I recently became unemployed in January of this year 2018, I am still looking for full time position. My income is cut in half, I get unemployment and have been doing side work to get some money in. So it is just my husbands salary. So the last 3 years tax returns are not what we make now. How do I have them look at this years income as our real income now.
You fill out the fafsa using the correct tax year info, then you ask each college for a special circumstances consideration.
You will need to contact the colleges about this. They are handled on a case by case basis.
Be prepared that it may not make much difference to FAFSA/federal grants.
I had friends whose income decreased about $25k per year when a book royalty expired, and there was additional lost income because the H’s overtime was eliminated. The family income was still around $100k so no adjustment to financial aid. It was a real loss to them, but the school didn’t consider it deserved extra financial aid because they were still above Pell grant eligibility even with the reduced income.
If you are applying to CSS schools, they might be more receptive to your appeal.