<p>200,000 in unprotected assets will most certainly raise the EFC quite abit on top of that income level. If those assets are in stock, mutual funds and bonds and are NOT in a retirement 401K or an IRA they will add significantly to the federal EFC which could disqualify this student if federal means testing is considered per post 13. This makes sense to me as there is no fathomable reason why the state would ONLY consider income. You could have a retired spouse and a household income of 60-70,000 and considerable assets not necessarily in a 401K or an IRA from years of having 2 working and I can think of at least 3 other scenarios just off the top of my head where income could be low and assets high…rentals that show a loss, land that doesn’t generate income just for starters.</p>
<p>OP, I’d go back and look at your EFC to see how that $200,000 was characterized.</p>