<p>I am in the process of filling out the CSS PRofile ahead of 1/1 for an ED app and wanted to know....</p>
<p>can I see the EFC number in a preview type of mode before I submit all the official info?</p>
<p>If not, are there any other accurate and reliable tools available to get this preview?</p>
<p>I notice that the website that hosts Css profile, CB, has an EFC calc tool, but it only has a fraction of the info that the real CSS profile has.</p>
<p>CSS doesn’t give you any type of result or calculation of EFC. You simply fill out the form and submit it… no “EFC”.</p>
<p>“EFC” refers to a number generated by FAFSA.</p>
<p>Your CSS Profile information will be sent to the colleges. The colleges will use the information on that form to compute a family contribution for their school. Schools that use the Profile have varying formulas for computing your family contribution…they will not be the same number at each of these schools. If you want a GUESSTIMATE of your family contribution, use one of the online calculators and use the Institutional Methodology…but it will only be a GUESSTIMATE. If the school(s) has it’s own online calculator, use that.</p>
<p>FAFSA EFC is the same for all schools and it is used for awarding federally funded need based aid. </p>
<p>Your family contribution per the colleges using Profile information can be VERY different than your EFC per FAFSA…or it can be very close…A lot depends on your assets, and things like whether you own your own business, or the amount of your home equity or if you are divorced and there is a non-custodial parent. These last items can make your family contribution per the CSS Profile higher than with the FAFSA EFC.</p>