<p>mary, I didn’t realize she was born in 1987. If so, she is automatically independent for the 2011-12 school year. But yes, the only aid will be the loans (unless the college has some type of grants for students in a teacher cert program). The really hard part is that she is undergrad, so she doesn’t qualify for grad Plus loans & you can’t take out a parent Plus loan on her behalf.</p>
<p>Definitely do not put 1st year grad, because she is not eligible for grad loans. Her EFC is the same for UG as for grad … the difference is that she has to use UG loans for a teacher cert program.</p>
<p>Do you live in the metro Detroit area? Could she live at home & get certified in a local school? You could look into one of so many schools … OU, WSU, UM-Flint/Dearborn, Rochester College, Baker … not sure if any have the program she is interested in, but there may be a less expensive option near home.</p>
<p>She could move home, but after living on her own for 6 years, I’m not sure she’s willing to do that. Chicago is her home now, all her friends are there, and adapting to life at home would be pretty stressful for all of us. I think the better option is to look for other schools that offer the program she wants. With so many schools in Chicago, there can’t be just one with that program and maybe there’s a lower tuition option out there. This program is throught the Music Dept, not Ed, but I’ll have to ask her what difference that makes. More research, I guess, and I still plan to talk to Fin Aid people on Monday.</p>
<p>Mary, her EFC actually isn’t the amount they expect her to pay…it’s the number they’re going to use to determine her aid eligibility. As you know, the school will likely expect her to pay much more than that! But her EFC does sound right to me. Students have a lower income protection allowance than parents do - only $8550 - and, beyond the standard allowances for employment and income taxes, 50% of their remaining income goes toward their EFC. You can do the calculation manually using the tables/worksheets for independent students in the EFC Formula Guide (make sure you use the ones marked B is she has no dependents of her own):</p>
<p>She may qualify for the $4000 TEACH Grant. Indicate 5th yr undergrad and that she is seeking teacher certification. $12500 is the annual Stafford loan limit for an independent undergrad (or post Bacc).</p>
<p>If it is a FAFSA-only school, It doesn’t matter if the parent information is there -it will not be considered. The EFC is so high because it is based on total Cost of Attendance, not just tuition and fees.</p>
<p>If she will not be working, she may be able to request a special circumstances revision. Unfortunately, there is still no Pell for students who already earned their bachelors, so it won’t be any help unless there are institutional funds available.</p>
<p>Acutally, the EFC calculation has nothing to do with COA…she could be applying to a community college and her EFC would be the same. You’re right that even a reduction in EFC may not help her get any federal grants though some states have grants (or loan forgiveness programs) for teaching certificates. I forgot about the TEACH grant, though that comes with strings attached.</p>