$300k is a lot of liquid assets. My point is that if both have equal incomes but one, not in this instance, is closer to paying off their home and the value of that home has increased, this method is assuming that anyone with any sort of equity is expected to dip into that loan wise, even at an average income. If someone’s agi is X, are they then expected to pay half of that when they have other set payments like health insurance, cars, rent/mortgage, car insurance, etc? Plus food? I guess that’s why they have appeals to weed through the weeds of this. My dad who was NYPD had to do this for my sister at MIT. Literally drove up there from his tiny cape cod type house with pay stubs, etc. And if there’s multiple kids…