Expected family contribution (EFC) is a term in financial aid used to determine how to distribute financial aid resources.
It is calculated using the information provided on the FAFSA including:
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.