<p>Roderick, it is a crap shoot at best! Research, Research, Research! </p>
<p>Go buy this book: “Paying for College Without Going Broke Princeton Review 2011 Edition” by Kalman Chany, it should be out now. </p>
<p>Do the worksheets in the back of the book to calculate your EFC under both the FM (Federal Methodology) & the IM (Institutional Methodology) </p>
<p>This 2011 Edition should be used with your 2010 Tax Returns. You don’t have 2010 numbers but you can use estimates or use your 2009 Returns if your income did not change much from 2009 to 2010. </p>
<p>Read the book, it may help you get together some info so when you do FAFSA, CSS Profile, you are prepared. The book will help you out! We have used it for years & I believe it has saved us $1,000’s. Be an educated consumer! </p>
<p>What I find so amazing is that people will do more research on buying a new refrigerator, TV, car, computer etc, but when it comes to paying for colleges for their children, they just fill out the forms & then stick their heads in the sand, hoping for the best! Then around April 1st, they are in total shock when they read the FA packages. </p>
<p>It does matter which schools your child applies to if you need financial aid.</p>