<p>DD really wants to go to Syracuse. We have friends that live nearby. We have an efc of $14000. If she were to live with them, would they still take the cost of room and board and meals into account in determining her need? Of course we would offer to pay them and pay for food, but if, say, room, board and food on campus are $14000, would our efc be taken care of by paying our friends?</p>
<p>You’d need to call Syracuse and ask. Every school has different policies on this.</p>
<p>If you keep it quiet that the living situation is free, it is likely that Syracuse will include some off campus living expense in your total cost of attendance. It may be a bit higher/lower than on-campus living expense (usually lower), meaning your financial aid package may change slightly (usually reduced), but the housing should still be included in your total costs and thus if the housing is secretly free, you end up saving a good deal of money.</p>
<p>Whatever the final balance is at Syracuse, probably about 15,000 along with some loans, you’ll essentially be able to subtract whatever Syracuse deems the price of off campus living is.</p>
<p>Syracuse has a cost of attendance for off campus residents. Your daughter’s financial aid would be based on her being an off campus resident. In most cases, that cost of attendance is very close to the cost of attendance for students living in the dorm. My guess is this will not affect your EFC contribution at all.</p>
<p>Thumper is right. She will be an off campus resident and there is a COA for such situations. COA is done with averages, and not tailored, so actual payment amounts don’t matter. If you get aid to cover COA and you can do it cheaper, you can keep the excess.</p>
<p>You also need to find out if Syracuse requires freshmen to live on campus unless they are commutable distance from their parents.</p>
<p>Syracuse requires freshman and sophomores to live on campus unless the are local residents. It’s great for building school spirit and connecting the students to each other because it builds a closer-knit community, but it makes it difficult to work out other arrangements.</p>
<p>You’re going to be in a pickle.</p>
<p>To get your friend’s home qualified as her primary residence so that she doesn’t have to live on campus, means that she’s going to get the “living at home COA.”…so the room and board part estimate will be much lower than $14k.</p>
<p>And Syracuse doesn’t meet 100% of need. </p>
<p>I don’t know how hard/easy it will be to be to convince SU to let her live off campus with non-parents her first year or two.</p>
<p>If cost is an issue, I suggest making sure that you have some financial safeties on your list.</p>