<p>according to my fafsa paperwork, for an unmarried independent student, without dependents (you don’t have any of those, right :-), your income protection allowance is 6050 (for the filing season that has ended). Your asset protection for 2007 was 3100 if you were 28 years old at the end of 2006</p>
<p>You can make $6050 in 2008 and none of it will count against you when it comes to the EFC calculation for the following year (2009). Since you already made over that this year (so you will still have some of that against your EFC for next year), you should use your work study money in the fall semester and then earn the reportable money starting in 2008.</p>
<p>File the fafsa as soon as you can, it’s first come first served with Federal money. </p>
<p>Can we ask what college you are going to and what you are studying (no it’s none of my business, but sometimes scholarships are available for certain majors)</p>