Just wanted to add my voice to this thread as someone who went through this exact scenario last month! My daughter's FAFSA randomly switched from "processed" to "in review" when I logged in to check her SAI for a scholarship application. I was absolutely terrified that I had somehow triggered a problem that would delay her financial aid. After reading through all these experiences, I feel so much better knowing this is a widespread issue with the new system. The explanation about automatic quality assurance checks really makes sense. For what it's worth, my daughter's application went back to "processed" after about 8 days with the exact same SAI, and she received her aid packages from all her schools right on schedule. The key thing I learned is that the schools can see your original submission date in their systems, so these random reviews don't affect priority consideration. I also took everyone's advice about screenshotting everything - definitely recommend that for peace of mind! This community has been so helpful in navigating these FAFSA system quirks. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences!

New to this community but SO glad I found this thread! Just had the exact same heart attack moment this afternoon - my son's FAFSA went from "processed" to "in review" the second I logged in to check his SAI for a scholarship application due tomorrow. I was convinced I had somehow broken his entire financial aid future! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. The explanation about random quality assurance checks makes so much more sense than thinking our login somehow triggered a problem. @Nina Chan thank you for the professional insight about the original submission date being what matters for priority consideration - that's exactly what I needed to hear since we submitted well before all his school deadlines. @The Boss your story about the twins going through this and everything working out perfectly gives me so much hope! And @Ethan Wilson hearing that your daughter got all her aid packages on schedule despite the status change is exactly the reassurance I needed. Taking everyone's advice to screenshot everything and wait it out. It's amazing how this thread has turned my panic into relief - thank you all for sharing your stories and creating this supportive space for navigating these FAFSA system quirks!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share what I learned when helping my sister navigate this exact same situation. She was in foster care from age 13-16, then returned to live with our mom. I was really confused about the FAFSA rules at first too, but after reading through all these responses, I'm now confident that your daughter definitely qualifies as independent! The key thing that helped us was contacting each school's financial aid office directly before submitting documentation. Some schools had specific forms they wanted us to fill out in addition to the court documents, while others just needed the basic paperwork. Having that conversation upfront saved us from having to resubmit things later. Also, I'd recommend keeping detailed records of every interaction you have during the verification process - dates, names of who you spoke with, what documents you submitted, etc. It really helped when one school lost our paperwork and we needed to prove we had already submitted everything on time. Your daughter has been through enough already with the foster care experience - don't let anyone make this process harder than it needs to be. The rules are clear that she qualifies, and you have every right to advocate for her to get the independent status she deserves!

I'm new here but wanted to add my experience since I went through something very similar with my son. He was in foster care from age 14-17, then came to live with me (his aunt) when he aged out. When we filled out his FAFSA, I was terrified we'd get it wrong because there's so much conflicting information online. What really helped us was creating a complete documentation package before starting the FAFSA. We gathered all court orders, case worker contact information, and even wrote a brief summary letter explaining his situation. When verification time came, we were ready to submit everything immediately to each school. One thing I learned that might help you - some schools have dedicated staff who handle foster care verifications specifically. When you call their financial aid offices, ask if they have someone who specializes in these cases. They tend to be much more knowledgeable about the process and can walk you through exactly what they need. Your daughter absolutely qualifies as independent based on what you've described. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! The foster care experience after age 13 is what matters, not her current living situation. You're doing great advocating for her - she's lucky to have you fighting for her education!

As a newcomer to this community and first-time FAFSA filer, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion! I've been completely overwhelmed by the asset reporting section for my daughter's application and this thread has answered so many questions I didn't even know I had. My situation is very similar to others here - we have a rental property and our AGI is $67k, so it's now clear we need to report the rental property's net value. The explanation about the $60k AGI threshold for the Simplified Needs Test finally makes sense of all the conflicting advice I was getting from other parents! What's really eased my anxiety is learning about the 5.64% assessment rate from experienced members. I was honestly panicking that reporting our rental would completely eliminate our aid eligibility, but understanding the actual formula makes it feel much more manageable. I'm going to follow all the great documentation advice shared here - getting a current CMA and organizing our mortgage statements. It's such a relief to know that being honest and thorough from the start is the best approach, even when it feels scary to report assets. This community has been invaluable for turning what felt like an impossible maze into a clear roadmap. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and creating such a supportive space for families navigating this process!

As a newcomer to this community and first-time FAFSA filer, I want to express my sincere gratitude for this incredibly comprehensive and helpful discussion! I'm navigating the FAFSA process for my daughter and was completely lost on asset reporting requirements until discovering this thread. My situation mirrors many others here - we own a rental property and our AGI is $72k, so it's now abundantly clear that we must report the rental property's net value. The detailed explanation about the $60k AGI threshold for the Simplified Needs Test has been absolutely eye-opening - it finally clarifies why I was receiving such contradictory guidance from other parents in various college planning groups! What has truly put my mind at ease is understanding the 5.64% assessment rate that several experienced members have mentioned throughout this discussion. I was genuinely losing sleep worrying that reporting our rental property would completely eliminate any chance of financial aid for my daughter, but now I understand the actual impact is far more reasonable than I initially feared. I'm planning to implement all the excellent documentation advice shared here - already contacted our realtor to obtain a current comparative market analysis and I'm organizing all our mortgage statements this evening. It's incredibly reassuring to know that being comprehensive and transparent from the beginning is the optimal strategy, even when asset reporting feels intimidating. This community has truly been transformative in converting what seemed like navigating an incomprehensible bureaucratic labyrinth into having a clear, actionable plan. Thank you all for taking the time to share your genuine experiences and for creating such a welcoming and informative environment for families going through the financial aid process for the first time!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly thorough and helpful discussion! I'm currently navigating my first FAFSA experience with my daughter for 2025-2026, and we have a very similar situation with her great-aunt's 529 plan. We used about $7,200 from the account last year for her tuition, and I was completely lost about how to handle this on the FAFSA. After reading through everyone's experiences and explanations, I now understand that since my daughter's great-aunt owns the 529 plan (not us), we don't need to report these distributions anywhere on the FAFSA under the simplified rules. What really helps is seeing so many different family situations - grandparents, great-grandparents, and now great-aunts - all being treated the same way under these new rules. The key insight that it's about account ownership rather than family relationship or who benefits makes so much sense. I'm also really appreciating the practical advice shared here about keeping good records for tax purposes and understanding the difference between FAFSA reporting and tax reporting. This community has made what felt like an overwhelming process so much more manageable. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - it's making a real difference for families like mine who are new to this process!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to add my voice to thank everyone for this incredibly comprehensive discussion! I'm currently working on my son's 2025-2026 FAFSA and was completely overwhelmed by the 529 plan reporting requirements until I found this thread. We have a situation where my mother-in-law owns a 529 plan for my son, and we withdrew $10,500 last semester to cover his expenses. I was initially terrified that this would dramatically impact his financial aid eligibility based on old information I had read online about 529 distributions counting as student income. Reading through everyone's detailed explanations and real-world experiences has been such a relief! The fact that the FAFSA Simplification Act removed the requirement to report grandparent-owned 529 distributions as student income is genuinely life-changing for our family's financial planning. What I find most valuable about this discussion is how many different perspectives and situations have been covered - from basic grandparent ownership to great-grandparents and great-aunts, from direct school payments to tax documentation concerns. The practical tips about keeping records and understanding the difference between tax and FAFSA reporting have been particularly helpful. This policy change really seems like a win for encouraging family involvement in education funding without creating bureaucratic penalties. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative community for families navigating these complex financial aid questions!

Just wanted to chime in as another parent who went through this exact same panic! My daughter's SAI was $11,500 last year and I spent hours on Reddit and College Confidential trying to figure out what it meant for our bank account. The confusion is totally understandable because the terminology changed recently - it used to be called EFC (Expected Family Contribution) which honestly was even MORE misleading because people thought that's literally what they'd pay. What I wish someone had told me from the start: the SAI is just a number that unlocks different types of aid at different schools. It's not a bill, it's not a guarantee, it's just part of a formula. Some schools will gap you (not meet your full calculated need), others will be super generous with grants. We ended up with aid packages ranging from $8K to $22K out of pocket at different schools - same family, same FAFSA, same SAI. The cheapest option was actually a private liberal arts college that met 100% of demonstrated need with grants, not loans. My takeaway: apply broadly, don't get hung up on the sticker price of schools, and definitely don't let the SAI number stress you out. You'll have real data to work with once those financial aid letters arrive!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm a new member here and just got my son's FAFSA results with an SAI of $8,200 and was having the exact same confusion and panic. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful - especially hearing that the actual out-of-pocket costs can vary so much between schools even with the same SAI. It sounds like the key takeaway is that SAI is just a starting number for calculations, not what we'll actually pay, and that we really won't know our real costs until the financial aid award letters come in from each school. I'm definitely going to take the advice about applying to a mix of public and private schools and not getting too hung up on sticker prices. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and making this process feel a little less overwhelming for those of us just starting out!