Which to mark on fafsa:DISLOCATED WORKER or FEDERAL MEANS TESTED BENEFITS PROGRAM???

Paying for College
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<p>Hi,
I need some help on which to indicate on my sons FAFSA application for parents. I was laid off 4 mos. ago which qualifies me for dislocated worker and our family has been eligible and receiveing Federal Means Tested Benefits (Free School Lunches for my kids for past 4 years)BUT FAFSA application will NOT allow me to select both of these. If I say YES to dislocated worker, it freezes out Federal Means tested benefits program Free Lunch Program selection and I cannot indicate that we are receiving this. If I select No or I DONT KNOW for Dislocated Worker, it does allow me to also select Federal Means tested benefits program Free Lunch Program But then I am worried this is not as important (helpful in qualifing for Aid) as Dislocated Worker AND IF I SELECT DON’T KNOW OR NO FOR DISLOCATED WORKER IT WILL ELIMINATE THIS BENEFIT. </p>

<p>IF I HAVE TO CHOOSE WHICH TO MARK ON FAFSA, IS IT BETTER TO SELECT DISLOCATED WORKER OR ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL MEANS TESTED BENEFITS PROGRAM-FREE LUCH PROGRAM???
Which of these programs allows 0 EFC or Simplified Needs Test ?? Which requires more verification work? After I was laid off, I helped my friend out in December 2011with her business deliveries for 2 weeks and she paid me with a payroll check with taxes taken out but that was just over holiday 2 weeks but I am worried this will look like job after lay off so I am thinking that less verification problems with the Federal Means tested benefits program Free Lunch Program since we have been receiving this for 4 years BUT DOES THIS ALLOW US THE SAME FINANCIAL AID QUALIFICATION benefits as Dislocated worker.
PLEASE HELP WHICH SHOULD WE MARK ON FAFSA??
OUR AGI IS 3180
Thank you very much for your help with this.</p>

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<p>Google for EFC formula 2013 updated, and you will find the link to a PDF of the FAFSA formula. Print it out and work through it on paper so that you can see if one of these options is more advantageous for you.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>I PM’d the OP. It doesn’t matter - the only reason for the questions is to determine eligibility for a formula that ignores assets (or if income is very low, for the auto 0 EFC). The eligibility criteria is AGI plus one of the following: 1) Eligible to file a 1040A or 1040EZ; 2) Someone in the household received federal means tested benefits within the previous 24 months; 3) Dislocated worker. You only need one, and the FAFSA skip logic may allow you to skip an option if you meet more than one of the three … and it is certainly possible that answering one way can prompt a skip when answering a different way does not (just depends on how the skip logic is set up). All you have to do is answer yes to one and you are set, so it’s not something to worry about.</p>