<p><a href="https://npc.collegeboard.org/student/app/brown%5B/url%5D">https://npc.collegeboard.org/student/app/brown</a></p>
<p>I was accepted ED with a reasonable (8k) family contribution, which was an estimate given to the early decision kids. I sent in my IDOC and FAFSA and am now awaiting the true package.</p>
<p>My parents are divorced, so I had to do a noncustodial for my dad and his new wife.
Parent 1: 59k
Parent 2 &spouse: 70k (went up a little bit than expected)</p>
<p>I came upon a grim estimate when I added the three incomes together with a family contribution nearly at 40k. I then saw that the calculator wanted me to estimate by doing my custodial calculation first and then doing a separate one for the noncustodial/spouse... by doing that I came up with a much better contribution when I added my mom's (0 contribution) and my dad's (14k). </p>
<p>Essentially, did I do that correctly... or should I not be as thrilled as I am now?</p>
<p>There isn’t a lot of evidence yet as to the accuracy of the various NPCs. You won’t know what your aid package is until you get it from Brown. While you are waiting, sit the various people who will be helping you pay for your education down, and find out what each is actually ready, willing, and able to contribute. Those figures are the ones that matter.</p>
<p>I know, but was I correct in calculating them separately? Did I understand that correctly or was it meant in a different way?</p>
<p>I think your way is correct.</p>
<p>However, if you were accepted ED in Dec, what FA estimate were you given at THAT time? I realize that your dad’s income went up, but what income did you give earlier and what was the estimate back then?</p>
<p>I’m surprised that your mom’s numbers didn’t come up with any contribution.</p>
<p>$14K sounds too low for a total income of $130K. And that assumes no home equity or other assets. Even with an allowance for 2 households, you’d expect more like A $30K EFC.</p>
<p>Her numbers didn’t come up with a contribution because she makes less than 60k a year, which would essentially give a full-ride to students if that’s all their parents earn.
It’s not a total 130k, Waverly. They calculate the EFCs separately and then add them together.
My mother’s is calculated by itself as she is divorced… and then my dad/spouse has a different calculation, which is where the 14k came from. </p>
<p>Mom, the estimate I received in December was 8k from the parent contribution and around 3k from my end, so 11k total. I had around 188k given to me through scholarship.</p>
<p>Waverly…</p>
<p>He’s not calculating FAFSA EFC…</p>
<p>I think he’s using the NPC on the school’s website…that’s why the contribution is lower.</p>
<p>So, your initial estimate was about $11k for parents and student contribution? And, now it looks like it will be about $14k? Not bad. :)</p>
<p>Will your parents pay the $14k?</p>
<p>I assumed Profile. But he doesn’t mention assets. They still look at it as a whole, there are not 2 separate EFCs for the divorced.</p>
<p>We literally plugged all of the assets into the NPC provided by the school. None of our assets have changed since they gave us the estimate… only the slight salary bump for my dad. </p>
<p>I called the office of financial aid today and she clarified that I was correct. Waverly, there is ONE EFC given to me, but TWO separate EFCs are calculated for divorced/separated parents and added together to create my ONE EFC </p>
<p>Mom, although my noncustodial refuses to have any part in helping, my mother has agreed that we can managed with 14k. We have some money aside for that and I will work to help her as well. I’m very pleased with what the calculation has given me and I also sent a “letter from the family” in order to help us in any way possible. </p>
<p>Yes, all of this information is for the IDOC that includes my custodial/noncustodial 1040 tax forms and every W-2, along with anything else they asked for.</p>