Why is my efc so high?

Question

my dad made only 54K this past year and i made 10K. i dont live with him even tho i have to be classified as a dependent cuz we all know fafsa dependency requirements are stupid. my efc is around 7000. i cant get grant money if its that high. last year we both made more and my efc was 4000. also, my sister is in college too this year, so why would it be higher?

Answer 1

If the incomes are the same and you are adding one in college from last years total there may be an error somewhere else on the form.  My recommendation to you is to talk to the financial aid office.  Explain what you just posted and ask them to look at your financial aid apps from this year and last year.  There may have been a change, or an error in this years application that is making a big difference in the amount.

The more money you make as a student though, the higher your efc will be.  The amount you make actually is weighted to affect your EFC figure more heavily than your parents income amount.