Check if the colleges disallow applying for financial aid in later years if financial aid is not applied for in the first year.
Check if financial aid is possible in later years if the conditions increasing the income are specific to the year used for this year’s financial aid calculation.
Check if any merit scholarships require a financial aid application (some colleges require FAFSA for full ride merit scholarships, so that the student collects any Pell grant that they are eligible for, or is verified not to be eligible for a Pell grant).