Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Expected family contribution (EFC) is a term in financial aid used to determine how to distribute financial aid resources.

EFC identifies how much money a family or individual is expected to contribute towards their college education for one year.
In most cases, the lower the EFC, the more financial aid becomes available.

It is calculated using the information provided on the FAFSA including:

Family size
Number of family members in college
Family savings
Current earnings

All FAFSA information including the calculation of the EFC is forwarded to the colleges you choose to possibly attend. Each school uses the FAFSA information provided to identify your financial need in order to provide a financial award letter. This includes federal, state, and institutional need based grants, work study, and federal student loans.