What is the point of EFC if the family cannot meet it??

[ucbalumnus]

@MassDaD68

It seems to me that allowing schools to decide for themselves what your EFC (not right term probably) is from your CSS Profile filing, it allows them to manipulate the data. So lets just say that the FAFSA says your EFC is $35K but according to the schools methodology your Profile EFC is $55k and they give you a 5K loan plus 5K work study to equal 100% of the $65K Cost to attend. Would they not be able to say they met 100% of need?

Yes, colleges can claim to “meet full need” however they define “need”. See this old thread for examples (not current, but you can get the idea): http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1675058-meet-full-need-schools-can-vary-significantly-in-their-net-prices.html

So it is best not to place too much importance on claims to “meet full need”. Instead, the college’s net price calculator is likely to give you a better idea of what its financial aid may be like for you.