<p>i completely realize that i will have an astronomical efc, cuz my parents make much more than 250K, but, it’s a little scary to look at such a large number…</p>
<p>I know the feeling. My parents did a FAFSA calculator and almost died looking at the number, so we didn’t even bother applying. </p>
<p>Even though we’ll have to pay full price I’m thankful that I have that ability. We can apply to most schools we want and not have to worry about comparing aid packages. Imagine having to turn down your dream school because you can’t afford it. So I guess this is a slightly better situation to be in.</p>
<p>i guess so. but i really wish college was free :)</p>
<p>collegeboard estimator pegged me above what any Ivy would cost. I’m still filing FAFSA though, I’d rather get the real numbers than some crazy estimate.</p>
<p>I actually don’t wish college was free. Where I live it is “free” in a sense that we pay for it through taxes. But German universities most definitely aren’t the greatest. Socialist schools are something I wouldn’t want to go for, but thats another discussion. lol. </p>
<p>My parents refused to file FAFSA, they said there was no point, they didn’t want to fill it out and they didn’t want the school to have our financial data.</p>
<p>According to the FAFSA, we can afford to pay 25% of our family income for me to attend college. COOL. </p>
<p>That’ll work if they move into the dorms with me.</p>
<p>its pretty typical- unfortunately-
thats why not applying ED if you need aid- is the way to go, schools will vary on offers.
Also other ways to save money
buy books used- ( check ISBN) we have saved hundreds just in one year ( sorry I don’t have advice for art supplies, easily as expensive as science books, but not so attractice used)
Work during summer and breaks ( $4,000+)
If you qualify for workstudy , get a job on campus, if you don’t try and find a job on campus anyway. It will help you organize your time, meet people, and campus jobs are much more flexible.
Use public transportation- find a school in an area where you don’t need a car- even my two nieces in upstate NY got along without a car.
My D however found a school in a city with good transportation, saves lots of money.
Doesn’t work for freshman year, but being a residential assistant can get you free or at least reduced room and board.
Go to a school you can afford and transfer later.
Some people have metioned ROTC and I am sure others can think of more ways to save money and make it happen</p>
<p>$200,000 is a lot of money in some parts of the country but in the New York City area you are not living large. That would be a down on a house in most good areas. A family of 4 living in Arkansas making $50,000 is doing better than the New Yorker,New Jersian etc. making four times that amount.
My EFC will be @43000 the same as some body making 5 times what I make.
Aid should be based on cost of living in certain areas not on just the w-2.</p>
<p>i got like 5,230…and UF’s tuition is like 4,000…so i’m not sure if i’m gonig to get that much</p>
<p>NY88, I’m in a similiar boat. My family makes around 150,000, which is swell, except living in the DC-Baltimore metro, it lets us live comfortably, but thats the extent of it. aka, not well off enough to give up 30k a year for me ot go to college.</p>
<p>Eckie, I know the feeling. You have to be really rich or poor to afford an excellent private school. The system is flawed.</p>
<p>What would a family with less than 40,000 and little assets receive for a private school that guarantees to meet 100% need?</p>
<p>yeah that’s so true. i almost wish we made LESS money so I could get enough aid to attend.</p>
<p>The middle class - upper middle class basically gets destroyed by the federal government, not that thats a surprise.</p>
<p>viva la libertarianism</p>
<p>I do agree that there should be some accounting for cost of living in some areas. While choosing to buy and expensive house, take fancy vacations and buy new cars are a choice that parents make, where to live is less of a choice. You do have to go where you have a job.</p>
<p>I know that when my husband was looking for work, there were certain areas that we simply turned down without question – we knew that a job in the san francisco area making $50,000 would be worse than a minimum wage job in kentucky, plus no way to pay for the move or housing.</p>
<p>A family that makes $150,000 in a high cost area (new york, san francisco, DC) makes much less actual money than the same family making $150,000 in Kentucky, Tennessee, etc. They don’t choose to live in an expensive house – they have no real choices in the matter.</p>
<p>Also I have two siblings that attend private school. The simple answer is, well TAKE them out of private school. But according to my parents, it simply is not fair for me to go through private school through elemantry, and have my siblings suffer just because ONE kid wants to go to an expensive college.</p>
<p>UF???
if you got 5,230…and UF tuition is 4000…there are much more that is added to that 4000 like books, dorm, fees, blah blah blah, etc…lol…so you probalby will get some aid </p>
<p>(atleast im pretty sure thats right lol)</p>
<p>First the PROFILE does take into account private school or at least it used to.
2nd say you are a family with $40,000 before taxes- that is almost average national income- but in many areas you will be pretty hard pressed to afford a place to live- medical care and food all at teh same time. So right off the bat these kids are at a disadvantage.
An area where you can afford to live, is probably not going to have great schools, it might be someplace like Plano, where many kids are in private schools or homeschooled. But you can’t afford that- so your kids are some of the few who attend public school.
Even with a O EFC, some of that money will be from loans & work study as well as grants. BUt you need to work to help your parents pay the rent and pay for transportation- however now it is earmarked for college. Your parents desperately want you to attend college- but because of your crappy K-12 education, you can’t get into any schools that meet 100% of need. So you are looking at either instate schools, that aren’t necessarily going to give a first generation student the support they need, or at schools that are smaller, but don’t meet 100% of need.
your 6 figure income still sound so bad?
Boeing incidentally is hiring- pays for the move- puts you up until you can find a place and pays very well. My nephew fresh out of college is making $60K :)</p>
<p>a 6-figure salary looks bad when you know there is no way your family can afford to pay a full tuition. we must remember that 6-figure is 100,000 and up.</p>
<p>right i realize what six figures is 
We borrow to pay our EFC- if your family wants to do that-then you can go to whatever school meets need- if your family doesn’t want to- then I guess you go some place cheaper or get merit aid.
It really isn’t rocket science- did these people making $180,000 think that the government was going to pay for their kids to go to college?
When we don’t even have a program to help the 46 million americans who don’t have basic health insurance?</p>