Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the value that's used to determine your eligibility for need-based financial aid. You can think of the EFC as an index that all colleges use to determine how much financial aid you are eligible for.
The EFC is calculated from the information you report on the FAFSA. The formula by which your EFC is derived considers such things as income, certain assets, family size, and number of children in college, among other factors. The EFC is a measure of your family's ability to pay for college.
Your financial aid eligibility, or financial need, is determined by subtracting your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the cost of attendance. The amount of your financial need is then used to determine eligibility for need-based grants, loans, and work-study.
Cost of Attendance - EFC = Financial Need
Your financial need does not necessarily represent the amount you receive in financial aid. Student Financial Services strives to create a financial aid package that meets your demonstrated need, although funding limitations or other eligibility criteria prevent us from satisfying full need in all cases.
In order to remain eligible for need-based financial aid you must continue to demonstrate need by completing the FAFSA each year. The amount of need-based financial aid you are eligible to receive each year may vary depending on your level of financial need and/or other scholarship or grant assistance you may receive.