Schweet. Where were you when I was looking for a wife?

Probably dating a moron! Hehe. (Luckily, I came to my senses and kicked the moron out of my life and now have a fabulous BF!)

The only thing to consider, and I might be in the minority on this, is that if you want to hide money from the financial aid calculations, you could use it to pay down (or off) your student loans. I know they're considered "good debt" by some, but debt is still debt, and there's not many ways to totally wax 3.125% in returns, such that that money could be considered safely better-spent (though many might argue that point as well).

I hope this doesn't sound terrible, but I am expecting an inheritance this year when my grandmother passes. Now, I would rather be bankrupt than lose my grandmother. But, she is terminally ill and has already outlived the doctor's expectations. I am expecting to receive about 40K from her estate, and with that money I am going to pay off the student loans and purchase my leased car. She's a very financially savvy woman (I think she's been subscribed to ValueLine since before I was born!) and I think it would make her proud if I used my inheritance in that manner.

Thanks for your comments!