<p>If someone qualifies for the automatic-zero EFC, does this also make the EFC generated by CSS Profile also zero?</p>
<p>Another question: on collegeboard’s EFC calculator, does the EFC using IM rules roughly equal to the EFC generated by info collected in the CSS Profile?</p>
<p>No. There is no EFC from the Profile. The Profile is used by each individual school to determine how to use its own funds. The colleges calculate an EFC themselves after reviewing all pertinent data (which may include tax returns, other questionnaires, etc.), but they don’t have to tell you what it is.</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>There are different factors included in CSS schools’ determination of family contribution. And each CSS school could have wildly different family expectations. </p>
<p>A person could have an auto 0 for FAFSA, but a CSS school could consider assets, home equity, NCP income, student income/assets, or other things to determine an expected amount.</p>
<p>thanks. Eventually I might understand this stuff. So if a school sends me to the CB site and says that is about what they come up with , they probably mean the IM based EFC. I found that the FM generated a zero EFC but a non zero EFC using IM rules due to some student assets and home equity.</p>
<p>You have gotten the answers above. BUT you also need to know that the IM calculations on the online calculators are only a GUESS of what your family contribution will be. Each college that uses the Profile, uses the information it anyway they choose…and the ways vary. Profile delves much deeper into your finances than the FAFSA does. And the information the colleges use to disburse their OWN money is often much more extensive than what the FAFSA uses.</p>