Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is a measure used by colleges and financial aid programs to estimate how much a family can contribute toward a student's education costs in a given year. It considers factors like income, assets, family size, and the number of people attending college. The EFC helps determine your eligibility for need-based financial aid; the lower the EFC, the more financial aid you may qualify for. Essentially, it’s an estimate of what your family is expected to contribute toward college expenses, not necessarily what you will pay outright.