The following assumptions are made when calculating the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC):

Households contain one parent if Parent 2 Income field is left blank.
Independent students are single, separated or divorced if Spouse's Income is left blank.
Students do not qualify for the simplified EFC formulas, which don't take into account contributions from assets (cash, savings, investments, and businesses).
Dependent students may qualify for the simplified EFC formula if the parents' adjusted gross income (AGI) for 2021 was $49,999 or less, and one of the following is true:
- During 2021 and 2022, anyone in the parents' household received benefits from the Medicaid Program, the Supplemental Security Income Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Free and Reduced Price School Lunch Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
- The parent(s) were not required to file a Schedule 1 of the 1040 or only filed a Schedule 1 to claim or report one or more of the following:
- One of the parents is a dislocated worker.
Independent students may qualify for the simplified EFC formula if the student's (and spouse's, if any) combined income for 2021 was $49,999 or less, and one of the following is true:
- During 2021 and 2022, anyone in the student's household received benefits from the Medicaid Program, the SSI Program, SNAP, the Free and Reduced Price School Lunch Program, the TANF Program4, and WIC.
- The student (and spouse, if any) were not required to file a Schedule 1 of the 1040 or only filed a Schedule 1 to claim or report one or more of the following:
- The student (or spouse, if any) is a dislocated worker
Students do not qualify for an automatic zero EFC calculation.
Dependent students may qualify for an automatic zero EFC calculation if the parents' adjusted gross income (AGI) for 2021 was $29,000 or less, and one of the following is true:
- During 2021 and 2022, anyone in the parents' household received benefits from the Medicaid Program, the Supplemental Security Income Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Free and Reduced Price School Lunch Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
- The student (and spouse, if any) were not required to file a Schedule 1 of the 1040 or only filed a Schedule 1 to claim or report one or more of the following:
- One of the parents is a dislocated worker.
Independent students with dependents other than their spouse may qualify for an automatic zero EFC calculation if the student's (and spouse, if any) combined income for 2021 was $29,000 or less, and one of the following is true:
- During 2021 and 2022, anyone in the student's household received benefits from the Medicaid Program, the SSI Program, SNAP, the Free and Reduced Price School Lunch Program, the TANF Program4, and WIC.
- The student (and spouse, if any) were not required to file a Schedule 1 of the 1040 or only filed a Schedule 1 to claim or report one or more of the following:
- The student (or spouse, if any) is a dislocated worker

Parents' Contribution

Student's Contribution

Results