Investments include real estate that you do not live in, rental property, trust funds, UGMA and UTMA accounts, money market funds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, stocks, stock options, bonds, other securities, installment and land sale contracts, and commodities.
Investments can also include qualified educational benefits or educational savings accounts (e.g., Coverdell savings accounts, 529 college savings plans, and the refund value of 529 prepaid tuition plans). For a student who does not report parental information, the accounts owned by the student (and/or the student’s spouse) are reported as student investments on the FAFSA. For a student who must report parental information, the accounts are reported as parental investments on the FAFSA, including all accounts owned by the student and all accounts owned by the parents for any member of the household.
Investments do not include the home you live in, the value of life insurance, retirement plans (401[k]plans, pension funds, annuities, non-education IRAs, KEOGH plans, etc.) or cash, savings, and checking accounts already reported elsewhere on the FAFSA.
Business and/or Investment Farm Value includes the market value of land, buildings, machinery, equipment, inventory, etc. Business and/or investment farm debt means only those debts for which the business or investment farm was used as collateral.
Business Value does not include the value of a small business if your family owns and controls more than 50 percent of the business and the business has 100 or fewer full-time or full-time equivalent employees.
Investment Farm Value does not include the value of a family farm that you live on and operate.