borrowing above the federal limits is modeled as private loans at an assumed rate.

student_check

Runs the student check, and the parent check when a household income is given, for 2 to 4 schools with identical inputs, and returns one compact row per school in the order given: earnings, what the student would owe, the 10-year payment, its share and tier, money left, the most they can owe and stay in Good, completion, and the net price at that income. It doesn't rank the schools or pick one.

compare_schools

The federal student loan terms and rules College Azimuth uses, with dates and sources: this year's rates and fees, student loan limits, Parent PLUS caps, the repayment plans for loans made on or after July 1, 2026 (the tiered standard plan and RAP) and for older loans, the basic-expense allowances and tier ladders, and the dates when rules change. Explains the plans and calculates no payments itself; parent_check and family_check show the Parent PLUS standard-plan bill.

get_loan_rules

Search the U.S. colleges College Azimuth publishes, by name, abbreviation (UIC, MIT) or part of a name, optionally within one state. Returns each match's slug, which the other College Azimuth tools take, and links to its pages on collegeazimuth.com. Schools outside College Azimuth's published list aren't returned.

find_school

Totals the award-letter lines the user provides, each already classified by kind, into a yearly cost, grants and scholarships, net price, federal loans, Parent PLUS, private loans and work-study. Flags lines that aren't aid and loans above the federal limits or Parent PLUS caps, and gives the borrowing inputs for student_check and parent_check. Stores nothing.

review_award_letter