<p>You mention that you thought the EFC would be lower “until the package came.” Is $5,000 your FAFSA EFC, or is it the amount USC expects you to pay (USC uses FAFSA + CSS/Profile)?</p>
<p>As sk8rmom says, the Fost/Adopt payments do not increase your EFC. (We are a fost/adopt family and a USC family.) If the adoption is completed, there is a tax credit ($10,000 that can be carried over for multiple years) that will slightly increase the EFC by lowering the taxes paid. That would almost certainly be offset by the additional dependant your family would have.</p>