A group of high school students is playing a money-themed version of Jeopardy. They do not have to answer in the form of a question, but the goal of the multi-week pilot program developed by UniFi Scholars is to answer some of their questions about financial aid.

"And a big part of that is sort of demystifying this notion that college is something that's not attainable," says Richard Negrone of Sports and Arts in Schools Foundation.

With over a trillion dollars in student loan debt, it's easy to see where that notion comes from. One thing students are taught:  look beyond a school's sticker price to something called the net price.

That is what you might actually pay after things like grants and scholarships are taken into account.  Every university and college is required to have a net price calculator on their website. There is also the FAFSA4caster, which can help estimate what your expected financial contribution may be.

"So these resources can help students say, ‘Oh wait, that says $60,000 to go to Amherst, but really they can afford to give me about $48,000 in scholarship money and my EFC is so low that I can get a Pell Grant.  I can make up the difference in a reasonable amount of student loans,’" says David Helene, co-founder of UniFi Scholars.

Just navigating the financial aid process can feel like learning a new language.  FAFSA, EFC, Pell Grants.

"Yeah, they were words that were there but I never went in depth in think about it," said student Rochelle Purcell.

Speaking of going in depth, students are also challenged to create a 10-year plan that looks way beyond their bachelors.

"That includes understanding what they can expect to make once they graduate college in their first and maybe second job," says Georges Clement, co-founder of UniFi Scholars.

On face value, the exercise teaches basic financial lessons like the importance of living with a budget.

"I'm like consciously thinking about what I am spending and how I am spending it," says student Kaydene Small.

By giving students that glimpse of how loans can impact their budget for years after their graduate, organizers say they'll be able to make a more informed decisions about where they'll go and how they'll pay for it.

"And then that plays out to them having lower amounts of debt in the long run,” Clement says.