Your Expected Family Contribution or EFC is a metric that colleges use to determine your financial aid eligibility. Your EFC is based on the information you provide in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
After completing your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report containing your EFC figure. Colleges will subtract your EFC from their total Cost of Attendance to estimate your financial need – and then try to meet that need with financial aid.
Understanding what your EFC means (and how financial aid officers use it) will help you compare your aid offers and make a more informed college choice. For more information about the EFC, read the articles below.
