This week we've been concentrating on Todd's questions about financial aid eligibility(see my previous posts from Monday and Wednesday). And where better to get these answers than from financial aid directors?

This final bit of advice—and math—comes from Lynda McKendree, Executive Director of Student Financial Aid at the University of Houston—Clear Lake  in Houston:

"Hello, I just wanted to answer some of the questions from your post. First, although an EFC  of 9988 excludes you from grant eligibility, it does not exclude you from Federal Stafford Loan  eligibility. Once you decide on a school, and have applied for financial aid there, the financial aid office will create a student budget for you. The budget will include estimates for tuition, books, room and board (even if you live off campus), transportation expenses, etc. This is known as your 'Cost of Attendance.' Then, the school will deduct your EFC from their Cost of Attendance to determine whether or not you qualify for any need-based aid. If, for example, the school's Cost of Attendance is $15,000 and your EFC is $9,988, then your need would be $5,012 (15,000 minus 9,988). In this example, you would qualify for need-based aid up to $5,012.

"As far as student loan eligibility, the amount you can borrow depends on your grade level. As an independent borrower, you could borrow $6,625 as a freshman, $7,500 as a sophomore, and $10,500 as a junior and senior. Depending on your need at your school, some of the loans could even be subsidized (the maximum subsidized amounts are $2,625 as a freshman, $3,500 as a sophomore, and $5,500 as a junior and senior—the remainder would be unsubsidized).

"You also mention a 'financial crisis' in your past—fortunately, Federal Stafford Loans are not credit-based, so unless you have a prior student loan default or grant overpayment, you should have no problem qualifying for these loans."

So Todd, I'm seeing some pretty common threads from these experts:

• Start with the financial aid offices at your prospective schools.
• Don't be afraid to ask them the tough questions—their job is to help you!
• Grants are probably out of the picture, but Federal Stafford Loans look like a good option.

Anyone else in need of some financial aid advice from the pros? Ask your questions here.