FAFSA and CSS Profile have different rules on what needs to be reported in the investment lines of their applications. Use this calculator to get the correct total to report for each application.
NOTE: The new 2024-25 FAFSA rules for reporting 529 Plans require you to only report 529 Plan amounts for the student applicant. You should no longer include 529 Plans amounts for other members of the family.
For all amounts, report balances or values on the date of filing.
The FAFSA EFC Estimator gives you an estimate of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for colleges that use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to award need-based financial aid for the 2023-24 school year. This interactive tool is for a dependent student eligible to submit the FAFSA.
I created the FAFSA EFC Estimator so that in 3 steps you can understand if you may qualify for need-based financial aid. The easy-to-use inputs also allow you to run scenarios for changes in income or assets. Importantly, it will help you see how each area of your finances – income versus assets – impacts your EFC.
For a more detailed FAFSA EFC, or to calculate the EFC as determined by the CSS Profile, you can use College Board’s EFC Calculator.
*If Parent Taxed Income or AGI is less than $50,000, the EFC Estimator assumes the student qualifies for the Simplified Needs Test, which would exclude any assets you report on the FAFSA from the EFC calculation. To qualify for the Simplified Needs Test, you must meet additional criteria beyond an income below $50,000. You can review those criteria here.
