I am a first time college student at 49, i have two children that are in college so when I filled out the FAFSA for myself, I was eligible for a small Pell Grant. worked out great, because i was only taking a class or two. I was chosen for verification and i was required to take in my W2 to the school. When the financial aid office made corrections, I now have no pell grant. They included in Box 45A - Students untaxed income my non-elective pension plan. I work for the State of Ohio and am required to pay into OPERS. This amount shows up in box 14 on my W2. From everything that I read, It should not be counted, however how do I go about convincing the school financial aid office? is that even possible?
You are correct: non-elective state pension contribution should not be added back to AGI for FAFSA.
Can you go back to the FAO with some wording printed from the FAFSA instructions to this regard?
Was it handled properly on yours kids’ FAFSAs?
You may need to show the FAO the regulation requiring you to pay into OPERS.
Neither of my children was selected for Verification, so theirs didn’t get "corrected. The first time I went to the FAO office to question it, the lady (different from the first one) said that their office received a “memo” from the Department of Education. So I went searching, I found the 2014-2015 Application and Verification guide which states that box 14 should not be counted. Would it be unwise for me to ask them for that memo that they received and take them the guide as well?
Thanks everyone for your responses 
Never hesitate to question, particularly if you are in the right (which you are, by the way). Not all aid officers know everything … there is a lot to know. Print off the section of the guide - use page AVG-20 of the 2015-2016 FSA Handbook (http://ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/attachments/1516AVGCh2.pdf ) and take that with you. If the aid officer still disagrees, ask to speak with a supervisor.
you are wonderful!! Thanks so much!
Well all here is the update - here is the financial aid office response:
We did it correctly when we added both $390 and $6429.28 to your FAFSA for payments to tax-deferred pension and retirement saving plans. The amount of 6429.28 and 390 are not reflected in your AGI. I know you stated that this amount of 6429.28 is part of a non-elective contribution. Can you provide me with documentation that it is non-elective, and if this is the case I will review your Verification again?
So the quest continues. I now have to prove that it is non-elective contribution. I sent emails off to OPERS and my human resources department for letters confirming non elective contributions. In jest, I asked him what type of documentation would suffice, the Ohio Revised Code that defines OPERS perhaps…lol
Was the non-elective deferral amount in Box 14?
Sigh …
I would hope the letters confirming non elective contributions will suffice. They have to collect documentation, and this should be enough.
it sure was Madison85.
Wow. @schoolmom1967