<p>@spaceboy1996 Did you look really closely at the NPC results from Oberlin? i.e. are you sure that the $10k EFC isn’t the cost AFTER your federal loans, work/study/etc are factored in? It sounds like you are in the same income range as our family, and we found that usually those things go in the “aid” side, not in the family contribution side. Just read it closely, that’s all, so you won’t be in for surprises later.</p>
<p>Another thing we found helpful was to do Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) calculator. You can choose whether to do the federal methodology (FAFSA) or institutional, which will more closely match the schools that require the CSS Profile, I think. You can do that here: <a href=“Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Calculator - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid;
<p>Going through this exercise is helpful because you have to pull together all the various numbers, which you can then re-enter into the NPCs to get more accurate results.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>