<p>rachelmk,</p>
<p>Please sit your parents down and have them run the EFC calculators at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) and at [College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Calculate Your Cost – BigFuture | College Board) If they want more detailed information about how the FAFSA EFC is calculated, they can print out <a href=“http://ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/111609EFCFormulaGuide20102011.pdf[/url]”>http://ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/111609EFCFormulaGuide20102011.pdf</a> Even though you write that they are good for 25k to 30k, their EFC may be even higher. You need to know this information so you can target your college/university list better. </p>
<p>Withing you all the best.</p>