EFC and Cornell

Paying for College
1

<p>I'm currently filling out the international financial aid application, and I'm at the section "Estimated Resources for 2008-09". This section asks for my parents' assets but not my own assets. But I've heard that when colleges calculate your expected family contribution EFC, they are more willing to touch your own assets than your parents'. Since i'm international, cornell is need-aware, so I wanna increase the EFC for cornell as much as possible. </p>

<p>My question is: why doesn't cornell ask for my assets in "Estimated Resources"? Does it mean then that my own assets don't play a large factor in the EFC as it does for other schools? I have alot of assets under savings which I'm more than willing to use for college and for increasing the EFC. If I state those assets, will cornell treat it the same as FAFSA does (i.e. take a large chunk from the assets in calculating EFC.) If not, how do I get cornell to use more of my own assets?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Hi, it seems we are filling out the same form and struggling with the same problems. For ER I put my parent’s assets into the first field, but added mine under “From other sources” as savings and summer jobs.</p>

3

<p>I haven’t seen the forms but andykom I would not fill-in parent’s assets in a place where my assets are expected to be written. My suggestion is go exactly what is asked. If in doubt research or pick-up the phone and ask.</p>

<p>Again, haven’t seen the Cornell form, but if they are not asking for parent’s assets you don’t fill-in that.</p>

<p>Also screwitlah when you say “so I wanna increase the EFC for cornell as much as possible” - IMO that would not be in your interest unless you want to reduce your financial aid. Increasing EFC means you are bearing more of college fees. Probably you wanted to say you wanted to reflect the EFC at realistic level.</p>

<p>hope that helps.</p>