<p>The way the financial aid process usually works is that nearly all schools require that you complete a FAFSA to see what your family EFC is and what you can get in terms of government aid. You can run your family numbers trhough a FAFSA estimator to get some idea of your EFC. It is very income sensitive, and you need your parents’ tax returns to fill it out accurately as the info must mesh. Unless your family EFC is very low, you will not qualify for the PELL grant. I believe eligibility for PELL begins around the $5K level with maximum PELL money with a zero EFC being $5500. That is all that the EFC guarantees. The rest comes down to what your school uses. Stafford loans are for just about anyone as long as the cost of the school justifies it, and some of those might be subsidized if you have need.</p>
<p>The schools that tend to be more generous usually use PROFILE in addition to the FAFSA. Things like your parents’ luxury car may have to be reported there. </p>
<p>You say your father is unemployed. But your family must have some income to buy an expensive car and have money saved for your college. If the savings is in your name, it should be spent down and and an account in your parents name for college would be a wiser investment since assets in your name are assessed much more heavily than in your parents’. Also PROFILE often takes into account things like your home equity whereas FAFSA does not.</p>