Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Estimated Financial Need

The U.S. Deptartment of Education uses the information you and your parents (if required) provide on the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). By your providing UGA's Federal School Code (001598) on your FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education's Central Processing System (CPS) electronically transmits your processed FAFSA data and EFC to OSFA.

Your EFC is not the amount of money your family is to pay to the University! The EFC is the number that is used to determine your eligibility for federal, state and University need-based aid. Your EFC is reported to you on your Student Aid Report (SAR) which the U. S. Department of Education provides you after they process your FAFSA. This EFC will also be reflected on your UGA financial aid Award.

The Federal Methodology (FM) is used to calculate your EFC. The FM is found in Part F of Title IV of the Higher Education Act, as amended (HEA). The FM considers your family's taxable and untaxable income, assets, the number of household members and the number of those members other than parents who are attending college on at least a half-time basis.

As previously stated, your EFC does not represent an amount of money owed to the University.

Your Estimated Financial Need (EFN) is the difference between your Cost of Attendance (COA) at UGA and your EFC.

Your EFC is a primary determinate of your potential eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant. Your EFC and EFN are two of the factors used in determining your potential eligibility for the: