<p>Z,</p>
<p>My income is not as high as Op's.</p>
<p>Colleges have more latitude based on the sizes or their endowments and often use their own institutional methodology in determining your EFC where the FAFSA, is pretty more straight forward and uses a federal methodology.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that different schools calculate or don't factor different things in awarding financial aid and determining your EFC. Daughter got accepted to 7 schools last year, had 7 different EFCs and none was equal to the EFC on the FAFSA
Williams, Bryn Mawr and Tufts were approximately 2,000 to 3,000 LOWER than the FAFSA EFC</p>
<p>Barnard, Amherst, Dartmouth, Mount Holyoke were HIGHER than the FAFSA EFC </p>
<p>There was a total of $12,256 between the Barnard package and the final offer we got from Dartmouth (we used the Williams offer to negotiate a better offer from Dartmouth where D is now attending). Williams gave more grant money, less loans, a less student contribution, less parent contribution. Dartmouth met Williams' EFC, lowered the loans, and met the grant aid.</p>
<p>EFC 2221 lower than barnard
student contribution 585 higher than barnard)
Grant money 7720 higher than barnard
loans 2600 less than barnard
work study 300 less than barnar
total 12256</p>
<p>difference between Williams and Amherst</p>
<p>parent contrib 2251 higher at amherst
student contribution 975 higher at amherst
grant money 4906 lower at amherst
loans 3500 higher at amherst
Workstudy 100 higher at amherst</p>