What is the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is an estimate of a family's ability to contribute to their student's college expenses. The lower the EFC, the less money a family has to contribute. The EFC is based on the information the student provides in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The EFC is usually subtracted from the cost of education (COE) to determine the student's financial need. If the COE minus the EFC is more than 0, then a student has financial need. Your EFC is reported to you on your Student Aid Report (SAR).
Still confused? Learn more about the EFC and paying for college:
- Calculating Cost of Attendance & Estimated Family Contribution for Financial Aid
- Another Way to Calculate Financial Aid
- Paying for College: Grants and Scholarships Surpass Parents’ Role
- College Tuition Increasing Faster than Inflation: How to Cut Costs
- 10 Ways to Reduce College Costs
- Will Your Parent’s Divorce Affect Your College Tuition Costs?
- Ask a question!
View the entire Glossary of College & Education Terms
Updated February 2014