<p>I have a few questions about this. Im only a junior, so I dont have all the FAFSA forms filled out, and wont for a while, but I want to know some things for picking schools to apply to anyway.
I have 2 brothers in college now, and both will be when I apply/attend. My dad is paying about $10k/year for brother #1 (this amount is all costs minus scholarships) and about $20k/year for brother #2. The $20k/year for #2 is only 1/2 the total cost; my brother is picking up the other half, so the school is about $40k/year, and he doesnt have any scholarships. </p>
<p>First question: Does the $20k/year that my brother is paying for himself count towards how much my family is paying towards college right now? He is still considered a dependent....
Next question: Only brother #1 had readily available records from FAFSA, so all I know is that for him, the calculated expected family contribution (when he was the only one in college, #2 wasnt yet) was around $70k/year. Does this mean that when I apply, the expected contribution (assuming my dad's salary and savings remain the same) will be $70k divided by 3? Or does it take into account that he's only paying $10k at 1 school, and $20k at another, meaning that for me it will be $40k? Or if the answer to question #1 was yes, then $10k at 1 school, $40k at another, meaning $20k left for me?</p>
<p>I hope all that made sense. Thanks in advance for any help.</p>
<p>Your EFC will be calculated based on the number of dependents in college; it does not consider how much they actually pay. So the parental contribution with 3 in college is parent's share divided by 3. The EFC also includes consideration of each child's assets & earnings, so it can be very different on a per sibling basis if some are working or have managed to save better than others.</p>
<p>However, EFC is only a starting point for financial aid -- colleges may ask for verification of the sibling's enrollment and cost of attendance.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>my dad for how much he'll be paying for me, within $10k haha>></p>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p>Well...be careful. The EFC is the expected family contribution. It is not a guarantee of financial aid awards. If you enroll at a college that does not meet full need (Cost of attendance minus EFC), you could very well be left paying more than your EFC in costs per year. For example, DD goes to a private university and our EFC is about $22,000 which is $20,000 difference from the cost of attendance. The school does NOT meet full need. We are paying more about $30,000 per year for her to attend this college. AND some of her financial aid is in loans.</p>
<p>I hadnt realized that, thanks for pointing that out. The one school I checked on that for (cal tech) said they do meet all financial aid, so I guess I assumed all do. Ill have to check around now, thanks again</p>