The amount your parents think they will be able to pay...

JunkerRikert · 10-04-2009, 11:48 PM

My parents' income is less than $60,000 a year, so we're not expected to make any parent's contribution for most of the schools.

So, when the CSS Profile asks me "Enter the amount your parents think they will be able to pay for your 2010-11 college expenses" in the Student's Expected Resources section, what should I put?

My parents think putting 0 would be factually untrue because they do expect to help my college education and it does not look good for the students. But if my parents put too much, we're afraid that the colleges will give us little financial aid, if at all. We're thinking putting down $500-1000 right now.

Just like a catch-22.

Helps would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Erin's Dad · 10-05-2009, 12:20 AM

That should be fine. As far as I know, that line is never used in any computations.

'rentof2 · 10-05-2009, 01:58 AM

Junker, our family income is <60K too, but we always assumed we'd be expected to make some contribution. We just used the FAFSA generated EFC for that question. My son applied to a very generous school, and in fact they calculated our EFC a bit under that.

I agree with Erin's Dad that I don't think they really use whatever figure you put there in their calculations, so even if you put 0, they may come back to you expecting some contribution. Personally, as a matter of good form, I'd talk to your parents and find out what they feel they could reasonably pay, and use that amount.

mom2collegekids · 10-05-2009, 07:13 AM

I think putting down 500 dollars is fine. That comes to about $50 per school month or $250 per semester.

momofthreeboys · 10-05-2009, 07:47 AM

I was planning on using our FAFSA generated EFC to answer that question. It's a pretty realistic number.

applicannot · 10-05-2009, 09:11 AM

Just put down whatever you think is the truth. Anything less than $1000 isn't really going to make a difference - really, anything under $2500 probably isn't going to make a difference. I put $0 because that's the truth, even though my FAFSA EFC will probably be about $500.

JunkerRikert · 10-05-2009, 04:57 PM

Oh, thanks. But why would we have to provide that information if it doesn't even matter. Well, I guess maybe I'll put somewhere between 500 to 1000.