<p>Here is how we are attacking it…we also have a rising junior S…</p>
<p>1) calculate your EFC.
2) if you can’t meet your EFC with ‘cash’, are you willing to take out loans?
3) note that most schools do not meet need. You may find a great fit that costs $40000 per year with an EFC of $20000. In a perfect world, you would get $20000 in grants from the school and you would be responsible for the rest. Probably won’t happen.
4) I’ve used this data to establish our financial baseline…the amount we are capable of paying despite what our EFC says. Our baseline is substantially less than our EFC.</p>
<p>Once you have this financial baseline, you can start identifying schools that fit your academic profile taking into account the finances.</p>