Will my 17-year-old's part-time job affect his FAFSA eligibility?
I'm trying to figure out if my son should take a part-time job during his senior year of high school. He wants to work at the mall, but I'm worried it might hurt his FAFSA eligibility for next fall. He's 17 now and would be working maybe 15-20 hours weekly making minimum wage. Will the income from his job count against him on the FAFSA? Should I tell him to wait until after his financial aid is processed? His dad and I make about $62,000 combined, and we're really counting on getting decent financial aid.
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Liam McGuire
Your son's income won't significantly impact his financial aid as long as it stays below the student income protection allowance, which is $7,600 for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. Only 50% of income above that threshold counts against aid eligibility. Working part-time has several benefits: building his resume, learning money management, and potentially qualifying for education tax credits. Just make sure he understands that if he earns more than $14,000 during the calendar year, he'll need to file his own tax return.
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Mei Zhang
•Thank you! That $7,600 number is really helpful. So if he works part-time at minimum wage, he should be under that amount anyway, right? I didn't realize they only count 50% of earnings above that threshold.
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Amara Eze
let him work!!! my daughter worked all through hs and still got good aid. the fafsa looks more at PARENT income than student. they expect kids to contribute some but not that much. plus working teaches responsibility
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Giovanni Ricci
•Same! My son worked 25 hrs a week his senior year and it didn't affect his grants at all. The FAFSA is weird about some things but student income isn't a huge factor unless they're making like actual adult money lol
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NeonNomad
Watch out! It DOES affect financial aid. My niece worked part time and her SAI score went up, which meant less Pell Grant. I think they took like 50 cents on the dollar from her savings account too. I'd tell him to wait til after FAFSA.
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Liam McGuire
•There might have been other factors at play with your niece's situation. Student income is assessed at 50% above the protection allowance ($7,600), while student assets are assessed at 20%. For a part-time minimum wage job, the impact is typically minimal compared to the benefits of work experience. Each family situation is different though, so it's always good to consider all factors.
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Fatima Al-Hashemi
The entire FAFSA system is DESIGNED to punish working families! Your son will lose dollar-for-dollar whatever he earns while the children of wealthy families who don't need to work still get scholarships for their fancy volunteer work and extracurriculars. It's completely backwards. And good luck getting anyone at the Dept of Education to explain how their SAI formula actually works - they'll keep you on hold for HOURS only to transfer you to someone who knows even less!
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Dylan Mitchell
•I understand your frustration, but this isn't entirely accurate. Students aren't penalized dollar-for-dollar - there's a protection allowance ($7,600 currently) before any income is counted, and then only 50% of income above that threshold affects the SAI calculation. Many working students still qualify for substantial aid, including Pell Grants. The system isn't perfect, but student employment itself isn't heavily penalized.
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Sofia Martinez
If you're having trouble getting answers about how employment affects your son's FAFSA, try using Claimyr to reach Federal Student Aid agents directly. I was stuck on hold for hours trying to understand how my daughter's summer job would impact her aid package, but with Claimyr I got through to an actual FSA agent in about 15 minutes who explained everything. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ and their site is claimyr.com. Made the whole process way less stressful!
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Mei Zhang
•I'll check that out! I've been trying to get through to someone on the phone and it's been impossible. Did they tell you anything helpful about student employment?
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Sofia Martinez
•Yes! The agent confirmed what others have said here - there's an income protection allowance (around $7,600) before they start counting student income, and even then they only count half of what's earned above that amount. They also explained that work experience can actually help with certain institutional scholarships that consider work history.
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Giovanni Ricci
my son is also 17 and working part time. his guidance counselor told us its fine and might even HELP with some scholarships that want to see work experience. plus he needs spending money for college anyway lol
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Mei Zhang
•That's a good point about scholarships looking for work experience. I hadn't considered that. How many hours does your son work?
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Giovanni Ricci
•about 12-15 hours a week during school year and full time in summer. hes saving most of it for college expenses
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Dylan Mitchell
There's a lot of confusion about student income and FAFSA, so let me clarify a few points: 1. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, student income under $7,600 is fully protected 2. Income above that threshold is assessed at 50% 3. Student assets are assessed at 20% 4. Parent income and assets have a much larger impact on the SAI calculation 5. Work-study income is not counted in future FAFSA calculations Given your family income ($62,000), your son's part-time job is unlikely to significantly impact his aid eligibility. The benefits of work experience, financial responsibility, and building his resume likely outweigh any minimal reduction in aid. Just make sure he's aware of income tax filing requirements if he earns over the threshold.
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Mei Zhang
•This is super helpful, thank you! One question - does it matter WHEN he works? Like should he wait until after we submit the FAFSA in December, or does it go by calendar year income?
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Amara Eze
another thing to think about - if he doesnt work now when will he learn to manage money?? my daughter learned SO MUCH from her first job and now shes super responsible with her college budget. its not just about the fafsa!
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Mei Zhang
•That's a really good point - I want him to learn financial responsibility before he's off at college. I think I was overthinking the FAFSA impact.
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Liam McGuire
Based on everything discussed here, it seems the benefits of your son working part-time considerably outweigh any potential minor reduction in aid. With your family income level and the student income protection allowance, a typical part-time high school job is unlikely to meaningfully impact his financial aid package. The work experience, financial literacy, and resume building will likely prove more valuable in the long run, both for college applications and future employment opportunities.
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Mei Zhang
•Thank you all for the advice! I'm going to encourage him to take the job and just make sure he understands how to save some of what he earns. Sounds like the FAFSA impact will be minimal and the experience will be good for him.
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Nia Johnson
Great decision! Just wanted to add one more tip - have your son keep good records of his earnings throughout the year. When it comes time to fill out the FAFSA, you'll need accurate income information from his W-2 or paystubs. Also, if he's able to save some of his earnings, consider having him put it toward college expenses rather than keeping it in a savings account, since student assets are assessed at 20% while money already spent on education isn't counted. The work experience will definitely serve him well in college and beyond!
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