<p>I stand corrected, and apologize.</p>
<p>You did say that you use the 1040A. If you income is less that $50,000, you may find yourself eligible for the simplified needs test, which means you don't have to deal with assets. If you do qualify, I wouldn't count the tax refund, since it's an asset, like savings, and not income.</p>
<p>If you don't qualify, though, I think (and could be wrong again) that the refund is considered in your FAFSA, because once you receive it, it is "available" to be spent on college. You may decide to pay down your mortgage, but FAFSA doesn't care about that.</p>