<p>I received my EFC today and it was about 9,000. It's far from 0 but it is way better than what I expected. I assumed that my EFC was the amount I would have to pay if I got into one of my schools that are full need. If the cost is 50,000, I would have to pay 41,000.</p>
<p>Is my understanding of my EFC correct? And how does the CSS factor into this? If I get into a full need school, will I probably pay more or less than 41,000 (including loans)</p>
<p>You have it backwards. EFC is the Expected Family Contribution. That means that for federal aid your 'need' on which financial aid is based is the schools COA (Cost Of Attendance)less the EFC. So in your case your 'need' is $41,000 (50,000 less 9,000). However Federal aid will not anywhere near cover need of $41,000.</p>
<p>Schools that use CSS generally use FAFSA to award any federal aid you are eligible for, and CSS to determine their own institutional aid. With an EFC of 9,000 you would not be eligible for federal grants but would probably be eligible for loans and work study. The school uses the extra financial information you provided on CSS to determine your need, for institutional aid purposes, using their own formulas. This may be more or less than that determined by FAFSA. For instance a student with divorced parents has to report the non custodial parent on CSS so this would likely make the CSS 'EFC' higher and the need less. What your aid consists of will depend on what they determine your need to be and whether they promise to meet full need with or without loans.</p>
<p>Haha, I had 9000 in my head but I put down 41000. Sorry but thank you for clearing it up. </p>
<p>Since its just my mother and I and we did use 2008 taxes, do you think a school like Wesleyan or BC, for example, would give me close to 41,000? As you said, I'm probably not getting federal aid with my mother's income.</p>
<p>I purposely applied to many schools that are full need (7) and 3 of them do not give loans</p>
<p>Unfortunately, you just have to wait to see what they offer. You probably will see varying amounts of loans in your aid package. Or you might see several similar packages. You have done what you can do (and it's good that you applied to several schools). Now you must wait to see the award letters, because we can't know what will be on them.</p>
<p>I hope what I find out in February is good news but you're right, I'll just have to wait.</p>
<p>I know this is a random question but is it easy to add schools on my FAFSA. I applied to 12 and they only give you 10 spots. I went to a FAFSA workshop and they told me to choose my top 10 and just give the other two my CSS. She said to wait until I'm accepted in April to give the other schools my FAFSA. Is this correct?</p>
<p>No that's not correct. If a school requires Css and FAFSA you need to provide both by their financial aid deadlines. After you have submitted FAFSA wait until your SAR has been processed, then go back in and delete the original schools and add the new ones. Resubmit. Make sure when you make any corrections (such as if you had estimated income), that you send corrections to all the schools. Same process - make the corrections, submit, wait for the SAR to process. Go back in and put the other schools, submit.</p>
<p>If</a> I want to apply to more than ten schools, what should I do?</p>
<p>^Thanks. What the woman who helped me with my FAFSA said seemed wrong but she seemed so sure of her self that I assumed she had to be correct.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for clearing it up.</p>
<p>Scary that someone running a FAFSA workshop is giving out wrong information.</p>
<p>My EFC is $7333 (My dad is unemployed). Can anyone provide an estimate of how much federal aid I might receive?</p>
<p>most likely you will be eligible for a subsidized stafford loan of 3500, an unsubsidized federal loan of 2000 and a Perkins loan if your school gets that money (and they decide how to distribute up to 4K per student)</p>
<p>You will not get any Pell grant.</p>
<p>Federal aid isn't all that great. Your state may have its own grants, but most of the time you have to be going to an instate school (at least that is how it works here in PA)</p>
<p>You might also get work study (depending on the cost of your school).</p>
<p>Is your dad recently unemployed? You may be able to get some sort of special circumstances adjustment to reflect loss of income. Contact your school and ask them about it.</p>
<p>thanks for the responses, sueinphilly and swimcatsmom. My dad has been unemployed for 5 months, and he put that on the FAFSA and PROFILE. Also, I am wondering how "needy" I am with my EFC of $7,333? If you had to ballpark it, like: somewhat needy, highly needy, etc? I haven't done enough research on the whole financial aid deal. I applied to 4 UCs and the rest private, including: USC, Occidental, Pepperdine, University of San Diego, etc. </p>
<p>Also, am I right that most of the financial aid I will receive will be from the individual schools I applied to? Like from the school's own money? For example, if I got into one of the private schools I listed, are they likely to offer me the entire difference of the cost of attendance and my EFC? In other words, like $30,000+? Or am I way too hopeful, and they don't offer this kind of money? </p>
<p>Thanks again for any replies :)</p>
<p>^oh, and PS- I live in CA, so will pay in-state tuition for the UCs</p>
<p>You probably qualify for Cal grants for California colleges as an in-state. Don't know how it applies to a Cal private like USC or Occidental.</p>