<p>So the EFC number...is that total number the parents part or is a portion of that amount going to be considered the students portion?</p>
<p>EFC stands for Estimated/Expected Family Contribution - so yes, a portion of that number is the student's portion - but no one actually checks to see what money is being paid by whom - if that makes sense.</p>
<p>My EFC is 3596. Around 1k is by me, the rest by my parents.</p>
<p>It is expected FAMILY contribution. To be honest, the colleges do not care where this amount comes from...parents or students. That is something that is determined by each family.</p>
<p>Depends on the university. We met with one admissions counselor.....and the subject of parents' contribution, student's contribution, and outside scholarships. He said the outside scholarships would reduce the parents contribution, and then the school's aid. The last amount to be reduced would be the student's portion. IE....the student is expected to contribute to his/her education</p>
<p>^But that's kind of semantics on their part. When the check shows up, I doubt they're checking to see whose funds are actually tapped for it.</p>
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He said the outside scholarships would reduce the parents contribution, and then the school's aid. The last amount to be reduced would be the student's portion. IE....the student is expected to contribute to his/her education
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<p>I think there is a little misinformation in this statement as outside scholarship first reduces the student's self help portion of the financial aid package (work study and loans). Any monies over the self help portion would then reduce any grants/scholarship given by the school. Your student would need to get scholarships to cover his/her full financial aid package before the EFC, especially the parent's is reduced.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone.....what I was most interested in was if that amount was parents and then they were going to add on students portion in addition to the EFC my parents received.</p>
<p>Glad to hear that''s the total amount.</p>
<p>Nope...sybbie. He had it on the blackboard...Parent's reduced first. Maybe for only this one university.</p>
<p>Momray...that is interesting, but I have never heard of a school that reduced the EFC...never.</p>
<p>Well, that is one admission officer who needs a refresher course on finaid.</p>
<p>Agreed. I have NEVER heard it would reduce parents' contribution first.</p>
<p>Momray....I wonder if this is what the school means by reducing "parent" contribution. Both of our kids attend schools that do not meet full need. In addition to our EFC, we were also offered PLUS loans (which are parent loans) to cover the "gap". That is also a "parent contribution". Where my kids go, THAT portion would be reduced first by outside scholarships (regardless of whether we took the PLUS or paid out of savings). But our EFC would not have been touched.</p>