<p>I've been asked about this program and after reading the website, I'm still unsure of the answers. </p>
<p>When determining if a family's INCOME is within the $60,000 limit, are they talking AGI? Many/most people with jobs have insurance premiums, retirement plan contributions and possibly other deductions taken out of their gross pay. Is one eligible with an AGI under $60,000 or are these deductions added back in? </p>
<p>Would having large medical bills (yr after yr) matter?</p>
<p>What about assets? FAFSA doesn't consider home ownership. Would owning a home disqualify someone from Questbridge?</p>
<p>A friend told me her son's guidance counselor said he had to have a 0 EFC in order to qualify so he was told not to bother applying. I'm not sure if that's true...</p>
<p>I think when you hear those $60,000 and less figures, it’s usually AGI. The answer to all your questions, however, is that it all matters. Because it’s such an extensive application, it takes expenses like bills and assets like homes into consideration. So if you only make $10,000 a year, but have $10 million in assets, you’re probably not a QB type. If you make $80,000 a year, but have a household of ten people along with high medical bills, you could very well be a QB type.</p>
<p>And the $0 EFC thing comes into play with specific colleges. Refer to the QB website, but I know some (maybe Yale) say “we only Match applicants with $0 EFCs according to our calculator” or whatever.</p>
<p>QB takes a very holistic look at a family’s situation when determining eligibility. There’s just no way anyone here on CC can tell you whether your family will be eligible or not. However, there are a few things I can say. Large medical bills matter. Home ownership does not automatically disqualify one’s family. Sure, if you had a mansion it could. The application gives you space to explain what assets you have and any special circumstances regarding them as well as space to explain the medical bills.</p>
<p>I think that $0 EFC needs to be taken with a major grain of salt. There can be a big difference between what a particular college calculates a family’s EFC as, and what is shown on a FAFSA calculator using the Federal Methodology or Institutional Methodology. Also, some of the QB schools specifically say they will limit matches to students with $0 EFC according to their calculations, but others do not. I know of matched students who have had a small parental contribution.</p>
<p>I just checked the listing for last year. Columbia at one time had that info, but does not in last year’s listing so they evidently changed their policy.</p>
<p>So does someone who has filled out the FAFSA forcaster and a few school forcasters and gets an efc of around 1800-2000 still eligible to become a finalist/match?</p>
<p>this is probably a stupid question but i might as well ask… that 60k thing is that just the parent u live with? cuz my parents r divorced i live with my mom and if so i am well under that 60k mark but if it means both parents then im out of luck</p>