<p>I plan on attending college during the fall of 2009. My earned income will be very low for 2008, as I am married, my wife goes to school full time, does not work, and I am deployed to Iraq and my income is therefore tax-free. More importantly, the last time I took the ACT and SAT was in 2003.</p>
<p>The school I will be intending accepts these scores, but will they hurt me for merit-based scholarships? Do I need to re-take the new, revised tests to be competitive? (Let me say that my original tests scores are incredibly competitive). I am simply concerned that they will be viewed as obsolete.</p>
<p>""Combat pay, although excluded from gross income, is still considered during the need analysis for federal student aid purposes. It is reported as untaxed income on Worksheet B of the FAFSA. It should also be included in the earned income figures reported on the FAFSA. The amount of combat pay is listed in Box 12 (Q) of the W-2 statement. Sometimes they will list this information in Box 14, which is an “Other” box. (Note that if no income tax return was filed, combat pay should only be included in the earned income figures, as income earned from work is used instead of AGI when the applicant is not a tax filer. In such a situation, including the combat pay in both earned income and Worksheet B would lead to double-counting of the combat pay.)</p>
<p>Other types of untaxed income received by military personnel that should be reported on Worksheet B include housing allowance (BAQ) and subsistence allowance (BAS). The school may ask for a copy of your most recent Leave and Earning Statement (LES) to help clarify the type of pay and the amounts.“” </p>
<p>That’s a question you might want to direct to the specific schools’ admissions departments. Some may even have specific parameters in reviewing, allowing “old” test scores for vets, adult, and non-conventional students.</p>