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<p>Simply because the student commutes does not necessarily mean that the parents cannot pay their EFC. It could be that the student does not have high stats, so there are not that many admission options that are more desirable than the local school, or which meet need or offer merit so that a parental contribution of the EFC amount would be sufficient (in addition to student contribution from direct loans and work).</p>
<p>Also, parents of commuter students may be paying more than they think, since many think of having the student live at home and commuting as “free”, without considering the student associated living expenses buried in other parts of the household budget (food, utilities, car or public transportation costs – often estimated at aroung $5,000 per year, but probably highly variable from one family to another).</p>