<p>So I am getting a nice bit of aid from some schools because of my parents EFC but it appears that if I receive scholarships that amount over the loan/work study portion of my aid then they start to reduce my grant as oppose to my parents EFC</p>
<p>So is there anyway to reduce the EFC?</p>
<p>And is there any point to scholarships if they would only reduce the grant portion. Why ever earn a 10,000 scholarship if you get 12,000 in grants?</p>
<p>Yeah-- that's the dirty little secret about scholarships in conjunction with need-based aid. Usually, the scholarship money is used to offset the loans and work study first, which is good. After that they usually reduce the grant money. But different colleges handle it differently, so check with your school.</p>
<p>And no, there is no way to reduce your EFC. It is what it is.</p>
<p>And really, if an outside scholarship reduces your need, then why would you expect your need-based aid to remain the same?</p>