Hey! Just wanted to add that if you're still worried about the one school that hasn't downloaded your info yet, you could also try calling their financial aid office directly. I know it's a pain, but sometimes they can tell you right away if they have your FAFSA on file. When I called my schools last year, most were really helpful and could confirm within a minute or two whether they had received it. Some schools also have live chat options on their websites which can be faster than phone calls. Good luck with everything!

Another thing to keep in mind is that some schools have different FAFSA processing timelines based on when you applied for admission. Early action/early decision applicants might get processed faster than regular decision applicants. Also, if you're applying to a lot of state schools vs private schools, state schools sometimes take longer because they process thousands more applications. I wouldn't stress too much about the timing differences between schools - it's totally normal for them to be all over the place with their processing speeds!

I went through this exact same dilemma last year! My home internet was terrible and I was so tempted to go with paper, but I'm really glad I didn't. What ended up working for me was going to my college's student center - they had a dedicated FAFSA help station with computers and staff available if I got stuck. The whole process took about an hour, and having someone nearby who could answer questions was invaluable. I got my SAR back in 4 days and my financial aid package was processed way faster than my friend who did paper. If your school doesn't have something like this, definitely try the library approach others mentioned. The online system really does catch errors that would cause major delays with paper submissions. Plus, being able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool made the tax section so much easier - I would have definitely made mistakes trying to manually enter all those numbers on a paper form.

Thanks for asking this question! I was literally just wondering the same thing. My internet has been cutting out randomly and I was getting frustrated with the idea of losing my progress halfway through. But after reading everyone's responses here, I'm definitely convinced to try the online version at my local library instead. The automatic error checking and IRS data transfer features sound like they'd save me from making costly mistakes that could delay my aid. Plus getting my SAR back in days instead of weeks is huge since I'm already behind on some deadlines. Has anyone had experience with their college's financial aid office helping with online FAFSA completion? I might call mine tomorrow to see if they offer that kind of support.

Welcome to the community! I'm in a very similar boat - my divorce was finalized in December but we also filed jointly for 2024. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially hearing from the financial aid counselor and parents who've been through this exact situation. One thing I wanted to add that might help - I just discovered that some schools have specific worksheets for divorced parents who filed jointly. When I called my daughter's top choice school directly, they actually emailed me a simple form that walks you through separating your income from the joint return. It might be worth reaching out to your son's schools directly to see if they have similar resources. Also, I've been keeping a detailed folder with our divorce decree, both W-2s, and a breakdown of how we're splitting any joint income. Even though it feels like overkill, reading everyone's verification experiences makes me think being over-prepared is definitely the way to go! It sounds like you're absolutely doing the right thing reporting as divorced with just your income. The timing is tough, but at least your son should benefit from a much better aid calculation. Good luck with the submission tonight!

As someone who's been through a very similar situation with my daughter's FAFSA last year, I wanted to jump in and reassure you that you're absolutely on the right track! My divorce was finalized in early January too, but we had also filed taxes jointly for the previous year - the exact same timing issue you're facing. The key thing I learned (after way too many stressful phone calls) is that FAFSA really does go by your marital status on the day you submit, not how you filed taxes. Since your divorce was final on January 10th, you should definitely select "divorced/separated" and only report your income. What helped me most was creating a simple breakdown showing exactly how I separated my income from our joint return - basically my W-2 plus my documented share of any joint investment income according to our divorce decree. When we got selected for verification (which we did), having that ready made everything so much smoother. The best news? My daughter's aid package was significantly better using just my income instead of both parents combined. Your son should see the same benefit! Don't let the joint tax return stress you out - verification officers see this situation constantly and know exactly how to handle it. You've got this! Take a deep breath and submit with confidence knowing you're following the rules correctly.

Welcome to the community! I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress right before the semester starts. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm dealing with a similar situation where my son's aid was reduced by $1,800 with no explanation. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like checking the student portal for verification requests and comparing FAFSA/CSS Profile information are the first steps. Has anyone had success with the appeal process mentioned by Luca? I'm wondering how long those typically take to process since we're running out of time before tuition is due.

Welcome to the community! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with a very similar situation - my daughter's Pell Grant was suddenly reduced by $2,100 last week with absolutely no explanation. Reading through this thread has been so helpful, especially the advice about checking the student portal for verification requests (which seems to be a common culprit). I'm also going to try that Claimyr service that Aisha mentioned since I've been on hold with FSA for hours with no luck. It's really reassuring to know we're not alone in this - the new FAFSA system really seems to have created chaos for so many families. Has anyone found that certain times of day are better for getting through to financial aid offices? I'm wondering if calling first thing in the morning might be more successful than afternoons.

Just wanted to add another tip for anyone still struggling with this - if you're having trouble finding the college download status section, try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser entirely. I had the same issue where certain sections of the StudentAid.gov site weren't loading properly in Chrome, but worked fine in Firefox. Also, keep in mind that some colleges batch-download FAFSA data only once or twice a week rather than daily, so don't panic if a school hasn't accessed it immediately after your SAI was calculated. But definitely follow the advice others gave about calling if you're getting close to priority deadlines!

I went through this exact same frustration last month! After trying all the different methods mentioned here, I found that the most reliable approach is actually a combination. First, check the FAFSA portal using the steps Grace outlined (View FAFSA Status > View Processing Information > College Release Status), but then also call the financial aid offices directly for any schools showing as "not downloaded" within 10 days of your SAI being calculated. I learned the hard way that some schools have delays in their systems, and waiting too long can put you at risk for missing priority deadlines. Also, make sure to check if any of your daughter's colleges require additional forms beyond the FAFSA - some schools need CSS Profile or their own institutional aid applications, which have separate deadlines that might be even earlier than the FAFSA priority dates. One more tip: screenshot or print the college release status page when you find it, so you don't have to hunt through all those menus again!