<p>I'm wondering if anyone has dealt with this particular situation. I'm a single parent with an annual income that prevents us from getting any need-based financial aid. However, we need aid pretty badly as one of my children has had extremely high medical expenses that weren't covered by insurance. I'm still fighting the insurance company, but pending a miracle, all of my assets are pretty much gone, including most of my retirement savings. I'll continue to have very high costs (>1/2 my income) for the next couple years. I'll spare everyone the rant about the insanity of insurance companies overriding doctor's recommendations. And I know we've been blessed that I had savings and assets so that I could get the care my child needed - my heart goes out to parents that don't have that option, I cannot imagine their pain. So now I need to figure out how I can send my other child to college. He's an outstanding student and will have his pick of colleges and I'm determined to make it possible for him to go where he wants to go. </p>
<p>If you subtract the medical expenses from my income, we'd qualify for everything. It seems like there ought to be a way to recognize that my income doesn't really reflect our financial situation. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any advice as to whether these extraordinary conditions can be factored into need-based aid? I'm all ears.</p>
<p>Contact the financial aid offices of those schools and explain your situation. Hopefully these schools, especially those who promise to meet 100% of need, will have some sympathy, and may increase grants and work study for your child. Good luck.</p>
<p>The Profile provides for an allowance of unreimbursed medical expenses above 3.4% of income. So, in your case, if 50% of your income is eaten up with unreimbursed medical expenses, you should be able to deduct nearly all of it.</p>
<p>Let's say you make 150K, and have 75K in annual unreimbursed med expenses. You should be able to deduct about 70K, getting your reportable income down to 80K (well within the range that will qualify for aid, particularly with few assets).</p>
<p>On FAFSA-- there isn't a similar deduction, BUT the FAO's are permitted to make adjustments for ongoing unreimbursed medical expenses when calculating aid packages.</p>
<p>Forgot to add - the medical expenses are occuring while my child is still in high school. They will (hopefully) be over as he enters college - but I'll be pretty much wiped out financially. So, high income, but debt, no assets, no retirement (but still very grateful as the alternative would have been much worse).</p>
<p>First of all, I'd like to say how sorry I am to hear of your child's medical problems and with your hassel with you insurance company. I know how both of those stresses can complicate your life. </p>
<p>We have high medical expenses each year and my daughter's school did adjust our EFC because of it. Our EFC was reduced by about $5000 due to medical expenses of about $14,000. (I think it would have been reduced by perhaps another $4000, but I had a non-taxable fund that matured that Fafsa ignored but that the school did not.) However, ours is a recurring, ongoing expense so I don't know how your different situation might be affected. My guess is that unless you are paying the expenses at the time your son is in college, no one will care. </p>
<p>One thing you should look into though is funding your retirement again. It won't be figured into your EFC like cash on hand would be. You might get more aid by maximizing your retirement accounts now and saving some of your expenses to pay later. You might be able to run some figures on the collegeboard site to get an idea. Also, a good accountant might be able to help you plan it out. </p>
<p>The poster "taxguy" on CC might also give you some ideas--you could pm him. </p>