I'm a college senior who's filled out the FAFSA four times now, and I can absolutely confirm that the save feature works perfectly! Your friend's "Russian Roulette" comment is completely inaccurate and honestly pretty irresponsible advice. I've literally never completed a FAFSA in one sitting - between gathering my parents' tax info, checking bank statements, and coordinating schedules, it always takes multiple sessions. The system is specifically designed for this! In fact, financial aid counselors at my school actively encourage students to take their time and save frequently rather than rushing through and making mistakes. You did exactly the right thing by stopping to get the correct tax information. When you log back in with your FSA ID, everything will be exactly where you left it. Just make sure to submit before your priority deadline once you have all your documents ready. Don't let your friend's misinformation stress you out - you're handling this perfectly!

As someone who just completed my first FAFSA this year, I want to add my voice to everyone reassuring you - the save feature works perfectly! I was in almost the exact same situation as you - started the application, realized I was missing some tax documents, and had to save and come back later. I was nervous about it too, but when I logged back in a few days later, everything was exactly where I left it. The whole process actually took me about a week to complete because I had to coordinate with my parents to get various documents, and I probably saved and returned to the application 6 or 7 times total. Never had a single issue with lost data. Your friend's advice is definitely wrong - the FAFSA system would be completely broken if students couldn't save their progress! You're being smart by taking the time to gather the correct information rather than guessing or rushing through it.

Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring! I'm currently dealing with a similar SSN conflict issue and was honestly spiraling a bit before finding this thread. The range of solutions people have shared - from simple contact info updates to full identity verification processes - really shows that these problems have multiple potential causes and fixes. What strikes me most is how organized everyone's approach became once they got past the initial panic. @Tasia's journey from "completely freaking out" to systematic problem-solving really resonates with me. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service and ask specifically for the ID Resolution Center when I call tomorrow. Also planning to submit a paper FAFSA as backup like @Landon Morgan suggested - that seems like such a smart safety net approach. It's amazing how this community transformed what could have been just a venting session into a comprehensive troubleshooting guide. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and practical solutions!

This thread has been incredibly helpful to read through! As someone who's about to start the FAFSA process for the first time, I had no idea these kinds of SSN conflicts were even possible. The step-by-step guidance from @Landon Morgan and the practical tips about using Claimyr and asking for the ID Resolution Center are exactly the kind of insider knowledge that can save someone hours of frustration. It's also really reassuring to see that most of these cases turn out to be simple data entry errors rather than actual identity theft. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread as a reference guide - between the emergency procedures, backup strategies, and specific contact methods, this has basically become a complete troubleshooting manual for FAFSA identity issues. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially @Tasia for the detailed updates on how everything got resolved!

As a newcomer to this community, I can't express how grateful I am for stumbling upon this thread! I received my son's financial aid package just this morning and was completely bewildered when I saw a $11,800 gap with no Parent PLUS loan option listed anywhere. I was literally googling "why no parent plus loan on financial aid package" when I found this discussion. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring and educational. I had no idea that Parent PLUS loans require a separate application process - I genuinely thought if they weren't included in the aid package, it meant we didn't qualify or the school didn't want us to have one. Learning that any parent can apply regardless of what's listed in the package is such a relief! The detailed walkthrough of the studentaid.gov application process and the realistic timelines everyone has shared give me confidence to move forward. I'm also really appreciative of the warnings about interest rates and the suggestion to explore private loan options for comparison. The payment plan idea is brilliant too - I never would have thought to ask about that. What strikes me most about this community is how everyone shares not just solutions, but practical wisdom about timing, potential pitfalls, and strategic thinking about borrowing amounts. I'm planning to start the Parent PLUS application this week and will definitely be calling the financial aid office to discuss all our options. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space for navigating these complex financial decisions!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my sincere gratitude for this incredibly informative discussion! I just received my daughter's financial aid package yesterday and was completely overwhelmed when I saw a $12,300 gap with absolutely no mention of Parent PLUS loans anywhere. Like so many others who have shared their experiences here, I was starting to panic and wondering if this meant we weren't eligible or if the school was somehow indicating we didn't qualify. This entire thread has been like a masterclass in understanding Parent PLUS loans! The clarification that schools don't control eligibility and that it requires a completely separate application through studentaid.gov was exactly the information I desperately needed. I had completely misunderstood the process and thought Parent PLUS loans would automatically appear in aid packages if we were eligible. I'm particularly grateful for the step-by-step guidance provided by several community members, the realistic timeline expectations, and the balanced perspective on comparing interest rates with private loan options. The suggestion about payment plans is something I never would have considered, and the strategic advice about potentially borrowing less than the full gap amount is really smart financial thinking. What I love most about this community is how everyone shares not just the "what to do" but also the practical wisdom about timing, potential challenges, and thoughtful approaches to borrowing decisions. I'm planning to start my Parent PLUS application this weekend and will definitely be contacting our school's financial aid office to explore all available options. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and knowledgeable environment for navigating these complex financial aid processes. This discussion has transformed my panic into confidence!

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to this community and the FAFSA process, and I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful and reassuring this entire discussion has been! My parents owe about $3,200 to the IRS from their 2023 taxes, and I've been absolutely panicking for weeks thinking this would automatically disqualify me from any financial aid. I've been searching everywhere for clear answers but couldn't find anything definitive until I stumbled across this amazing thread. Reading through all of your real experiences has been such a huge relief! I had no idea that the FAFSA system and IRS tax debt are handled by completely separate agencies - that was the most reassuring thing to learn. My parents did file their 2023 tax return on time and they're currently on an official payment plan with the IRS, so based on all the fantastic advice shared here, it sounds like we should be okay. I'm definitely going to follow everyone's tips about making sure our FAFSA numbers match exactly what's on their filed tax return, and I'll keep all our documentation organized just in case we get selected for verification. As someone who's navigating this whole process for the very first time, having such a knowledgeable and supportive community has made all the difference in calming my nerves. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their personal experiences - you've truly been a lifesaver for us newcomers trying to figure this all out! 🙏

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to this community and the FAFSA process, and I just wanted to say how incredibly relieved I am to have found this discussion! My parents owe about $9,200 to the IRS from their 2023 taxes, and I've been absolutely terrified for the past few weeks that this would automatically disqualify me from receiving any financial aid for college. I've been frantically searching online everywhere but couldn't find clear, reliable answers until I discovered this amazing thread. Reading through all of your real-world experiences has been such a massive weight off my shoulders! I had absolutely no idea that the FAFSA system and IRS tax debt are handled by completely different agencies - that revelation alone has been life-changing for my stress levels. My parents did file their 2023 tax return on time and they're currently on an official payment plan with the IRS, so based on all the wonderful advice shared here, it sounds like we should be okay. I'm definitely going to follow everyone's guidance about ensuring our FAFSA numbers match exactly what appears on their filed tax return, and I'll organize all our documentation just in case we get selected for verification. As someone who's completely new to navigating this entire process, having access to such a knowledgeable and supportive community has been absolutely invaluable in managing my anxiety about this situation. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their personal experiences - you've truly been a lifesaver for us newcomers who are just trying to figure all of this out! The college I want to attend costs about $28,000/year, so getting aid is crucial for me. This community gives me so much hope! 🙏

As a parent of a junior who just found this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive thread! Reading through everyone's experiences has been like getting a master class in FAFSA preparation. One thing I wanted to add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if your student is considering applying Early Decision anywhere, make sure you understand how that affects financial aid timing and your ability to compare offers. We almost missed this consideration until our school counselor pointed out that ED applicants often have earlier financial aid deadlines and you're committed before seeing aid packages from other schools. Also, I've been using the College Scorecard website (collegescorecard.ed.gov) alongside the net price calculators mentioned earlier. It gives you data on average debt levels and post-graduation earnings for each school, which has been eye-opening for thinking about return on investment. For those asking about organization systems, I created a shared Google Drive folder with my daughter where we're collecting all college-related documents and research. Having everything in one place that we can both access has been really helpful for staying on the same page. Thank you to everyone who has shared their knowledge and mistakes - you're saving so many families from learning these lessons the hard way!

As a newcomer to this community and parent of a junior, this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I've been bookmarking practically every comment because there's so much detailed, practical advice here. One thing I wanted to ask about - several people mentioned the importance of creating FSA IDs early, but I'm wondering about the security aspects. Should we be concerned about creating these accounts so far in advance? Are there any best practices for keeping these credentials secure over the next year and a half until we actually need to file? Also, I noticed some people mentioned fee waivers for the CSS Profile. Does anyone know what the income thresholds are for those waivers? We're in that middle-income bracket where we might not qualify for much need-based aid but the fees for multiple CSS Profile applications could really add up. Finally, for those who mentioned using professional judgment reviews for changed circumstances - is this something you request from every school your student applies to, or only the ones they're seriously considering? I'm trying to understand how much additional work this creates during an already stressful time. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so generously. This community has made what seemed like an overwhelming process feel much more manageable!