<p>is it a lot? </p>
<p>what if my dad doesn't have a job now and i'm thinking he might in a year. but do they change it drastically?</p>
<p>what if your circumstances change little but you got a certain amount of aid after an appeal. do they go back to the original amount they offered or anything like that after one year?</p>
<p>It depends on our your aid was structured. If you got merit money check the award letter and see if it is for 4 years (generally dependent on maintaining a particular GPA). If Stafford loans were in your package those you can take out each year - but they are loans that you will have to pay back. If you were awarded scholarships check and see if they are for one year or four years. Grants generally are for one year and will be dependent on your FAFSA or CSS so yes, if income and assets decrease or increase that type of aid can fluctuate from year to year. Other federal grants (like Pell etc.) are also dependent on your FAFSA and will fluctuate depending on income/assets. So the general words of wisdom are that if your family income and assets remain about the same, then your package should be similar but if you income goes up or down then your package can change.</p>
<p>Schools recognize that financial situations are subject to change at any time. Often times last year’s income is not indicative of what’s happening in the current year. However, they won’t make changes to aid unless there is a significant change in income. What’s significant? A 10% drop or more. If a school makes an adjustment, they will likely want a financial update later and they can make upward revisions if your financial situation improves. As always with fin aid, there is a great deal of variability from school to school.</p>