<p>Yes, this is my first time filling. I can definitely see how one small mistake can mess the whole calculation up. My family does not have any significant asset. We just moved from apartment to house a couple years ago. Since all of my relatives reside in another country, we don't have any inheritanceXD</p>
<p>I read over the student aid questions (thank you swimcatsmom for the link!!) and I think I found a potential place for mistake. Where it says "Adjusted Gross Income, right under it is "Spouse's income earned from working". The explanation for "Spouse's income earned from working" is "Your (and your spouse's) 2006 income earned from work (wages, salaries, tips, combat pay) will be used in the EFC calculation as an income factor when no tax form is filed." Does that mean I should not fill out this part if I WILL fill a tax form? Should only the "Adjusted Gross Income" be filled instead of both? My family reported approx $70,000 for AGI and around $50,000 for income earned from working. Did I repeat myself by filling both? Evidently, I'm very confused here.</p>
<p>Another place where our high EFC could have resulted is from my parents' retirement saving. Does the amount we report as retirement affect EFC? I think my parents reported quite a bit this year for that.</p>
<p>Thank for all the replies so far! I definitely appreciate future help!!</p>