... also bear in mind that as income level rises, the amount of aid which is in LOANS also rises.

We're just above the range mentioned above... and our EFC is in the mid-thirty-thousands.

Calculators which are university specific generally have been spitting out loans to the tune of 5-14K annually as a result.

Thus our bimodal decision tree on the subject. We can either pay completely out of pocket for a private school out of state, pay completely out of pocket for a public school out of state, or pay a WAY smaller amount out of pocket for an in-state flagship.

My point is-- watch and tease apart the LOAN amounts in "met need" calculations. It's often hidden a bit in the fine print-- particularly when colleges play the game of considering STUDENT loans separately from PARENT loans. (This is so insane that it is hard to even articulate coherently, frankly.)


http://collegecost.ed.gov/catc/Default.aspx

The above is a great way to truth-check a University/College's statements against what they have actually been doing in terms of aid and tuition/fees. We have really opted to try to steer clear of anyone that comes up with a clear gap between what they SAY and what the NCES data suggests is more in line with reality at the institution. I gather that this is also the approach that intparent has used.



Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.