<p>Does anyone know the EFC amount that is the max for unsubsidized federal loans? We've been getting subsidized, but my ex got a retirement chunk of money this year and I'm scared it will push us into the unsubsidized range.
Thanks</p>
<p>I don’t think there is an EFC maximum for subsidized Staffords. To be subsidized there must be financial need after any other aid has been applied. (COA less EFC other scholarships/aid). But there was a poster a couple of weeks back that was not offered subsidized loans despite having need, so perhaps schools have their own cut offs.</p>
<p>I think there must be some variable for subsidized vs unsubsidized that is not totally need. When my son was a senior in college, his sister was a freshman. Schools were costs were almost identical, and both had merit aid but not so much as to meet need. Their EFCs were identical. DD had subsidized loans (and oddly…a Perkins loan in addition to her Stafford). DS had unsubsidized loans. We never figured it out.</p>
<p>Ok thanks. We don’t get any financial aid other than the federal loans. I guess we just have to wait and see. If we get unsubsidized, I should probably pay the interest while they’re in school, right? That would keep the balance at the initial loan balance, which is the kid’s skin in the game.</p>
<p>If you are the primary parent, then does your ex’s chunk of money even figure into your child’s federal FAFSA?</p>
<p>Your EFC shouldn’t change, right?</p>
<p>If your child is at a private that asks for CSS NCP, that still shouldn’t affect your federal EFC.</p>
<p>Like Thumper, we were offered, with my son, varied packages. My inquiry to find out what decided sub or unsub loans, cut-offs were unsuccessful.
My son got both, but mainly unsubsidized most of his years in school, but sometimes they would say, “Workstudy or Subsidized loan?” and have us pick. Other familes I know had varied packages and we never could figure it out, having similar income.
He also got a perkins loan at Conn college and when we asked how he was able to get that and not qualify at other colleges, they said in nicer terms, we were the most “at need” at that school, which helped him realize he wouldn’t have much economic diversity,…most students at that time paid full tuition.</p>
<p>Financially, he is the primary parent. Too bad, EFC is lower with my data. My kids go to state schools, so there’s not much aid there. Like I said, just the loans.</p>
<p>Folks, the rules for sub loans are the same everywhere … it’s a federal loan program that is bound by federal rules. COA-EFC-scholarships-all need based aid=eligibility for a sub loan (up to maximum allowed for year in school). The ONLY thing that gets a bit confusing is whether work study is awarded before or after sub loans … that is up to the school, but the student can decline work study if awarded first & then request sub loan in its place (but then no work study, obviously). This is how it is, plain & simple.</p>
<p>The only thing that comes after need based aid is unsub loans and private loans.</p>
<p>The poster who stated he/she was not awarded sub loans despite having need was either mistaken or improperly awarded. OR … this person had already borrowed $23,000 in sub loans as an undergrad (the aggregate maximum).</p>
<p>“My inquiry to find out what decided sub or unsub loans, cut-offs were unsuccessful.” That’s because there are no cut-offs. It’s COA-EFC-scholarships-need based aid.</p>
<p>Thumper, just because costs are identical doesn’t mean COA is identical. In addition, work study before or after sub makes a difference.</p>
<p>Kelsmom, Oddly, my child who was awarded work study was the one who has consistently had subsidized loans. She also got a perkins loan…also odd. The other kid did not have subsidized loans…or work study. It’s water over the dam now… but it was odd at the time and odd. COAs were within $1000 of each other. That was the 2006-2007 school year.</p>
<p>Were they PROFILE schools or schools that had their own forms for collecting additional data? It’s possible in such cases that federal methodology & institutional methodology would yield different EFCs … thus affecting the awarding of the sub loans. I am not familiar with awarding using FM/IM mix, so I couldn’t really say for sure if that is the case.</p>