<p>simplystated1961,</p>
<p>First off I have made no assumptions about your cars or your attendance at local restaurants. My assumption is that, like most of us, your income just barely covers your expenses and your EFC looks like an impossible number. You are looking at lower-income families receiving financial aid and are jealous that you, with your income just barely covering your expenses, will receive less aid. That is my assumption, and your posts on this thread support that assumption.
If that is the case, if it were me I would seriously consider benefiting my children by moving to where they could receive a better education and my family could enjoy a higher standard of living. Unfortunately, where I live (California) the quality of the schools and the relative cost of living go hand-in-hand. Please do not assume that I am telling you to move - I am sure you have excellent reasons for staying in your high-cost-of-living-poor-quality-schools area.</p>