Looking for FAFSA/finance advice

You can find the FAFSA formula for 2018-2019 by googling EFC formula 2019. You will get a link to the PDF, and then can work through it on paper with various scenarios. As a single parent with an income of 105k, you will have a fairly high federal EFC. And of course the formula can change every year.

When your daughter applies for aid, you will file the initial paperwork. At that time you can also contact the financial aid offices to ask what to do about the income information that is due to retirement. Some will be able to adjust immediately. Others will ask you to wait until packages are determined, still others may require you to wait until a formal admissions offer has been made. Just do whatever A asks for A, and what B asks for B.

And of course make sure your daughter knows what can be afforded out of pocket, with student loand, and summer/school year jobs for her. That way she can identify good safeties that are financially viable if all else goes wrong in the admissions and aid process. Her GPA and SAT are very good. She might like one or more from the Automatic Full tuition list at the top if this forum as her back up options.