It's kind of late to apply to most schools for the fall, just FYI... most of the deadlines are past. Even if you get in, you generally get a better financial aid package if you apply earlier.
The EFC is your estimated family contribution (what they expect you to contribute). The schools generally have a breakdown of the cost of attendance on their websites - tuition, housing, books, etc. Since your EFC is 0, they will try to award you that entire amount - that's how much you're eligible for - but since it's late they may not have those funds available. There are some that you're pretty sure to get, so if you go to the federal financial aid website and look up the maximum amounts for their programs you can see how much you'll be able to borrow, and how much of a pell grant you can get (if you're undergrad) but the rest is up to the school.
When I was undergrad I got a Pell and a couple of other grants to start with, which paid my expenses so I didn't have to borrow, and then after one semester (I started spring semester) I was awarded a regents' scholarship, which covered all my tuition... plus I kept the other grants.
Some schools (like Harvard) promise to fully fund you if they accept you as an undergrad (except for your EFC, which for you is 0)...but most don't.
dar
The EFC is your estimated family contribution (what they expect you to contribute). The schools generally have a breakdown of the cost of attendance on their websites - tuition, housing, books, etc. Since your EFC is 0, they will try to award you that entire amount - that's how much you're eligible for - but since it's late they may not have those funds available. There are some that you're pretty sure to get, so if you go to the federal financial aid website and look up the maximum amounts for their programs you can see how much you'll be able to borrow, and how much of a pell grant you can get (if you're undergrad) but the rest is up to the school.
When I was undergrad I got a Pell and a couple of other grants to start with, which paid my expenses so I didn't have to borrow, and then after one semester (I started spring semester) I was awarded a regents' scholarship, which covered all my tuition... plus I kept the other grants.
Some schools (like Harvard) promise to fully fund you if they accept you as an undergrad (except for your EFC, which for you is 0)...but most don't.
dar
