<p>Anyone have experience with what can be expected for this income range? I know everything below 180k should follow 10% rule, and Harvard also mentions that "100 kids with >200k receive fin aid due to extenuating circumstances." What isn't so clear is what Harvard does with the people in between 180k-200k. If I'm a few thousand above the 180k cutoff, does my family still get something close to 10% EFC?</p>
<p>It's not that everyone up to $180,000 gets financial aid. You have to still qualify based on the CSS Profile and FAFSA and Harvard's own forms. Generally, people in that income bracket have more than one child in college at one time, thereby reducing your EFC. That is why there are some people with incomes above $200,000 get financial aid - either several children in college at once or other extenuating circumstances. The same would be true in the $180k - 200k range.</p>
<p>As has been mentioned, the financial aid process is somewhat opaque and even if your income is below 180k, you may not get any financial aid. Things such as assets, number dependents, college students etc all come into play.</p>