<p>You can start by entering financial data at [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Financial Aid](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Calculator - Finaid)</p>
<p>Choose “federal methodology” to get a sense of what FAFSA EFC is; choose “institutional methodology” to get a sense of what your family might be expected to contribute with the CSS issues factored in. Be sure when you are filling out the form to pay close attention to the line that asks whether your parents can file a 1040A or 1040EZ rather than the long form – that is important for technical reasons. The more accurate you are with the form, the more accurate the results.</p>
<p>If your parents own your home, you can use this form - [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Federal Housing Index Calculator](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid) – to calculate your home value for purposes of determining home equity – that is the formula that Barnard relies on.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, if you expect any financial aid, do not apply ED. Go RD, and apply to a range of colleges, keeping costs in mind. In general, Barnard is likely to give you better need-based aid than most other private schools, but not nearly as good as the Ivy League, including Columbia. So its certainly worth applying to Barnard – but if money is a factor, then you want to keep your options open, and looking to colleges that are likely to give you merit award may be the way to go – although unless your parents have a lot of money saved up, it sounds like their income would be in the range where Barnard would give you a good sized grant every year.</p>