Brandeis University quietly introduced Faye, a new admissions-cost tool that estimates what the university will cost for a first year applicant before enrollment decisions finalize. The tool is designed to answer a core problem for families: colleges generally can’t be relied on for accurate real costs until after students submit to admission and aid packages. Faye uses applicant inputs such as high school transcripts and tax returns to estimate total cost, including both need-based and merit aid, positioning Brandeis as a first-mover among schools experimenting with more deterministic pricing guidance. The move lands as institutions face growing scrutiny over sticker-price practices and as affordability remains a primary driver of enrollment uncertainty. For higher ed leaders, the operational lesson is that affordability transparency is becoming a product feature—one that could reshape yield strategies, simplify aid questions, and reduce applicant uncertainty earlier in the cycle.