Brother thinking about going to grad school...

neethus1 · 03-12-2009, 05:59 PM

My brother is now thinking about going to grad school. If I enroll at a private school (i.e. Tufts, Barnard, Wesleyan) **if I actually get in**, will they readjust my EFC if he is accepted and decides to go? The school will cost about 50k a year.

happymomof1 · 03-13-2009, 06:44 AM

Some colleges will take your brother's grad school program expenses into consideration. Others won't.

neethus1 · 03-13-2009, 09:20 AM

^ What about the ones that are better with financial aid, such as the ones I listed (the ones that meet 100% of need?)

hmom5 · 03-13-2009, 11:06 AM

As grad students are independent, most colleges will not count him. You can ask at your specific colleges but given the financial climate, I wouldn't count on it.

neethus1 · 03-13-2009, 03:37 PM

That stinks! Even if my parents are paying for it?

hmom5 · 03-13-2009, 04:05 PM

The way most colleges look at things, parents have an obligation to contribute to undergrad education but not graduate education.

neethus1 · 03-13-2009, 07:46 PM

Aha, okay. They're not paying for it anyway, I was just wondering. Thanks hmom, you're always so helpful!

thumper1 · 03-13-2009, 08:36 PM

You need to contact the schools and ASK THEM THIS QUESTION. Some schools DO count the grad student in the equation IF the student is still considered a member of your household (that is a question on the FAFSA). Others do not. DD applied was considering three colleges in the end. Two of the three counted her brother the grad student. One did not.

BRJ-CT · 03-14-2009, 05:02 AM

Thumper1 is right, it's more aggravating not to have a common rule, but it does vary. Brown for instance will include the grad student ONLY with documentation that the parents are paying at least half or more if I remember correctly. Otherwise they are independent and not their problem.
It's worth asking or emailing about though. I will be (hopefully!) in grad school when my sisters are freshman and I know my parents have looked into this already.

grapico · 03-14-2009, 02:38 PM

universities need to think differently if they think parents have an obligation to pay for undergrad education... myself, and many people I know their parents didn't pay for NADA but their incomes were calculated anyway therefore we couldn't get NADA.

Christian2 · 03-14-2009, 02:43 PM

If parents do not have an obligation to pay for undergrad education, who does?

thumper1 · 03-14-2009, 04:52 PM

Parents do NOT have an OBLIGATION to pay for undergraduate school. Heck...your parents don't really have to "buy" you anything but the necessities (think food, clothing, shelter). College costs are to be assumed by the family in part (FAFSA determines formula for federal aid...Profile or school form for school based aid). It's not free...but think of it like any other purchased item. It's not something that your parents HAVE to pay for...it's just not. Of course, the finaid applications do make an assumption that the parents will contribute. BUT there is no law saying this must happen.