<p>So, I have decent stats and I plan on applying to some decent universities (mostly public). I have a question about financial aid, though. If the university I'm applying to offers 100% free tuition for families making <$40,000 a year, will this be calculated over a period of time, readjusted after every year, or does the total aid depend on the income your parents received when you applied as a freshman? I'm struggling with this because my family has made <$40k a year for most of my life, but my Dad just got a really good government job which affords him huge career advancement opportunities, so our family's income is steadily increasing every year; we are expecting ~60k in a year or two. Do colleges typically reduce your need based financial aid package if your family receives more money?</p>
<p>Yes, aid is recalculated every year.</p>
<p>And, if your family's income increases, typically your aid will decrease. However, (and this is not to dim your excitement about having more $), $60k will affect your aid somewhat, but it won't eliminate it altogether.</p>