<p>How much need would you need to express in order to have "demonstrated need" (for most scholarships?)? If my EFC is 30k, is that too high to apply to scholarships that require DN? Should I not even bother with scholarships since they will increase my EFC if I win them?</p>
<p>Demonstrated need is the difference between your EFC and the total cost of attendance (COA). So if you’re attending a school with a COA of $50K, then you have a demonstrated need of $20K. If you’re attending a college with a COA of $25K, then you have no demonstrated need.</p>
<p>A scholarship won’t change your EFC.</p>
<p>Scholarships don’t increase your EFC. They may decrease your need, but they do not increase your EFC. (not just semantics, there is a difference - for instance someone eligible for the Pell grant because of a 3000 EFC would still have a 3000 EFC after a scholarship and would still be eligible for the same Pell, if the scholarship increased the EFC that would affect eligibility).</p>
<p>Demonstrated need means the school’s COA less your EFC demonstrates need. So if the school’s COA is $40,000 and the EFC is 30,000 then there is $10,000 need (assuming no other merit scholarships have reduced the need). If the schools COA is $40,000 and the EFC is 40,000 then there is no demonstrated need.</p>
<p>Now how a scholarship committee determines demonstrated need may be different.</p>
<p>About the scholarships, I see where you’re coming from because any awards would decrease the amount of need-based assistance a school will give you. But a school might meet your need with loans that need to be paid back so you are better off with scholarships.</p>
<p>^^^^^agree</p>
<p>Tomorrow,</p>
<p>are you a junior or senior?</p>
<p>are these private scholarships or school scholarships?</p>
<p>There are schools that award scholarships without considering need.</p>
<p>To me, “demonstrated need” is a phrase designed to let the student and parents know that the school, and not them, determines need.</p>