The internet has fueled people’s ability to comparison shop for everything from flights to shoes. And now, with a new federal initiative, officials at Raleigh colleges and universities are hoping they can make it easier to use such a strategy when it comes to shopping for higher education.<\/p>\n
U.S. Education<\/a> Secretary Arne Duncan<\/a> sent an open letter Tuesday to all colleges and universities asking that they voluntarily adopt the use of a universal \u201cshopping sheet.\u201d The sheet will give a breakdown of cost, financial awards such as scholarships and grants, and loans.<\/p>\n NC State University could to adopt the new document in the fall of 2013.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very important to make it easier to understand,\u201d said Krista Domnick, director of the NC State office of scholarships and financial aid. \u201cWe want our students and families to understand what it\u2019s costing them and be able to compare the award letter from one college to another.\u201d <\/p>\n Like NC State, William Peace University and Meredith College already use some type of cost comparison form. But, officials at Meredith and Peace said they\u2019ll use what they already have, rather than switch to the Washington-issued document.<\/p>\n Debra Townsley, president of Peace, said her school’s form is \u201cvery similar.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cWe think it\u2019s a good form and we\u2019ve had families tell us they appreciate it. We\u2019ll continue to use it whether or not this becomes a standard,\u201d Townsley said.<\/p>\n A representative for Meredith said the college may decide to tweak its own forms based on the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s suggestion.<\/p>\n A brief glance at the forms below offers an idea of how daunting comparison shopping can be. Financial forms can vary wildly from school to school. <\/p>\n