<p>I am just starting to look at financial aid and it all seems so intimidating and confusing.<br>
All those financial aid calculators are really complicated for a simple person like myself, so can someone just help me :) </p>
<p>2 working parents</p>
<p>income bracket 60-70k</p>
<p>I will be the only one to go to college, but have a younger sibling</p>
<p>We don't own a house or anything else of the sort </p>
<p>Savings are not over 20k, so negligible? </p>
<p>What would be my EFC?</p>
<p>Um, you need to fill out the calculator. No one on here can tell you your EFC with any degree of certainty.</p>
<p>this isn't any easier for me to do than for you (and you can answer the questions I had to guess at).</p>
<p>go here and figure it out yourself -- <a href="http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml</a></p>
<p>If you don't know the figure, leave the spot blank.</p>
<p>but entering your figures, a general guess would be about $6500. That is if you, as a student, have no assets or income.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot. That figure looks kind of promising, although I know it will depend on how much need the college meets. Do colleges usually take into account room + board as well? Like demonstrated need = (tuition + R&B) - EFC or is it just tuition - EFC = demonstrated need?</p>
<p>Hi</p>
<p>Most of the colleges that my son applied to figured it out this way:
COA (Cost of Attendance) = tuition+R&B+books+personal spending</p>
<p>Don't forget that usually, at least $5K of your financial aid package will be loans and most likely $2K - $4K will be work study.</p>
<p>I think you should get a decent package, but it really will vary school to school. Sometimes ALOT. It is a make or break thing for alot of people choosing between schools. </p>
<p>I have had bad experiences with my fin aid department, but through alot of pushing and nagging I have recieved more. So don't just accept what the give you, always try to get more!! It will be worth it in the end!</p>
<p>Tim</p>
<p><a href="http://www.college-investor.com%5B/url%5D">www.college-investor.com</a>
Managing Director</p>