[COA-EFC=(NEED/HGP)+(SD)]=TC
I know it looks like some crazy formula created by Einstein, Hawking or Tesla but is actually the formula that you MUST know. If you don’t know this formula and how it relates to each college on your child’s list you will be leaving money on the table.
This crazy formula was created by our elected representatives in Washington DC and was recently amended by the Obama administration.
You can read the Higher Education Opportunity Act (all 432 pages) or come to a local workshop and learn the formula AND discover the secrets that admissions officers don’t want you to know because their goal is to keep as much money as possible and have you and your child pay as much as possible. (Click the link Workshop RSVP for dates/locations)
[COA-EFC=(NEED/HGP)+(SD)]=TC
COA references the Total Cost of Attendance for one year. This includes tuition, labs, books, room & board, travel, other expenses and fees.
The EFC is the federal formula for creating your “deductable” the cost that you are required to pay before you get any financial aid.
NEED is calculated by subtracting the EFC against the COA.
HGP is the Historical Giving Pattern, this number is reported to the Department of Education. This is the average amount of financial aid given. Is the college generally tight fisted or generous?
SD references the college’s desirability toward any one particular student. Is your student highly desirable (no they don’t have to be a star athlete or have high grades or a perfect SAT score) Some colleges are more apt to handing out financial aid to attract certain types of student.
Add subtract and divide these numbers to get the TC, True Cost for your student.
The exorbitant cost of college may be a hard thing to swallow, however AZCollegePlanning.com’s proprietary “How To Pay” formula custom designed for your family can show you how to pay for college without going broke, how to find best-fit colleges, generous colleges, all in a comfortable manor.
