As someone who works in financial aid, I want to emphasize a few key points that haven't been mentioned yet: 1. **Income timing matters** - Since you'll be filing FAFSA using 2023 tax info for the 2025-26 school year, any major income changes (job loss, pay cuts, etc.) can be addressed through Professional Judgment appeals once you're accepted to schools. 2. **State aid deadlines** - Don't just focus on federal deadlines! Many states have their own grant programs with earlier deadlines. Check your state's higher education website now. 3. **School-specific aid** - Each college has its own institutional aid budget. Schools that meet "100% of demonstrated need" are game-changers for single parents, even if they seem expensive upfront. 4. **Dependency override** - In very rare circumstances, students can be considered independent even if under 24. This typically requires documentation of abuse, abandonment, or other extreme situations. The new FAFSA really has simplified things for families like yours. You're asking the right questions at the right time - that puts you ahead of many families who wait until senior year panic mode!

Carmen, you're getting fantastic advice here! As another single mom who just went through this process, I wanted to add a few practical tips that really helped me: **Document organization NOW**: Create a dedicated FAFSA folder (physical or digital) and start collecting documents early. I kept copies of tax returns, bank statements, and pay stubs all in one place. When FAFSA opened, I was ready to go on Day 1. **Don't forget about work-study**: Federal Work-Study is often overlooked but it's a great way for students to earn money while in school without it counting against future FAFSA calculations like regular jobs do. **Apply broadly**: We applied to 8 schools with varying aid reputations. My daughter's final choice ended up being her "safety" school because they offered the best package - sometimes the less prestigious schools are more generous to attract good students. **FAFSA opens October 1st now, not December** - I think there might be some outdated info in this thread. Double-check the current dates! The process is overwhelming but you're starting early which is huge. My biggest regret was not applying to enough schools because I was intimidated by application fees - most schools waive fees for families who qualify for free/reduced lunch, so don't let that stop you!

This thread has been such a fantastic resource! I'm preparing to help my niece with her FAFSA application, and while we don't have SSDI in our family situation, reading through Noah's experience and all the expert guidance here has really helped me understand the fundamental principles of income reporting. The key insight about trusting the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to capture what's already on your tax return, and only reporting income separately if it's truly untaxed, seems like it applies to so many different income scenarios beyond just Social Security benefits. I'm especially grateful for Javier's professional tips about checking specific tax form lines and Chloe's practical advice about documentation - these are the kinds of real-world insights that can save families so much stress during the application process. It's incredible how this community has created such a thorough guide for navigating these complex reporting questions. Thank you to everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences - even as someone dealing with a different income situation, I feel so much more confident about approaching the FAFSA after reading this discussion!

This has been such an incredibly helpful thread to read through! As someone completely new to the FAFSA process, I was feeling really overwhelmed about income reporting requirements. Even though my family doesn't have SSDI benefits, seeing Noah's journey from confusion to successful completion and all the expert guidance provided here has given me so much confidence about approaching my own application. The fundamental principle that keeps coming up - trusting the IRS Data Retrieval Tool for income that's already on your tax return and only reporting separately what's truly untaxed - seems like it applies universally to all FAFSA applications. I'm definitely going to use the practical tips shared here, especially about keeping detailed documentation and understanding how the system prevents double-counting. Thank you to this amazing community for creating such a comprehensive resource that helps families navigate this complex but crucial process!

Hey everyone! Just joined this community after stumbling across this thread during my own FSA ID verification panic spiral. Currently on day 10 of waiting and honestly, finding all of your experiences and advice here has been like finding an oasis in the desert! I had zero idea about the phone submission option or temporary FSA ID possibilities - this thread is literally goldmine information that saved me from a complete meltdown. Already called the 1-800-433-3243 number this morning (about 35 minute hold but totally worth it) and the rep was amazing. She confirmed my verification is processing normally and walked me through the phone FAFSA option as a backup. Also reached out to my school's financial aid office and they were super understanding - apparently they deal with this verification delay situation ALL the time and have processes in place to help students. Such a relief! It's wild how stressful this waiting period is, but reading everyone's success stories here gives me so much hope. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space for those of us navigating this FSA ID nightmare. We've got this! 🙏

Just wanted to add my experience to this incredibly helpful thread! I'm currently on day 13 of waiting for my FSA ID identity verification and honestly, reading everyone's stories here has been the only thing keeping me from having a complete breakdown. I called that 1-800-433-3243 number yesterday after seeing it recommended so many times in this thread, and even though I had to wait about 50 minutes on hold, it was absolutely worth it! The rep was super helpful and confirmed that my verification is progressing normally - apparently they're seeing about 20% longer processing times than usual due to the new FAFSA system rollout. She also set me up with the phone submission option as a backup, which honestly feels like having a safety net. I had NO idea this was even possible before finding this thread! Also contacted my school's financial aid office and they were totally understanding - gave me a two-week extension on their internal deadline while I wait for verification to complete. To anyone else currently stuck in FSA ID verification limbo: you're not alone, you're not doing anything wrong, and there ARE options! This thread has been such a game-changer for managing the stress and anxiety of this process. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive community! 🙏

Update us when your son logs in and checks - I'm curious if this solved your issue. The final submit button should be at the very bottom of the review page in his account, and it's a distinctly different color than the rest of the page elements.

So glad to hear you got it resolved! This is such a common issue that it really shows how poorly designed the new FAFSA interface is. The fact that so many families are getting stuck at this exact same point means the Department of Education needs to seriously rethink how they present the submission process. For anyone else reading this thread - bookmark this conversation! The advice here about checking for that final submit button after all signatures are complete could save you weeks of stress. And definitely don't panic if the helpline can't "find" your application - they're probably just looking for completed submissions, not works in progress.

Hi there! As another newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I just wanted to add my voice to all the gratitude being expressed in this thread! My daughter is also a freshman this year, and I was having the exact same panic about spring semester requirements. I was literally about to call the financial aid office at 8am this morning to ask if I had missed a deadline until I found this discussion! The relief of learning that one FAFSA covers the entire academic year is incredible - I can finally sleep peacefully tonight knowing I haven't messed anything up. The December timing strategy for next year's application is absolutely invaluable information that I never would have discovered anywhere else. I'm setting multiple calendar reminders right now and bookmarking this thread permanently! It's so wonderful to find such a supportive community where experienced parents genuinely want to help newcomers navigate this confusing financial aid world. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge so generously - I'm definitely sticking around to learn more and hopefully pay it forward to future confused parents!

Hi everyone! As someone completely new to this community and the FAFSA process, I can't tell you how relieved I am to have found this thread! My son just started his freshman year this fall, and I've been absolutely panicking for the past week thinking I needed to submit another FAFSA application for spring semester. I was literally up until 3am last night trying to figure out if I had somehow missed a critical deadline! Reading through all of these responses has been such an enormous weight off my shoulders - knowing that the FAFSA I completed this past fall covers the entire 2024-2025 academic year is incredible news. The December timing strategy for next year's application is pure gold - I had no idea that submitting early could impact institutional aid availability. I'm setting those calendar reminders right now and gathering our tax documents early! It's amazing to find such a supportive and knowledgeable community where experienced parents are willing to share practical, real-world advice with those of us who are completely lost in this financial aid maze. Thank you all for being so welcoming and helpful - I'm definitely joining this community permanently to learn more and hopefully help other confused parents navigate this overwhelming process in the future!