I filled out my fafsa and it stated that my EFC is 0. Does this mean I will get nothing to fund my college?

Question

I filled out my fafsa and it stated that my EFC is 0. Does this mean I will get nothing to fund my college?

Answer 1

Nope, quite the opposite. Your EFC is your expected family contribution. That means if your EFC is zero then the government expects that you will be getting no support and thus you will probably receive more money. :D

Answer 2

No, it means you won't pay anything for college

In other words, EFC means Expected Family Contribution. So if it's zero that means you won't pay anything and whatever is left over on your balance of Financial Aid, will be disbursed to you as a pell grant check

Answer 3

Yes, if your Expected Family Contribution is zero, the financial aid office at your college will probably try to put together a package to cover the rest of the cost. Whether it does may depend on a lot of factors. One of them is the cost where you are going to college. A Pell Grant and other scholarships may pay the whole thing if you are going to a community college, or other low-cost, state-funded institution.  

Otherwise, you may get a package which includes grants, scholarships, student loans, and work-study. Some colleges have a system by which your grades determine how much of your package is scholarships. A really good student may have their education completely funded by merit scholarships, while a student who is not as strong may have a work-study job and several thousands of student loan debt for each year they spend in school.

Normally, though, if you were attending a private school or competing for merit scholarships, you would have had to have all your paperwork in by about February, and would receive a financial aid offer by April, so that you could choose among the offers you receive by May.

Answer 4

Helen  is exactly right.  I also have an EFC of zero and i have never had to pay anything except for books.  When your financial aid package is finished if your tuition is covered by your financial aid then whatever money is left over is a refund that gets deposited into your bank account.  Also... if your financial aid package is complete and you are say for example a couple thousand dollars short on paying your bill you are GUARANTEED a $4,000 unsubsidized stafford loan thru ur school ONLY IF your parents apply for a parent plus loan and they are denied for that loan.  BUT... they must apply for the loan PARENT PLUS and get denied in order for u to be guaranteed $4,000 unsubsidized loan.