<p>thanks for the info -- I guess we are figuring it all out.</p>
<p>I think what I am having trouble with (and my parents are really having trouble with) is that my brother is going to be expected to pay quite a bit of money for college.</p>
<p>Out of the goodness of his heart and love for his wife, he has fed, clothed, sheltered and provided for his stepdaughter -- while her natural father has never given a dime. my brother has 2 younger daughters of his own that will also need college in the future and they are in that middle-class area where you don't have savings or assets to use to pay, but you have just enough assets and an income that you don't qualify for much.</p>
<p>My niece/step-niece will most likely have difficulty with paying for college and I am hoping that advanced discussion will help everyone understand how the system works (whether it is fair or not).</p>
<p>All this information has really helped! Now, my brother has to sit down with the EFC calculators and do some figuring. He owns his own successful business, but most of the money he makes goes right back into it. Much more complicated than my situation.</p>
<p>Do you think it would help for him to hire a financial aid consultant or would that be money wasted on something he could figure out himself? He has limited assets (house, few stocks) other than the business (which is a partnership).</p>
<p>thanks!</p>