<p>If the EFC is 4000. that means that i have to pay the 4000 or can i use loans/grants to pay that off. What shud i expect to pay with 4000 EFC and tuition + fees are 13k ?</p>
<p>If your EFC is 4000, this is the expected out of pocket amount the school expects you and your parents to pay toward your education.</p>
<p>If you attend a school where the tuition is 13k and your EFC is 4k, then your demonstrated need is going to be 9k. Remember not all schools meet 100% of your demonstrated need. A school that does not meet 100% of your demonstrated need is considered to be gapping. Even at schools that meet 100% of your demonstrated need, this need is going to be met with a combination of grants/scholarships (which do not have to be paid back) work study and loans (which must be repaid).</p>
<p>Isn't the student's portion in addition to the EFC? A few schools (Princeton, I think) don't require students to take out loans, but don't most schools require some contribution from the student either through workstudy, summer jobs or loans in addtion to the parents' contribution? Looking at all my son's financial aid offers, they all included a contribution from him.<br>
From my son's experience if the tuition and fees are 13k, his contribution would be about 5k, (check with the school to see what they expect the student to contribute). So using an EFC of 4000: 13,000-4,000(parents contribution)-5,000= 4,000(amount of grant/scholarship from the school meets 100% of demonstrated need).<br>
Every school my son was accepted to expected him to contribute around $5,000 a year split between loans & workstudy/summer jobs. And these are schools I believe that meet 100% of demonstrated need (MIT & Caltech).</p>
<p>You had also asked if the EFC can be paid by loans/outside scholarships. Our experience was that most schools would apply outside scholarships to the student's contribution 1st(either loans or work depending on the school), and then would reduce the university's grants/scholarships. Parent's contribution is the very last thing to be reduced. Parents contribution can be paid for through loans. Though I understand that schools have different policies regarding application of outside scholarships.</p>