<p>I am 31, my 2008 personal taxes I claimed 148K AGI. For 2009 taxes I claimed 27K which 20K was unemployment benefits. FAFSA says I still have a EFC of $6,573?!?!?! </p>
<p>This unemployment will run out in 10 weeks.</p>
<p>I thought I read something about Pell Grants available to people like me, do they still hold the qualification standards as normal working folk?</p>
<p>What kind of Aid is available to me with this present income? </p>
<p>How do I receive aid once this income stops, if I am refused anything now?</p>
<p>What is the maximum amount of money I can make and still be able to qualify for all the benefits available so I can make sure not to exceed this in 2010?</p>
<p>My plan is to transfer from CC, to a 4 year then possibly onto Grad School.</p>
<p>Independent students do not have very high income protection. Only around <$8000 for a single student and $12000 for a married student. Plus some allowances for taxes. Anything over that 50% goes to the EFC. Any assets contribute 20% to the EFC.</p>
<p>An independent student without a dependent other than a spouse is not eligible for the automatic 0 EFC even if their income is <$30k. Only dependent students whose parents income is <$30k, or independent students with a dependent other than a spouse.</p>
<p>Your EFC has to be very low for federal grant money. Even if you have a low EFC the benefits aren’t huge. With a 0 EFC the maximum Pell grant (the main federal grant) is $5550 a year. At EFC 4618 there is no Pell eligibility.</p>
<p>Take your FAFSA print off into the finaid office of your prospective college. Talk to that school directly. Ask about all the options – work/study, displaced worker funds – ask. Because you are more mature than many applicants, you may have some options not available to younger students (like a tuition break for proctoring exams). Go for a polite face to face meeting if you can. </p>
<p>Be wary of “hey, just sign here for a gazillion dollar loan” offers.<br>
Check out “How to pay for college without going broke” by Khany.
Good luck.</p>