federal vs institutional methodology

Paying for College
1

<p>I know this is a naive question to you pros. But why , when I used an EFC calculator on the Finaid website , is our EFC 44,000 by institutional methodology and 34,000 by federal methodology?</p>

<p>Also, when it asks number of students in college does law school for our 25 year old count?</p>

<p>thank-you.</p>

2

<p>Federal methodology does not count certain things, such as your primary home, which institutional methodology does. Keep in mind that schools using CSS will actually have their own formulas. For instance some may count the primary home as an asset, some may not, some may cap the equity at a certain % of income. So the institutional methodology # is ballpark at best.</p>

<p>In most cases your son in law school does not count as member of household in school because he is considered independent for FA purposes.</p>

<p>

As your son is pursuing a professional degree he cannot answer no to every question.</p>

<p>I think I have read on here that some schools may allow him to be counted so you should check with each school.</p>

3

<p>thank-you very much. The school itself, Case Western Reserve, told me that we could use an estimator that they will have available Dec. 20th- I’m assuming they will have their institutional methodology as the formula! I will just have to wait and see what number they come up with.</p>

4

<p>Another question I have is this though- </p>

<p>It would seem that the institutional “methodology” on the estimator isn’t really accurate because the estimator tells one only to put in the custodial parent’s income and received child support, if any- . It doesn’t ask for the non- custodial parent’s income, while private institutions would. ( take that into account)</p>

<p>Am I correct in this? that the estimator is very inaccurate because of this?</p>

5

<p>if you/your child is applying to a school which uses the CSS profile and has a non-custodial parent, they would file the non-custodial profile. The non-custodial parent would have their own EFC and thier financial information is not shared with the custodial parent.</p>

<p><a href=“https://ncprofile.collegeboard.com/ncpWeb/pageflows/Main/NcpMainController.jpf[/url]”>https://ncprofile.collegeboard.com/ncpWeb/pageflows/Main/NcpMainController.jpf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>Case Western doesn’t require non-custodial parent income or assets to be reported:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>[Financial</a> Aid - Financial Aid Forms (Academic Year 2009-2010)](<a href=“http://finaid.case.edu/Finaid.aspx?Forms_and_Publications&Option=Forms&Year=2010&Level=006-001]Financial”>http://finaid.case.edu/Finaid.aspx?Forms_and_Publications&Option=Forms&Year=2010&Level=006-001)</p>

7

<p>Yes! I saw that and was surprised. DD was just accepted there. Thank-you.</p>

8

<p>FWIW…I think Case Western is supposed to give pretty good aid. And I do know one family who has a child there. She’s their first of 3, and they have VERY VERY little money (frequently one or both parents are under or unemployed due to a variety of reasons). I know that, after year 1…they were “renegotiating” their scholarship package (if there is even such a thing). And this was a very smart girl, but far from tops in class, you know…so I THINK it was all need based. ??</p>