<p>I think the poster is confusing FAFSA EFC with the family contribution amount set by colleges in their final award. FAFSA EFC is what determines Pell eligibility, but college financial aid packages can require a family to pay well beyond that.</p>
<p>And colleges can, and do, make corrections to the FAFSA EFC which impact Pell eligibility level. The “corrections” are not always a matter of correcting mistakes on the form – the colleges can also use “professional judgment” to make actual changes to values on the form. </p>
<p>It can also be confusing when the FAFSA EFC & Pell Eligibility is impacted by a sibling also in college, or one also planning to enroll.</p>