<p>hi im just wondering if fafsa looks at child support? if they do, does it count as family income? and will it affect the size of grant i receive?</p>
<p>I can’t remember whether it’s alimony or child support that is reported as income on the FAFSA. One of them is…and I think it’s the child support. Someone will have to verify this.</p>
<p>Whichever one gets reported, it does get added in as income received and depending on the amount, it can affect your need based aid award.</p>
<p>also, if me and my brother both recieve $500 total child support, then do they just look at $250?</p>
<p>Whatever is reported (child support or alimony) is looked at as a whole. It is added income. If your mom earns money, the FAFSA doesn’t only list half of it because there are two children. </p>
<p>FAFSA has a line item that asks for the number of members of the household. Your brother will be listed there and that will show that he is also a member of your household.</p>
<p>ok then if this is the case. would i still qualify for the full pell grant if my mother is unemployed, my step dad makes 25k a year and i live in a family of 6. plus we also receive $500 monthly child support. i also work but someone told me that my earnings shouldnt be counted.</p>
<p>
Both are. Alimony is taxable to the recipient so is usually oncluded in the AGI from the tax return. Child support is reported under other untaxed income.</p>
<p>The whole amount received by the custodial parent is reported, it is not by which child it is for but by the amount of income coming in to the family.</p>
<p>A lot of the time child support finishes when the child turns 18. If there will be loss of income because the child support (or part of it if there is >1 child)) is ceasing then you can ask the financial aid office for a special circumstances adjustment to reflect the loss of income. It is at their discretion whether they make an adjustment.</p>
<p>Your income (as a student) is also reported on the FAFSA. It sounds like your parents’ total income (mom, stepdad and child support) is about $31,000 a year. If your total family number is 6, I think that would be very close to getting the full Pell…Pell is determined by your EFC…so you should run your family numbers through an EFC calculator using the federal methodology and see what you get for an EFC.</p>
<p>
Student income is counted by FAFSA. However there is a student income protection (I think it is $4500 for the 2010-2011 FAFSA) so any income below that has no effect.</p>
<p>If your Mom and Stepdad’s AGI on their tax return is below $30,000 and you meet the other criteria then you may qualify for the automatic 0 EFC in which case assets, other income such as child support, and also your income will be disregarded by the EFC formula and you will get an automatic 0 EFC making you eligible for the full Pell. </p>
<p>If the AGI is over $30,000 or you are otherwise ineligible for the automatic 0 EFC then assets, other income and your own income (over the protected allowance) will be used in calculating the EFC.</p>
<p>ok, thank you both for your helpful posts, i just asked my step dad and he told me that our gross income was $25k last year. so in this case child support would be disregarded? ohh and my step dad is self employed by the way.</p>
<p>Possibly. The being self employed may be a problem. The eligibility criteria for the automatic 0 EFC are AGI below $30,000 and
</p>
<p>I think if your Stepdad is selfemployed then your parents may not be able to file a 1040a or 1040ez tax return. But if you meet one of the other criteria then you might still be eligible.</p>
<p>yes, he did file a 1040, and i do receive reduced school lunch.</p>
<p>The 1040 does not qualify you for the automatic 0 EFC but the free lunch should (if the AGI is below $30,000).</p>
<p>this is great news, thank you very much. so i should not worry about the child support?</p>
<p>If you qualify for the automatic 0 (which it sounds like you should from what you have posted, but not knowing your exact circumstances I don’t want to come out and say you absolutely do) then the child support will not be considered by FAFSA. The formula stops once it determines you qualify for the automatic 0 and does not consider any other income or assets.</p>
<p>This is FAFSA only.</p>