We’ve never got a Pell grant
No…your FAFSA EFC was too high to get a Pell Grant.
I believe the oarent asset protection allowance went down…again. But you said you really have no assets.
No real estate other than your primary residence? Not business owners? Not self employed?
^^ Nope none of that. Just a little cash and the 529. We use a Roth IRA that’s invested in a money market for savings Not reported since it is a retirement asset.
Is your household size listed correctly? Number in the household?
Yep household is correct 5. on both girls forms The only thing different on this report that I didn’t have before is $1500 in educational credits for DD1.
Any ideas??
forget this
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For 16/17 DD1 EFC went to 6596 with 2 in school and her sisters EFC is 6525.
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So…that suggests that if you only had ONE in school, your EFC would be about $13k per year.
If you have no assets really, that would suggest a family income of around …hmmm…85kish…does that sound right?
Is it possible that LAST year you may have accidentally put 2 in college when there was only one?
Why? What changed to cause your older daughter to no longer be your tax dependent, and to claim her own exemption when she filed her 2015 tax return?
Why? What changed to cause your older daughter to no longer be your tax dependent, and to claim her own exemption when she filed her 2015 tax return?
^sorry I posted something that was wrong wasn’t looking at the final FAFSA form, the one where I did the IRS retrieval tool it’s not listed on the final form I got. I have 2 many pages I’m toggling back and forth looking at 
Mom to 2 college kids yes you are right on Family Income :-)! I am looking at DD1 report from the 15-16 year when she was the only one in college and I listed ONE in college on her 15-16 report and the efc was 5439. Our AGI that year was 66k.
This year our AGI was 70k and the EFC with 2 and I’m 100% positive I have 2 in college on both forms is 6596 and 6525.
Ok, I know this may come off as grouchy, but I don’t mean to be. It’s hard to help you figure out what went wrong (and something did go wrong, if EFCs with two in college are higher than EFC with one in college, and not a big change in family income/assets) if you have a hard time imparting accurate information. You’ve messed up the FAFSA years, your final SAR after DRT is different than what you input so you were confused about exemptions, etc. This stuff can be complicated; there are folks here who can help you sort it out, but we need to have accurate information.
more info on DD1 from 16-17 fafsa DD1 AGI is 5862, cash is 679 and investments is 1300
DD1 last year 15-16 AGI 1720, cash 1350 ( I put her savings bonds in with cash instead of investments, still not clear where chid’s savings bonds should be recorded??)
^^Does any of that info make a difference on the two different Fafsa’s.
I would suggest that you print out all of these forms. You need to be able to put things side by side. You want to put your 2015-2016 FAFSA side by side with the 2016-2017 FAFSA for your older daughter. See what is different. Something is different…has to be.
This is not something I would be toggling back and forth electronically to review.
Yes you are right thanks. I wasn’t planning on doing all this. I didn’t really think anything was wrong just thought w/the formula changes that’s just how it was. I’ll print everything out another day when I’m fresh and see if I can see anything. Thank you for your help. I’ll report back if I can find anything significant, its been a long day
I jut want to ask one more thing…If I use the IRS data retrieval tool how can my figures be wrong? The only thing that can be wrong is how many in school and the cash and investment figures right? All other figures are taken straight from the info on my tax forms, correct?
The tax forms could be wrong.
Your AGI can be $70k but the fafsa formula adds back in any 401k continuations for your actual income might be higher. The DRT doesn’t have that information.
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! I am looking at DD1 report from the 15-16 year when she was the only one in college and I listed ONE in college on her 15-16 report and the efc was 5439.
Our AGI that year was 66k.
This year our AGI was 70k and the EFC with 2 in college and I’m 100% positive I have 2 in college on both forms [and EFCs are] 6596 and 6525.
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Please print out
Last year’s DD’s FAFSA. (Check numbers, but also check how many students in school)
This year’s FAFSAs for both DDs (then compare each, line by line with the other)
But also check last year’s with this year’s for DD1.
Are retirement contributions much different (comparing the two different years)
Was there any extra income listed on the previous year’s FAFSA…severance, vacation payout, investment money, unearned income, unemployment, anything?
@kelsmom Can you figure this out?
If you or your H contributed to 401k, that would only be listed on W2 box 12, not on the tax return. The DRT brings over the AGI and tax paid and education credit.
The $4,000 more in income should only add maybe $1000 total to the EFC, so $500 per kid. And if each D has about the same amount of savings and investments then $2 k would add about $400 to each girl’s EFC.
Yes, I believe savings bonds get listed under investments.
Did you claim the AOTC on parent return last year and on D1 return this year?
You mention a Roth IRA. Do you have any tax deferred retirement contributions that you made in 2015?