<p>^^ I don’t think it matters Erin’s Dad. If the parents gave the OP a budget, then the parents gave the OP a budget. We gave out kids a budget and I didn’t really care what the colleges ‘thought’ we could pay, there were 3 kids and 9 years of college payments we had to consider… so the parents might have a “plan” for the dollars after the older one graduates. A budget is a budget. And good for the OP’s parents for giving a budget figure…so many kids go into this process blind.</p>