What is an expected family contribution (EFC)?

It is not always easy to ask for financial help — or to identify who needs help the most among a group of applicants. Some measure must be used to identify, in a fair and equitable way, which student may need more financial assistance than another to pursue their education.

The FAFSA (and other applications like it), collects data on your household characteristics and financial resources to determine what your family should be able to contribute in one year of your educational expenses. This amount is known as the expected family contribution (EFC).

Think of the EFC as an eligibility indicator. It may not correspond exactly to what you must pay out-of-pocket to attend your school of choice. Instead, it is used by aid offices and scholarship committees to calculate how much help you need and compare your need to the needs of other applicants.

(5/15)