Budget Calculator: A Detailed Guide

Use the Budget Calculator to collect financial data from applicants. The calculator uses instructional text and numeric question types to calculate the student’s financial need.

To configure the Budget Calculator, head to Settings > Budget Calculator.

The Budget Calculator configuration page reached from Settings, where the calculator's description, warning and section titles are set.

Start configuring the calculator by adding a description (this will be shown to students). Describe the calculator's purpose here.

The Budget Calculator's description field, holding the explanatory text that applicants see above the calculator.

Optionally, you can customize the Budget Warning section. Applicants will see a warning if their expenses exceed their resources by the percentage defined here. Customize the warning message to help the applicant understand what it means to exceed their resources by the defined percentage.

The optional Budget Warning settings, where the percentage by which expenses may exceed resources before a warning appears is set, alongside the warning message shown to the applicant.

Next, add titles for the Resources and Expenses sections.

The Resources and Expenses section titles on the Budget Calculator configuration page.

Next, add numeric questions and instructional text to the Budget Calculator by selecting the type of question you would like to add under the Resources and Expenses sections. To learn how to create questions and instructional text, click here.

You can rearrange questions within the section where you create them. Move the question to the preferred position by clicking the drag handle and dragging it to the desired spot.

Numeric questions listed inside a Budget Calculator section, each with a drag handle used to move it into a different position.

Note: You can't move questions between sections of the calculator.

That's it, you've created your Budget Calculator!

Add the Budget Calculator to the Application

Head to the Application tab, select the desired section of the application, and click Budget Calculator under Create Question at the bottom of the section of the application you are adding it to.

The Create Question options at the bottom of an application section, with the Budget Calculator tile highlighted.

The Budget Calculator will appear as the last question in the list of questions in your desired section. You can move it using the drag handles on the left side of the header bar.

The Budget Calculator appearing as the last question in an application section, with drag handles on the left of its header bar for moving it.

Note: When the Budget Calculator is expanded, a link to its configuration page is displayed alongside a Deactivate control. Clicking Deactivate opens a confirmation dialog warning that removing the calculator will also delete students' existing answers for the current award cycle.

The Budget Calculator expanded on the application, with Deactivate clicked and the confirmation dialog warning that removing it will delete students' existing answers for the current award cycle.

The Budget Calculator is now configured on the application. It will automatically total the applicant's resources vs. expenses. This number can be used to qualify applicants for scholarships.

Administrators can view an applicant's Budget Calculator responses on the user account (Users > Application) or on the Award & Deny tab.

Adding Budget Calculator as a Qualification

Click Scholarships, select the scholarship, and click the Qualifications tab. Click + Qualification, then use the search field to locate your Budget Calculator by the title given.

The Qualifications tab of a scholarship, with the Budget Calculator located by title in the search field for creating a qualification from an application question.

Title the qualification and set the comparison and value in the Requirement field, then click Save at the bottom of the page.

The qualification form for a Budget Calculator value, with a title entered and the Requirement comparison and value set.

Applicant view from the general application (completed version):

The applicant's view of a completed Budget Calculator inside the general application, totalling their resources against their expenses.

Admin view ( Users tab > Application):

An administrator viewing an applicant's Budget Calculator responses on the Application tab of that student's record.