Part 3 of our College + Money series digs into a tool you can find on (almost) any college website called a Net Price Calculator. The best versions help you estimate merit and need-based aid, and I'll show you how to spot the good, the bad, and the potentially game-changing ones.   

As with parts 1 and 2, you can access key information on our blog and get an added bonus of "why my fictitious third son is going to Vanderbilt on a sweet deal".