<p>From experience, what can a student coming from a family making $85,000, with another college student, expect their EFC to be? This is very important to me because my parents aren't contributing anything, no matter the EFC, so I need to know how much in student loans I'll be taking out each year. Thanks!</p>
<p>Have you tried reading this page from Swat’s web site and starting with the net price calculator?</p>
<p>[Net</a> Price Calculator :: Admissions & Aid :: Swarthmore College](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/admissions-and-aid/financial-aid-and-cost-information/prospective-students/net-price-calculator.xml]Net”>Net Price Calculator :: Financial Aid :: Swarthmore College)</p>
<p>The calculator for me at least wasn’t all too accurate. The FAFSA said my EFC was about 3000, The calculator said my EFC was around 7000, and Swarthmore said my EFC is 1500, and that is all I had to pay for the year… All variable.</p>
<p>The amount of aid you get depends on your particular family circumstances, not just your family’s income. Two students with families making roughly the same combined income could receive very different financial aid packages. My parents’ combined earnings was less than $85,000, and we got a sufficiently generous aid package that I didn’t need to take out a loan. Every year I applied for financial aid, the FAFSA reported that my EFC was 0, but my parents ended up paying on average around $10,000-12,000 a year.</p>