<p>Last year my EFC was $0. This year it is $1528.
Last year my income was 21,121 and my parents was 19,137.
This year my income was 15,847 was and my parents was 17,994.
Have the rules changed since last year? Does it make a difference that I have changed from sophomore to junior?</p>
<p>You should be eligible for the automatic 0 EFC with your parents income being so low. I would suggest going over your FAFSA numbers to make sure you did not make any mistakes. Eligibilty criteria for automatic 0 EFC includes the parent’s AGI being under $30k and them filing or being eligible to file a 1040A or 1040ez tax return rather than a 1040 or someone in the household receiving certain means tested benefits or being a displaced worker.</p>
<p>Double check the parents AGI on FAFSA and what type of tax return they filed.</p>
<p>Changing from sophomore to junior should not make any difference. What could make a difference is if something else happened that made you an independent student, such as that you are turning 24 or got married etc. In that case your parents income would not be taken into account but your would be and independent students without a dependent other than a spouse are not eligible for the automatic 0. But in that case I would expect your EFC to be higher than 1528.</p>