<p>Depending on the fin. aid. policy of the school, you could be paying a lot more than your EFC. You won’t know for sure until you have a financial aid award in hand from the school. That is why you should apply to several schools, if you need aid, to then be able to compare offers. One school might give you a lot of grants (which don’t need to be paid back), but another school may just give you a lot of loans, which of course, need to be paid back, and you don’t want a lot of debt after you get out of school. Research the school you are interested in to see what kind of aid they offer, but don’t count on anything until you have actual financial aid offers to compare.</p>