How to Set Up the WP Net Price Calculator Plugin
The WP Net Price Calculator™ is a powerful WordPress plugin that helps prospective students estimate the net cost of attendance at your institution, including estimated federal financial aid. This guide walks you through configuring the calculator settings step by step.
Prerequisite: The plugin must already be installed and activated on your WordPress site. Navigate to Price Calculator > Settings in your WordPress admin dashboard to begin.
1 Configure the General Tab
The General tab is the first and most important step. It contains the core financial data your calculator uses for all estimations. These values represent your institution's annual costs and tuition rates.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name of College | Your institution's official name. This appears throughout the calculator interface and on the results page. |
| Annual Tuition | A single tuition value used when "Same Tuition for All Students" is enabled in the Form Config tab. This overrides the separate in-state and out-of-state rates. |
| Out-of-State Tuition | The annual tuition rate for students residing outside your state. Shown when separate residency rates are enabled. |
| In-State Tuition | The annual tuition rate for students residing within your state. |
| Minnesota Resident Tuition | The reciprocity tuition rate for Minnesota residents attending a Wisconsin university. Appears when "Wisconsin Universities" is enabled in Form Config. |
| In-District Tuition | A lower tuition rate for students living within the college's specific district. Appears when "Offer In-District Tuition" is enabled in Form Config. |
| On-Campus Living Expenses | The estimated annual cost for on-campus housing and meals. Hidden for online-only schools. |
| Off-Campus Living Expenses | The estimated annual cost for students living off campus, including rent, utilities, and meals. |
| Books and Supplies | The estimated annual cost for textbooks, course materials, and academic supplies. |
| Other Expenses | Miscellaneous costs such as transportation, parking, and personal expenses. Enter 0 if none apply. |
Note: Be sure to click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the tab before moving to the next step.
2 Configure the Form Config Tab
The Form Config tab controls what questions, disclosures, and options appear in the calculator form. It is organized into several sections:
School Configuration
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| SAI Score Input Only | When enabled, students enter their Student Aid Index (SAI) score directly instead of answering detailed income and asset questions. |
| Allow Student to Switch to SAI-Only Form | Allows students to toggle between the detailed financial form and the simplified SAI-only form. Requires "SAI Score Input Only" to be enabled. |
| Require First-Year Students to Live On Campus | Adds a question asking if the student is a first-year, full-time undergraduate. When selected, on-campus housing costs are used in the calculation. Not available for online-only schools. |
| This is an Online-Only School | Removes on-campus housing questions from the calculator since online students typically live off campus. |
| Offer In-District Tuition | Adds an in-district tuition rate option for students within the college's designated district. |
| Same Tuition for All Students | Uses a single tuition rate regardless of student residency. When enabled, the "Annual Tuition" field in the General tab is used instead of separate in-state and out-of-state rates. |
State-Specific Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin Universities | Enables Minnesota-Wisconsin tuition reciprocity calculations. Requires "SAI Score Input Only" to be enabled. |
| UW-Superior Override | Applies special calculation rules specific to the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Requires both "SAI Score Input Only" and "Wisconsin Universities" to be enabled. |
Aid & Tuition Display
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Hide Federal Loan Estimates | Removes estimated federal loan amounts from the results page. |
| Hide Pell Grant Estimates | Removes estimated Pell Grant amounts from the results page. |
| Show Estimated SAI Score | Displays the calculated Student Aid Index score on the results page. |
Disclosures
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Custom Disclaimer | A text area where you can enter school-specific disclaimer text that appears on the results page. By default, it includes a message about the estimate and a link to FAFSA. Supports HTML. |
| Show Full-Time Undergraduate Disclaimer | Displays a notice that the estimates are for full-time undergraduate students. |
| Show Non-Citizen Ineligibility Notice | Displays a notice for non-qualified alien students indicating potential aid ineligibility. |
| Show Citizenship Status Question | Adds a citizenship status question to the financial information page of the calculator. |
Branding
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Show Layer 7 Web Credit | Displays an attribution link to Layer 7 Web Technologies at the bottom of the calculator. |
Danger Zone
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Delete All Data on Uninstall | When checked, all calculator settings are permanently removed from the database when the plugin is uninstalled. |
Note: Click "Save Changes" after configuring the Form Config settings.
3 Configure the Form Style Tab
The Form Style tab lets you customize the calculator's appearance to match your school's branding and color scheme.
Color Customization
Use the color pickers to adjust the following elements:
Button Background Color — The background color of all calculator buttons (default: #074e68)
Button Hover Color — The button color when a user hovers over it (default: #053d52)
Button Text Color — The color of text on buttons (default: #ffffff)
Progress Bar Color — The color of the progress bar at the top of the form (default: #074e68)
Link Color — The color of hyperlinks within the calculator (default: #0000EE)
Form Background Color — The background color of the calculator form container (default: #F9F9F9)
Additional Style Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Use Square Buttons | Removes rounded corners from all buttons for a sharper, more angular look. |
| Custom CSS | A text area where you can enter custom CSS rules that apply only to the calculator. This allows for fine-grained styling control beyond the built-in options. |
| Reset to Default Colors | A button that resets all color settings back to their original default values. |
Tip: Use your school's brand colors for the button and progress bar colors to create a cohesive, professional look.
4 Display the Calculator
Once all settings are configured, add the calculator to any page or post by inserting this shortcode:
[wp-net-price-calculator]
The calculator will render on the frontend with all your configured settings and styling applied.