What Does Efc Actually Mean?

It means exactly that: what you are expected to pay each year for your education. When the colleges look at this number, they will offer a combination of scholarship and loans such that your out of pocket is close to the EFC; you have to pay back the loans.

what you EFC means, really, is  your eligiblity for receiving financial aid through FAFSA. The lower the number, the more likely it is that you will receive federal grant money.

 A number like 437 is actually pretty good - depending on your school, you will most likely get money in the form of a Pell grant, for example. A student with a number like,say, 3000 will likely even get a bit of money.

Just go onto fafsa.Gov and apply. It should be the 1st step anyone takes for getting money for college, and probably the easiest.

So, After you fill out the fafsa form it displays the EFC number. Is it the higher the number the more you will pay? So what if you get like a 0?  Does that possibly mean you will get the full amount of your college? I doubt it but it would be nice since mine went up to an outrageaous amount that I can't afford! Does anyone know what a zero would mean? [img]/txtmngr/images/smileys/smiley6.Gif[/img]

I filled out my fafsa and my efc was 13434. I don't get it... My mother doesnt work, so on her worksheet I put 0. I work full time and made about ,000 last year. I live on my own and pay all the bills solo and at the end of the month I barely make. The tuition at my private university is well over ,000 a year. I guess the more you try to advance in life the more you have to pay.

I am in JoeF's shoes...Make a decent income, living in a very high-cost area of the country, with 7 dependents. The fact that this is a very high cost area of the country doesn't seem to factor into the FAFSA calculation. We live frugally, but are not in poverty like you see in Haiti. We consider our family as solidly middle class, nothing more. k/year income might provide a lot in many rural parts of the country, but in many urban parts of the country, this is barely enough to put a roof over ones head, and food on the table. We have two children entering college next year and our calculated EFC made both me and my wife laugh---what a joke. We are not expecting hand-outs for our children to attend college, just an opportunity for some help, like work-study or low interest loans. No handouts expected here. Anyways, we have no expectation of any need-based help now. We both have come to the conclusion that the FAFSA is simply a tool by the progressives of this country to redistribute income, and not to provide true help to those who are living responsibly.

I am a high school student and work part-time making decent money, my parents barely make anything and I pay just about everything for myself except rent and 1/2 food.  I work so I can afford a car, holdhold neccessities and food. I am over 18. I made about 000 part time.  My sister who only went to school full time the year befire me gets a efc of 00 BECAUSE SHE DIDNT WORK AT ALL. And me mine is efc is 00. It just aint right the morei try and get money for college the less ill get for college. I can't work when I go because I will have lots of classes. And also my parents are not going to help me pay anything. All FASFA gave me was a bunch of loans with almost low interest. ITs booty

The EFC is NOT the amount you pay, it is a code only. The lower the number the better, and 450 isn't extremely low. However, 450 is not the AMOUNT. Please do not confuse them. I do with people who don't know what they are talking about wouldn't just make things up.