<p>To clarify the finances, this family’s income is around 100K. For Cal States, it’s black and white. 92K for a family of 6 is the cut off for a Cal Grant-end of story, or so I’m to understand. (I’m also bringing in a friend who worked in the f. aid office of a well known school for a number of years)</p>
<p>However, if you look below the surface you will see: they are upside down in their mortgage, probably due to the fire. They will have two in college next year. They have no assets, no savings, and no retirement. The dad was also out of work for two months but I’m not sure if he covered that with consulting or not.</p>
<p>So, when I ran the calculator at Stanford, they qualified for a lot of need-based aid and when my friend ran the calculator, their EFC was something like $7,800-lower than ours, a family of 5 with 77K income, but we do have equity and a small (dwindling) 529 account.</p>
<p>Yes auntbea, I’m bartering writing tutoring for helping this family with their daughter (and possibly their son who’s transferring from the CC).</p>
<p>itsv and entomom, thanks again for the reminders of CSO and Venture Scholars.</p>
<p>Yes, I know all of these selective schools are very reachy for this student, but I think we’ve got to look at a few that give good aid, regardless. In her areas of interest (photography and psychology at this point), debt will be a killer after graduation. I may encourage her to think about combining business and the arts (this was one recommendation from my friend in f. aid who said jobs in the student’s areas of interest are just not happening).</p>