<p>I just got accepted to UT-Austin, which the total tuition + housing equals around $20k. No matter what I will attend UT, however, I don't exactly want to resort to getting loans in order to pay for the costs. My EFC was 0, but my brother said it doesn't necessarily help cover the full costs. When he was at Texas Tech, he received around $3k when the tuition was around $8k per semester. Because of that, he is still in debt with loans. The difference between when he applied and my freshman year is that my parents are divorced, my mom is making around $13k in income, and she has four kids (3 dependents) who will be attending college 09-10. My question is...should I still have hopes of receiving aid to pay for college or should I go on a frantic search of scholarships?</p>
<p>An EFC of 0 should give you $5350 Pell, $750 1st yr ACG (if you qualify), $3500 Stafford subsidized loan, $2000 Stafford unsub loan and some work study. The school may also offer you a subsidized Perkins loan and may also have some institutional aid in their offer. If your mom applies for and is denied a Parent PLUS loan, then you're eligible for another $4,000 unsubsidized Stafford loan. (The subsidized loans have more favorable rates and interest won't add up while you're in school so be sure to take those first!) </p>
<p>Not sure what Texas offers residents in the way of grants, but that could be an additional amount. Definitely apply for any local scholarships your school has!</p>