<p>I am wondering how accurate the NPC really is for colleges under consideration for S2. S1 was HS class of 2012, and NPC was not used then. S2 has a large list (15) and we are trying to narrow the focus, but need to cast a wide net for aid. A couple of the schools' NPC have the schools just above our price comfort zone, and I am wondering if they should come off the list. How has your experience been in the past year or so with accuracy using NPC? Thanks!</p>
<p>The general feeling on the boards is the NPCs are accurate if your taxes are relatively simple - income and interest. As they get more complex (self owned business) they are not as close. Also a non-custodial parent can throw a wrench for CSS Profile schools. If your S has good grades and scores you may want to look at the pinned threads in this forum for merit aid options.</p>
<p>If you are self employed, own your own business, have real estate other than your primary residence, or are divorced…the NPC will not be particularly accurate. </p>
<p>Thanks-married and basic, simple income/taxes. Own no property other than main residence. Guess we can knock off a few of our schools. </p>
<p>They were pretty accurate for us but we are a pretty straight forward situation. D applied to a couple schools that were out of our range on NPC and as expected, they gapped her. However, she applied to them because they had additional, audition based talent awards. She received 2 of them which made those schools manageable. You don’t even have to be the major in some cases. One school just wanted a commitment that you’d play in the school orchestra or audition for the shows. I’ve seen schools with forensics and other sorts of merit too.</p>
<p>So, before crossing them off, if they are a favorite, I’d do some research on departmental merit.</p>
<p>Check policies. At many colleges, merit awards will reduce your financial need…and therefore any need based aid will be reduced.</p>
<p>I just received a letter from FA department of an east coast school that said no grant, no loan, no student work - $63k per year estimate. Their NPC from their own site had predicted a grant of almost 14k and total cost of attendance was 58k for a net price of $44k. UC and Cal State are looking better all the time. It would be nice to be able to send the three kids to my east coast school. But 3/4 million? </p>
<p>^^
Do you have any “not-typical” situations? Self-employed, business owner, independent contractor, business deductions, income that isnt from “work”, an ex-spouse, properties other than the primary home, a trust fund, shared assets with relatives, farm, and/or …</p>
<p>@patertrium </p>
<p>With a $63k 'family contribution with a family that has 3 children," income, assets, or something else must be significant</p>
<p>I’ve saved about 50k in S1 ESA and 529 and he has a 20k grandma trust that he can have at age 18. There are about 450k in non-IRA savings that consist mostly of appreciated stock. So after taxes that’s really more like 350k and of course bumps up apparent income to FA office in the year of sale. Still quite a ways from 3/4MM even if I spend it all down on the kids undergrad education. I had been hopeful about the $44k figure. $10k over UC is one thing, 30k - yowza. </p>
<p>Also, the schools that guarantee to meet full need and have zero or very few merit awards tend to be more accurate. The NPCs tend to go on averages, so when you have a school that meets, say 70% of need, but also has 20% of kids getting merit awards, it’s hard to come up with what your student is going to actually get, when there are holistic factors that go into who gets 100% of need met (there almost always are SOME kids who do) and those who may only get half their need met. Two kids who graduated from one son’s class applied to the some of the same schools, and there were some that gave similar aid packages and some that did not. </p>
<p>That $450K in non-IRA savings is worth a $25K bump in EFC all by itself.</p>