20 U.S.C. § 1087pp — Student aid index for independent students without dependents other than a spouse

(a) Computation. (1) Add (A) family available income under (b) and (B) family available assets^* under (c). (2) If the total is below negative $1,500, use negative $1,500. (b) Family income. (1) Subtract from total income^* (a term defined in section 1087vv) Federal taxes, the payroll allowance in (2), an income-protection allowance of $14,630 for a single student or $23,460 for a married student, each adjusted under section 1087rr(b), and, for a married student, the employment allowance in (3); multiply the result by 50%. (2) The payroll allowance is total earnings of the student and, when appropriate, spouse times the section 3101(b) rate, plus earnings up to the contribution-and-benefit base—twice it for a joint return—times the section 3101(a) rate. (3) For a married student, the employment allowance is the lesser of $4,000 or 35% of combined earned income, adjusted under section 1087rr(g); for an unmarried student it is zero. (c) Assets. Subtract the asset-protection allowance in (2) from family assets as defined in section 1087vv(f), multiply by 20%, and do not use a result below zero. The age table is the same table listed in section 1087oo(d)(2), but uses the student’s age and married/single column: age 25 or less $0/$0; 26 $400/$100; 27 $700/$300; 28 $1,100/$400; 29 $1,500/$600; 30 $1,800/$700; 31 $2,200/$800; 32 $2,600/$1,000; 33 $2,900/$1,100; 34 $3,300/$1,300; 35 $3,700/$1,400; 36 $4,000/$1,500; 37 $4,400/$1,700; 38 $4,800/$1,800; 39 $5,100/$2,000; 40 $5,500/$2,100; 41 $5,600/$2,200; 42 $5,700/$2,200; 43 $5,900/$2,300; 44 $6,000/$2,300; 45 $6,200/$2,400; 46 $6,300/$2,400; 47 $6,500/$2,500; 48 $6,600/$2,500; 49 $6,800/$2,600; 50 $7,000/$2,700; 51 $7,100/$2,700; 52 $7,300/$2,800; 53 $7,500/$2,900; 54 $7,700/$2,900; 55 $7,900/$3,000; 56 $8,100/$3,100; 57 $8,400/$3,100; 58 $8,600/$3,200; 59 $8,800/$3,300; 60 $9,100/$3,400; 61 $9,300/$3,500; 62 $9,600/$3,600; 63 $9,900/$3,700; 64 $10,200/$3,800; 65 or more $10,500/$3,900. The first number is married and the second single. (d) If the student is divorced or separated, or the spouse has died, do not count the spouse’s income or assets.