The FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid) never fails to blow me away and/or make me cry a bitter tear for the failure of Capitalism. Or the triumph of Capitalism. I don’t know which is worse.

They tell me:

Your estimated Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is: $34,291

Ouch. I’m not sure exactly what EFC is, but I do know that the result of it is terrible financial aid offers. I think it means that they assume I am capable of making this much money so they don’t need to offer me any. That’s fine, except: Who is my mysterious benefactor who plans to chip in $34,291 to my education and living expenses this year? Other than myself, and I can only make that much money by working full-time, which means I can’t really be in school… and so it goes.

I am doing fine financially, but last year the two of us were living on a real income of $15,000 plus student loans. Now the one of us is living on a real income of $4000 plus student loans. I just think FAFSA is creepy and degenerate, and maybe deranged. I wish my budget was as magical as they apparently seem to think it is.

Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know, FAFSA.