OP- I applaud you for trying to get ahead of all of this. I would say that most CPA’s/accountants that I know that work with individuals on tax preparation would likely not be too helpful with the variables you’re describing. It’s out of their area of expertise (especially financial aid) AND they aren’t typically asked “can you map out for me a few possible models with the following scenarios”. Will selling the Microsoft stock you inherited from your Mom trigger a capital gains tax bill? That they’re good at. The lifestyle stuff? Maybe.
I would suggest playing around with a few NPC’s with a few different scenarios as a way to build your own decision-making confidence. And if you discover that right now you aren’t actually going to get much need based aid- then that’s a solid thing to learn. Unless you are already living very close to the edge, knowing that “lifestyle A” gets you $500 more in aid vs. “lifestyle B”- well heck, you aren’t going to suggest that your kid picks a school for $500, right?
If you have specific questions, there are a lot of financially savvy people on here. And being able to plan for both the best and worst cases is pretty empowering.
Good for you for taking the bull by the horns!!!