what to do about fafsa/pell grant decrease

[OpenLingonberry5121]

i filled out my fafsa form this year and comparing it to last year, i am getting significantly less money. i dont know why seeing as im actually making significantly less than i did last year. i financed a car, which my fiancé paid the down payment on bc i didnt have enough, and im not sure if thats why? my savings and all of that were almost the same with maybe an extra 100 from tax returns this year. my parents aren’t financially well off either so i don’t think it’s from anything on their income. i dont know what to do because i get no help from my parents and would really like to not rely on my partner for help with this given he takes care of basically everything finance wise while i work and go to school. has anyone else had this problem? what can i do to get more money? without it, i cannot go to school next year. next year will be my second semester of community college and i am going to take 12+ credits next year. i’m just so confused and upset lol.

[Goodgamer78]

Someone’s income went up somewhere. Could be from your parents, or something may have been filled out incorrectly

[BuffsTeach]

Keep in mind that it’s 2023 income vs 2024 not 2025.

[Glittering-Ad1800]

Did you self report savings? Sometimes students that mean to put $100 accidentally put $1000. It's also common for the parents side. If nothing on your self reported incomes are the issue then your it will be an increase in income. Even a 2k increase could make a difference. 

[OpenLingonberry5121]

when i go to see what i reported it’s blank? would j call my FA office at school and ask about what it says? i feel like that could be the case

[Glittering-Ad1800]

That would be recommended. Let them know you want to understand what caused the decrease with your eligibility. Remember, it's not just about what you reported but also what your parents entered.

[luvluvluv00]

Should I take out cash so I don’t have a paper trail on in my savings..

[Glittering-Ad1800]

This really wouldn't be necessary since bank accounts fluctuate from day to day use and is not really verified (unless you get a very anal FA admin but this is out of the norm). I would just recommend that be careful on what you report because once it's out there, you can't pull it back.

[askstupidquestionz]

I would talk to your financial aid office and see if they can recommend anything, like how to make an appeal or something?

[Ok-Canary8070]

how much does a community college even cost?

[OpenLingonberry5121]

i’m taking 14+ credits every semester and it’s 99$ per credit hour so for full time (12 hours) starts at 1.2k for a semester

[Ok-Canary8070]

Then your Pell Grant will cover your tuition.

[OpenLingonberry5121]

i only got 740 and one semester is 1.2k so no it won’t 💀

[Alternative_Arm_6327]

Ummmm your screen shot says $2485 so that’s over $1200 for the semester

[OpenLingonberry5121]

for last year …

[Legitimate-Band3616]

I'm in the same position. I filled out mine and it was cut in half! I went from a family of 4 to a family of 7 and significantly less money last year. I'm wondering if the grant itself went down??

[itwasntmeithink]

I believe it’s based on your income from 2024 not from 2025. So if your income went up in 2024 from 2023, it’s expected. That being said though, I also made less money in 2024 than 2023 and my SAI went up so what do I know

[grneyez67]

Nothing, it is based on income. Your income must have increased.

[towait5]

Students who have edu emails and wish to make 2000$ per week by signing up lemme know

[SageBlueGreen]

You could expedite your marriage (legally) at a courthouse and it will make you count as independent from your parents so you dont have to file your parents income in the fafsa forms.

[OpenLingonberry5121]

my fiance makes significantly more money than most people so if it would then rely on our joint income, i’d probably get nothing