When do my parents pay their parent contribution?

The expected family contribution (EFC) which appears on your financial aid offer on GROWL is the amount that you and your parents are expected to contribute towards your education over the course of the academic year.

Your EFC may include both a student contribution and a parent contribution. The expected family contribution is computed from a need analysis formula legislated by Congress. To determine the parental contribution, the need analysis formula utilizes parents' income and assets, savings, taxes, and other mandatory living expenses. In addition, the age of the older parent and his or her need for retirement income, the number of dependents in the household, and the number of family members in college are considered. The student contribution is derived by analyzing the income and asset information of the student.

Your EFC figure is not an actual amount that you and your parents have to pay to UCR, but is an approximation of how much you and your parents should reasonably be able to contribute toward all of your educational expenses, including your housing, food, and utility costs, as well as non-institutional items such as personal expenses, and transportation costs.