I have received financial aid for this year, thankfully, and I'm worried about the upcoming year. I am enrolled in a program to where I will only need financial aid for summer and fall 2010; I should graduate next December.

I understand that the income limit for financial aid was increased to $30,000, so I was just wondering about this:

My fiance and I recently opened a small business. Our combined income will most likely be right around or exactly 30K - without the income from the business. Our sole intentions for this business were to make a bit of money but also help our community. We have donated to charity almost what we made from the business.

I know that charitable donations are good for the tax return, but are they also good for financial aid? We will probably have brought in around 10K this year from the business but have almost donated close to what we have made.

We're closing this business at the end of the year and signing it over to someone else, though, because we are not bringing in very much anymore.

I was just wondering if anyone out there could help me with this?!