Projected Total Four-Year Costs of Attending College: Four-year costs are based on The College Board's Annual Survey of Colleges for the 2000-2001 school year and include tuition, room and board (adjusted by "resident"/"commuter" selection), transportation, books, and other expenses. The costs are enrollment-weighted and inflated based upon your selected estimated annual rate of inflation. An 8% annual return on investment is assumed but does not represent a specific security. The calculator also assumes no additional investments or earnings once the child starts school and that investments are made at the beginning of each school year.