<p>I was totally upfront with my son about what we could and could not afford - that is why we applied to 13 schools and no Early decision schools. Fortunately for us, the best school he got into was the school that offered the most aid - because they meet 100% need. First you need to do the EFC calculator and figure what your EFC might be. When using the calculator I found it best to go off my gross pay as not to be surprised down the road. You might be pleasantly surprised what your EFC is. On top of your EFC, your student will also have loans (perkins and Stafford) and that equals your financial aid package at 100% need schools. Schools that don’t meet 100% need it is a crap shoot.</p>