<p>Prairiedad, the financial aid “game” is a crazy one that is so difficult to figure out. You seem to have done well for your children with the two in college.</p>
<p>In my area, one cannot get a house for $200K. They just don’t exist. A studio maybe. Go into some neighborhoods that are dangerous, not just shabby but where you are risking your life, maybe you canfind something. but when you live in some part of the US, housing is ridiculoulsy expensive. With fixed costs so high, a big salary doesn’t go as far, but financial aid calculations take none of that into consideration. My friends I left in the midwest 15 yars ago almost all have their houses paid off. I’ll never reach that milestone here. What we sold our house for there, was just part of the down payment here. </p>
<p>What’s even more difficult is that for many, the pay is not much more. Work in retail as a clerk or other job that is similar nationwide, they pay exactly the same. It can be a tough go.</p>
<p>Hopefully, you are getting the jist of how EFC works. You want to make sure the college kids do not have assets in their name. You, too, should not be filling out FAFSA on payday. Make sure those accounts don’t have a big check sitting there.</p>