JAMESTOWN, N.D. (UJ) – University of Jamestown is making it easy for prospective students to anticipate the cost of college with a new, online net-cost calculator.

The launch of this new calculator comes as part of the University’s commitment to financial transparency.

Although, in an attempt to clarify college costs, the federal government requires universities to have a net-price calculator, UJ found most calculators difficult for their students to navigate.

“One hundred percent of our in-person, undergraduate students receive some type of financial aid,” explained Greg Ulland, VP of Enrollment Management. “It was important to us that our net-price calculator take those packages into account to give students better cost transparency.”

The University believes they found a solution in the new Meadow calculator, which was developed by Columbia University graduates and enables any current or prospective student to get a personalized price estimate in under 5 minutes.

Meadow co-founder Alfredo Brillembourg says the goal is to clarify and simplify the student financial experience as a whole.

“As recent graduates ourselves, we realize that the finances of higher education are as complicated and cumbersome as they are expensive, and that complexity poses an equal barrier to access for students,” Brillembourg said.

Ulland expanded on this thought. “We know higher education is one of the most important investments a student can make,” he explained, referencing the National Center for Education Statistics’ Report on the Condition of Education 2022, which showed that the median earnings of 25- to 34-year-olds with a bachelor’s degree were 63% higher than those with a high school degree alone.

“We want all students to reap the financial benefits of higher education,” Ulland continued. “To do that, they need to fully understand the cost of college before applying.”

The University costs nearly $15,000 less per year in tuition alone than the national average of private institutions. Ulland believes the new Meadow calculator will give students peace of mind from knowing the entire cost of their education up front.

With its ease of use, the new calculator generates real-time pricing for prospective students, based on their estimated financial aid. Cost can be determined on a monthly, annual, or total degree period. It also provides information about scholarship availability, student loans and other financial aid options available to assist in paying for school.

The new calculator can be found at app.meadowfi.com/UJ.