The workbench
Tools for working it out
Seven free tools, each built for a different kind of question. They run in your browser, show their assumptions, and never ask for your name or email.
Comparison
Route Compare
Weigh a four-year degree, community college, trade school, apprenticeship, and short certificates against your own priorities. You giveHow much you care about time, cost, earning while you learn, flexibility, and breadth You getA ranked side-by-side with the reasons behind each ranking Time~3 min CalculatorCost Estimator
Turn a school's numbers into a net cost, a funding gap, and an example monthly loan payment, with every assumption visible. You giveTuition, living costs, aid, savings, and an interest rate You getNet cost, gap, example payment, and what changes it most Time~5 min ChecklistAid Prep Checklist
A tickable, printable checklist that adapts to whether you're likely a dependent or independent student. You giveA few yes/no answers about your situation You getYour checklist, saved in this browser, ready to print Time~4 min Guided questionsCareer Direction Explorer
Twelve practical questions about the work you like, your constraints, and your timeline, matched to career areas with real training routes. You giveHonest answers about tasks, settings, time, and money You getThree career areas to research, why they fit, and how people train for them Time~6 min MapperSkills Gap Mapper
List the skills a target job asks for, rate yourself honestly, and get a prioritized plan to learn, prove, or reframe each one. You giveSkills from real job postings and a 0–3 self-rating for each You getA gap map sorted into learn / prove / translate, with ways to close each Time~8 min WorksheetProgram Comparison Worksheet
Enter what each school tells you. The worksheet totals real costs, flags missing answers, and exports a copy you can keep. You giveCost, length, format, accreditation, and outcomes for each program You getComparable totals, gaps to ask about, and a downloadable file Time~10 min PlannerWeekly Time Planner
Add up work, commuting, caregiving, sleep, and study time, and see how many credits your week can realistically carry. You giveYour weekly commitments and the course load you're considering You getA week chart, the hours left over, and a sustainable credit range Time~4 minYour answers stay here
Tool inputs are saved in your browser so you can come back to them. They aren’t sent to us. Manage storage.
Estimates, not verdicts
Results depend on the numbers and choices you enter. Each tool explains what it can and can’t tell you.
Not sure where to start?
Try the Career Direction Explorer if you’re deciding what to do, or the Cost Estimator if you’ve picked a program.