Federal Student Aid uses the data on your FAFSA to calculate an Expected FamilyContribution (EFC). The EFC is an indicator of your family's financial strength to pay foreducation after high school. Your school will subtract your EFC from your total cost ofattendance. The result is your financial need.The EFC is not the amount of money that your family must provide. Rather, you shouldthink of the EFC as an index that colleges use to determine how much financial aid(grants, loans or work-study) you would receive if you were to attend their school.Your application results are transmitted to the school(s) listed on your FAFSA, and theschool(s) uses the EFC amount to determine the amount of financial aid that you areeligible to receive. Many states and schools also use the FAFSA data to award aid fromtheir programs. Some states and schools also may require you to complete additionalapplications.
