Navigate the US Education System
A complete, free guide for newly arrived immigrant and NRI families — from which grade your child belongs in, to GPA and SAT scores, to what college really costs and how to pay for it.
56M
K-12 students in the US
Free
Public K-12 for all children
Oct 1
FAFSA opens each year
12 mo
Green card → in-state eligible
Education fees & key dates at a glance
SAT registration fee
$68
Fee waivers for eligible low-income US students (via school counselor).
FAFSA opens
Oct 1 (aid year)
Federal financial aid application at studentaid.gov.
College application fee
~$50–90 each
Varies by school; many waive fees for eligible applicants.
ACT registration fee
$68
Alternative to the SAT; optional writing/science add-ons cost extra. Waivers available.
Fees and dates are current best-known figures and change each cycle — SAT/ACT and college application fees vary, and waivers exist for eligible students. Confirm on College Board / ACT / studentaid.gov and each college's site before relying on a number.
Interactive tools
Free education calculators
Everything is computed in your browser. Nothing is stored or submitted.
Grade Finder
Enter your child's date of birth to see which US grade they belong in, the school stage (elementary, middle, or high), and your state's kindergarten cutoff date — plus exactly what documents you need to enroll.
Open tool →GPA Calculator
Add your courses, letter grades, and credit hours to get your unweighted 4.0 GPA and your weighted GPA with AP/IB and Honors bonuses — plus how your number compares to what top colleges expect.
Open tool →SAT Guide
Move the sliders for your Math and Reading & Writing scores to see your total SAT score, approximate national percentile, and the tier of colleges where that score is competitive.
Open tool →Tuition Calculator
Project the full four-year cost of college by school type, with tuition inflation, room and board, books and fees, financial aid, and an estimated monthly loan payment — built on 2024–25 national averages.
Open tool →College Rankings
Sort and filter the top US universities by ranking, acceptance rate, and in-state or out-of-state tuition — with category lists for computer science, engineering, business, value picks, and affordable public schools.
Open tool →On an F-1 visa
International Student Toolkit
Five tools that follow one student through one arc: decide whether to come, choose how to work during the degree, work out the tax, track the OPT clock, and know what to do if status goes wrong. Each answers a different question — start with the one you are actually asking.
- Decide
- Choose how to work
- File the tax
- Track the clock
- If it goes wrong
F-1 Tax Calculator
“What taxes might I owe as an F-1 student, and what am I owed back?”
Three chained steps for international students: the substantial presence test with correct F-1 exempt-year logic, the FICA refund you are owed if Social Security tax was withheld while you were a nonresident, and a refund estimate that applies the US-India treaty standard deduction.
For: International students with a W-2, filing a US return for the first time
Open →US Degree ROI Calculator
“Is a US degree financially worth the cost for me?”
A 10-year net-worth projection across four paths, with every assumption editable: study and stay, the proposed-OPT-fee stress test, return to India after a few years, or never go at all. Plus the part money models leave out — what US work experience does to your credential and your options in other countries.
For: Admits and applicants deciding whether to commit the money
Open →OPT Calculator
“How much OPT and STEM time do I have, and when is every deadline?”
Enter your program end date and OPT status to get every date that matters — filing window, EAD estimate, STEM deadline, grace period — plus an unemployment counter that applies the aggregate 150-day cap correctly instead of pretending STEM resets it.
For: Final-year students and anyone already on OPT
Open →CPT vs OPT
“Which work authorisation applies to me, and what does it cost me later?”
A decision-grade comparison of CPT and OPT — including the full-time-CPT rule that eliminates OPT eligibility — and an honest section on Day-1 CPT written by a site with nothing to sell you.
For: Students choosing between an internship now and OPT later
Open →SEVIS Termination Guide
“My SEVIS record was terminated — what does that mean and what do I do?”
An emergency map for students whose SEVIS record was terminated or visa revoked: what actually happened, what to do in the first 48 hours, reinstatement versus departure, and the things people do in a panic that make it worse.
For: Students facing a termination or a revoked visa right now
Open →In-depth guides
Read the guides
Long-form, regularly updated explainers written for immigrant families.
How Much Does College Cost in the USA? 2025 Guide for Immigrant Families
Public, private, Ivy, community — what each really costs, who qualifies for in-state tuition and FAFSA, and how immigrant families pay for a degree.
Read guide →US School System Explained for Immigrant Parents: K-12, Grades & Enrollment (2025)
Free public K-12 for every child, how grade placement works, school types, enrollment documents, ESL support, and IEPs — explained for new parents.
Read guide →SAT and ACT 2025: Complete Guide for Immigrant & International Students
The digital SAT format, SAT vs ACT, what scores mean, registration and fee waivers, free prep, and how test-optional works — for immigrant families.
Read guide →Best US Universities for Indian Immigrant Students — STEM, Rankings & Scholarships (2025)
Top US universities for Indian students in CS and engineering, the most affordable public flagships, scholarships, and how OPT and transfer paths work.
Read guide →Frequently asked questions
Is public school free for immigrant children in the USA?
Yes. Public K-12 education is free for all children living in the US regardless of immigration status — this was settled by the Supreme Court in Plyler v. Doe (1982). Schools cannot ask about your immigration status or deny enrollment based on it. You only need proof of address, your child's age (birth certificate or passport), and immunization records.
What grade will my child be placed in?
US grade placement is based on age, using your state's kindergarten cutoff date (most commonly September 1). A child generally starts kindergarten the fall they turn 5 by the cutoff. Use our Grade Finder to estimate the grade, then confirm with the district — schools assess newly arrived students individually and may adjust placement based on prior schooling and English level.
How much does college cost in the USA?
For 2024–25, average published tuition is about $11,610/year for public in-state, $30,780 for public out-of-state, $43,505 for private nonprofit, and around $68,000 for Ivy League schools. Community college averages just $3,900/year. Room and board adds roughly $13,000–$19,000 a year. Our Tuition Calculator projects the full multi-year cost including inflation and aid.
Can green card holders get in-state tuition?
Generally yes. Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) can qualify for in-state tuition after meeting the same residency requirement as citizens — typically living in the state for 12 months. H-1B and H-4 families are often charged out-of-state rates, though some states (California, Texas, New York) have exceptions. F-1 students pay out-of-state rates and aren't eligible for federal aid.
Who is eligible for FAFSA and federal financial aid?
US citizens and eligible non-citizens — including green card holders, refugees, asylees, and certain other statuses — can file the FAFSA for federal grants and loans. Students on F-1, H-4, or other temporary visas generally cannot receive federal aid, but may qualify for institutional scholarships or state Dream Act aid (in CA, TX, NY, IL, WA and others). FAFSA opens October 1 each year at studentaid.gov.
What GPA and SAT score do US colleges expect?
It varies enormously by school. The most selective universities admit students with near-4.0 GPAs and SAT scores above 1500, while most four-year colleges accept GPAs around 3.0 and SAT scores near 1200. Many schools are now test-optional. Use our GPA and SAT tools to see where your numbers land and which tier of colleges they fit.