<p>The college decides what your financial need is, not your parents (otherwise all parents would estimate they can pay very little :p). However if you have another sibling in college or medical expenses that aren’t covered by insurance and are for a family member, then they may be able to increase your financial aid.
If your EFC is 10k, then your parents should come up with 10k, your should earn/borrow 9k, and the rest should be covered by grants. If you don’t have any financial aid, it means your EFC was calculated to be higher than that. </p>