<p>Does anyone have any actual experience with EFC pertaining to one in undergraduate and one in grad school? Specifically, what happens to EFC once the oldest child graduates, and goes immediately to grad school, and younger one is still in undergrad? I've read specifics from a few schools (generally consider the grad student independent, therefore the undergrad is the only applicant under the EFC). But, I have also asked this question directly to financial aid officers and gotten vague responses. </p>
<p>I'm trying to weigh the financial aid packages not only for the upcoming year, but what we will face in years 3&4 and how much we can help the grad student.</p>
<p>for FAFSA, the grad student is not included in the number attending college. so your FAFSA EFC will be higher (not divided by 2).</p>
<p>Profile does ask about grad students and parental contribution -- but each school determines whether to take that into account. I do know that it isn't taken into account the same as a second undergrad student, but it might lower the Profile EFC a little. That is why you are getting vague answers -- it probably depends on the amount of need, the amount you are paying for the grad student and what their policy is that year.</p>
<p>Call each school. We've been told by almost all the schools that they now are counting the grad student as family member and in school, however...</p>
<ol>
<li>count gs as family member and as in college, cuts efc basically in half, uses this number for all need based aid</li>
<li>counts gs to get the EFC, therefor is the number used for stafford, workstudy, pell etc BUT when figuring the institutional grant money they take student out as family member and out as in-school. (so we go from a 4 member, 2 in college to a 3 member, 1 in college)<br></li>
<li>don't count as in-college but may count as family member if counted on family tax return</li>
</ol>
<p>Slightly different situation but I am a grad student and my D is an undergrad, I can tell you first hand, my being a grad student has had no bearing on D's FA. However, my D being an undergrad did lower my EFC (but not by half maybe a quarter).</p>
<p>OP should be prepared that if grad student is going for a Masters program or professional school (law/medicine) at most schools, the bulk of the financial aid is going to be in the form of student loans (as grad students can borrow up to 20k per year in sub and unsubsidized stafford loans) as most of the financial aid in term of grants and fellowships go th PhD programs.</p>