<p>Calling the school is always a good thing to do because you are going directly to the source. I can tell you that I know a number of kids that are in the same situation you are, and some of them sat out a year because they could not get aid in a pension payout year. Some good friends of ours got a relatively large retirement lump sum, that they used to start their own business, but that blip on the income scale cost them financial aid.</p>