FAFSA and Profile: what the family is "prepared" to pay

Paying for College
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<p>I’ve run some EFC estimates, and I’m trying to figure out the best strategic (and consistent?) answer to the question that asks what the family is prepared to pay (LOL!). For the FAFSA and Profile forms, we want to answer that question using a figure that is less than we really expect to pay.</p>

<p>It looks like our FAFSA EFC will be around the same as our in-state public COA, and our Profile EFC will be about $10,000 higher than that. It seems reasonable to use our in-state public COA as our response ON THE FORMS for what we are prepared to pay. Since we are filling out both FAFSA and Profile, I am assuming I should use the same response on both forms?</p>

<p>But if we do that, instead of using a number slightly lower than our instate public’s COA, are we simply conceding to the in-state public any chance at need aid? (It’s D’s safety, where I expect her to get some merit $$) On the other hand, is that too low a low-ball estimate for the privates? (Especially since on some of the separate private school forms, we need to indicate what we are currently paying for D’s private HS tuition, which is actually a little HIGHER than the in-state public college COA, and we are prepared to contribute more towards the COA at the private schools.)</p>

<p>Opinions?</p>

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<p>We used about $5,000 less or so than EFC as what we could pay & honestly we borrowed the bulk of what we did pay.</p>

<p>I hate to tell you that while most of my Ds schools were instate public- and although her grades and scores were well above their top scores- her largest award was from the state for low/medium income students to attend instate schools who were top % in their class,
one school did offer her $600. in merit
A school that had more money and that we expected more from "gave "her loans, which I thought was silly- since she can get those in any case.</p>

<p>I would go with just putting your EFC since I don't think schools really use different figures anyway in my experience</p>

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<p>Last year I went with COA for our in-state Public and will likely do the same this year. However, my D only applied to OOS Publics and Privates, so we didn't have the problem of conceding the in-state cost. </p>

<p>I always thought this was a strange question since the whole purpose of filling out the forms is that you give them your finances and they determine what you should pay. I have no idea how they actually use this number, another mystery of life.</p>

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<p>^^^
thank you both, I am probably overthinking this, and your responses confirmed my original plan.</p>