Where should I apply if money is a factor?

Paying for College
21

<p>Thank you so much for all the advice! I’m taking notes and all of this into consideration so I’ll be better prepared for next year.</p>

<p>The FinAid EFC Calculator says that Family Contribution will be $3149…but I wasn’t too sure on my parents money so I rounded up. Is this a high amount, or is it moderate/better for me?</p>

22

<p>I think an EFC of about $3000 is lowish. </p>

<p>Anyway…keep in mind that an EFC is just a number to figure out what federal aid you’d get. It’s not the most a family has to pay. Often families have to pay more. </p>

<p>But, if that’s about the most that your family can pay, then you really need to look at schools that will either meet need (UVA, UNC, Duke, etc) or schools that will give you VERY large merit scholarships. </p>

<p>You may need to expand your geography since money is an issue.</p>

23

<p><a href=“https://www.hollins.edu/admissions/firstyear/financial/index.shtml[/url]”>https://www.hollins.edu/admissions/firstyear/financial/index.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>[Sweet</a> Briar College { Admissions }](<a href=“Admissions • Sweet Briar College”>Admissions • Sweet Briar College)</p>

<p>Take a look at Hollins University or Sweet Briar, right in your home state.<br>
With your stats, both may give you need-based & merit aid, making it affordable.</p>

24

<p>I don’t know how much I trust that QuickEFC calculator. For a quick reference, I used my own information - independent student, ~$31,000 gross income last year, no assets. It estimated my EFC at $4,265. My actual EFC for last year a was a bit over $7,000, nearly twice what the EFC estimator said it would be.</p>

<p>I also put my parents’ information in using the 2003-2004 calculator. ~$70,000 income (that’s actually a bit higher than it was), with no assets on my part or theirs. It tells me that my EFC back then would’ve been a little less than $8,000. My actual EFC in 2004 was over $18,000.</p>