I have an income of 30K a year and I receive child support in the amount of 12K a year and my EFC came back at $7188. I do not own a home or have any other assets. Does this seem right? I am the parent by the way. Thank you.
Are you the parent who is a student? Or are you a parent whose high school senior got this EFC. There IS a difference.
I am the parent of the senior who got this EFC.
It’s not out of line since you probably pay very little in taxes and if there are only 2 in the household. If you used the drt and didn’t have any other entries on the FAFSA, it may be correct.
I do have another child who is only 8. They have different dads and I get that 12K a year for my younger daughter, not the senior.
It doesn’t matter who you are getting the child support for…or from. It is still included.
Did you use the IRS data retrieval tool, or did you enter everything yourself?
I know that.
I used the tool.
I ran a sample one for a friend. I was really surprised at the effect of taxes on EFC.
I came up with around $3800 on a few different calculators. That’s why I am so confused.
The other calculators that you used may have assumed that your family of 3 consisted of 2 parents and 1 child. Unfortunately the calculation is harsher when there’s only one parent in the household…since the calculation assumes that adults cost more than children.
Also, the calculation on that 12k is harsher as well since it’s not earned income.
So when you’re a single parent you get screwed. That’s awesome.
@mom2collegekids It sounds like the FAFSA EFC is harsher — but are school calculators harsher? Could the NPC results she is getting be accurate?
Yep, single parents get hit hard over and over. There is a much smaller asset protection and there is a lower AOTC max out.
The $7k+ EFC does seem a little high for a $42k income. Are you able to claim simplified assets?
It would be simplified needs test…but if possible all that would do is not include assets in the calculation.
Does this single mom have any assets to exclude?
To the OP…do you qualify for any means tested benefits like free or reduced lunch? Or SNAP? We’re you able to use a 1040A or 1040 EZ tax form in 2017?
Of that $42,000 income, $12000 is unearned income…and I think that gets a bigger hit than earned income.
I have no assets whatsoever. $0 in my savings and I rent my house. I did use a 1040A form in 2017. I do qualify for free/reduced lunch but not SNAP.
Well…when you did the FAFSA, you were asked if you qualified for 1040A and means tested benefit. You probably answered…yes.
But since you have no assets anyway, this simplified needs test didn’t help you at all.
Run the NPC on a few colleges that “meet need” such as Vassar, Grinnell, St Olaf, St Lawrence, Mount Holyoke. Can you list the results?
What are your daughter’s stats?
People here at be able to advise you about colleges that offer for financial aid wrt stats.
I’m surprised your EFC isn’t lower for that income though. I’d have thought 42k/no assets would be eligible for Pell.
I thought she would eligible also. What do you mean by her stats? She has a 3.2 GPA and scored a 23 on her ACT which she is retaking in December.
The schools she’s applying for are UW schools here in Wisconsin which I don’t believe any of them are “meet need” schools.
https://financialaid.wisc.edu/net-price-calculator/
Her GPA and ACT are likely too low for UW-Madison but maybe other UW system schools have a financial aid calculator link like the one above.
Using EFC $7188 and answering ‘yes’ to ‘AGI under $56k’ a UW-Madison dependent student who is a Wisconsin resident would get about $10k in grant/gift aid (free tuition), and $9k in loans and work study.
You’re right, WIbpublic colleges don’t meet need, but WIbhae pretty good financial aid, relatively speaking. Still expensive.
Run the NPC on Beloit, Lawrence, Gustavus Adolphus, Elmhurst, DePauw, Drake, Butler, Luther, Hamline, St Kate’s (in Minneapolis), Bradley, Valparaiso.
You benefit from the MN/WI exchange: run the NPC on UMN Morris (reach) and UMN Duluth (match).
Enroll her in a test prep class (HS, library may offer them). Make sure she spends time on 'question of the day’s and on khan academy, every day. You could get her “the ACT for the poor test taker”, too. The higher her score, the better the scholarship - so that prep time is money.