<p>Hi. My 30 year old sister died suddenly earlier this year, and she had listed my (now 19 year old) daughter as her beneficiary on life insurance when she started her job because at that time my parents were having money issues. We knew she had intended to switch it over to my parents but hadn't gotten around to it, and since they need the money and my daughter didn't want it, she immediately turned it over to her grandparents. She will need to file a form w/her 2014 federal tax return indicating that she gifted them the money (i.e., there's a paper trail). She's already received her financial aid award letter for the 2014-2015 school year, and as far as I can tell the payout doesn't impact her 2014-2015 financial aid. However, it looks like on her FAFSA application for 2015-2016 school year she'll have to report the payout as "other untaxed income" received in 2014. </p>
<p>So should I assume that because of that large amount of "untaxed income" she won't get any need based financial aid? I don't make much money, and thus for the 2014-2015 school year about 3/5ths of her total expense ($15,000 of $23,000 or so) was covered by grants and need based scholarships. If she doesn't get any need based financial aid for 2015-2016 I assume her grandparents might be willing to pay that much of the total cost but ... maybe not (there's issues). I have tried to ask the school financial aid folks about whether the untaxed income will result in no need based aid but they are pretty much like "well, when the time comes you can send us a letter and explain what happened and we'll take it under consideration at that time." </p>
<p>There may not be a definitive answer to this, but if anyone has gone through something similar (i.e., the child gets the payout and gives it away, as opposed to the parent getting the payout and spending it down) I'd appreciate any input. Thanks.</p>
<p>Go through the FAFSA and see if insurance proceeds are reportable as unearned income. You need to look at the primary source to be sure. If so, then, yes, I would think she would have it included as her income and not get the same aid. She could appeal but then it comes down to prof judgment. Depends ont eh circumstances. She might have to sit out a year. Friend of mine did due to a retirement payout that affected two of his kids’ aid packages enough that they felt they HAD to do it. Neither school would budge about it.</p>
<p>Sorry for your loss, and quite an HONORABLE thing for your daughter to do both for her deceased aunt and her grandparents. Keep up the Good work.
If colleges that use CCS profile, she can explain that on the space for notes that the inheritance was transferred to her grandparents, and on FAFSA… she can also relate that the money is no longer hers and was transferred , so the total will be zero on that form. Either way, her financial aid should not be affected, since transferred it to someone else.
For a more solidified answer, check with the school on how they will handle the situation, as some schools might use different calculators for that.
Best of luck to you.</p>
That’s seems unreasonably optimistic . . . well, more to the point, it’s flat out wrong. Yes, the money will no longer be listed as an asset, but it most certainly was income and needs to be listed as such. </p>
<p>That she “transferred” the money away, regardless her good intent, does not alter the fact that it was income. She will need to make a special request that the college exercise its professional judgment to exclude these funds from consideration.</p>
<p>@thumper1 - Insurance proceeds are ALWAYS income, whether it’s life insurance, car insurance, whatever.</p>
<p>Not sure about that car insurance. Are you saying that when you total a car, you are supposed to list the pay out from car insurance as income? </p>
<p>If we are talking about life insurance as income for tax purposes, then the information on this thread is incorrect - life insurance proceeds are not taxable to the recipient.</p>
<p>However, if the person who died owned the life insurance policy (which is usually the case), then the amount of the life insurance would be included in the decedent’s estate and there would be estate tax if the estate is over $5.3 million. There would be no estate tax implications if the life insurance proceeds went to a spouse.</p>
<p>It’s $180,000 - and it’s not income for tax purposes but it does have to be reported on her FAFSA. I think over the past 24 hours I’ve just accepted that the benefits will be considered income and so she’s not going to get any need based aid for the 2015-2016 school year. Which is fine, since I agree that while it’s great that she honored what we knew to be my sister’s wishes, she still gave away alot of money that could have been used to pay her tuition and so why should the taxpayer pick up the tab? I’m just glad that it appears clear it will just impact one year of aid, not the next several. </p>
<p>I am so sorry about your sister. I’d try to preserve the money she left for your parents, but I wouldn’t bank on a college discounting it when figuring financial aid. Will your daughter be a senior in 2015-16? If not, I’d find out if payment from the grandparents will be counted against her the following year. There’s a thread that discusses how grandparents can help pay without affecting aid. If the insurance and help from your parents would both affect her aid, maybe she could take a gap year. If she does, I think the only money that would affect her EFC (assuming your info. is unchanged) would be any earnings she has that are over $6000.</p>