I'm a newcomer to this community and going through my first FAFSA experience with my daughter! This thread has been incredibly enlightening - I had so many of the same questions that have already been answered here. As a stay-at-home parent for the past 7 years, I was really worried about whether I was handling the parent information correctly. One additional tip I'd like to share for other newcomers: I found it helpful to do a "practice run" by looking at the FAFSA website's demo version before actually starting our real application. It gave me a good sense of what information I'd need to gather ahead of time without the pressure of making actual submissions. Also, for anyone feeling overwhelmed by this process - you're not alone! This community seems incredibly supportive and knowledgeable. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and advice. It's made what felt like an impossible task seem much more manageable!

As someone who just went through this exact situation with my son's FAFSA this year, I can definitely confirm that both parents must provide information even if one doesn't work! I've been a stay-at-home parent for 8 years, and initially I thought I could just skip the sections that didn't apply to me - big mistake! Here's what I wish I had known from the start: yes, you'll put zeros for income fields, but you absolutely need your own FSA ID and must provide all your personal information. That inheritance you mentioned definitely needs to be reported as an asset. I made the error of thinking "well, I didn't earn it through work" but the FAFSA looks at ALL family resources regardless of source. One thing that really helped me was organizing everything beforehand: both parents' SSNs, our joint tax return, all bank statements, and any investment/asset documentation. The actual form completion went much smoother once I had everything in one place. Don't stress too much - you can always make corrections later if needed, and the financial aid offices are usually very helpful if you have questions specific to your situation!

This has been such a helpful discussion! I'm also navigating FAFSA with a blended family situation. One additional thing I wanted to mention that helped us - when we were gathering documentation for our professional judgment appeal, we also included a sworn affidavit that I wrote detailing the absent parent's lack of involvement and financial support. Our financial aid counselor said it was really helpful to have everything in one clear document rather than scattered pieces of evidence. I basically outlined the timeline of when contact stopped, confirmed there was no child support, and included details about being the sole provider for housing, medical care, education expenses, etc. Also, for anyone worried about the impact of a new spouse's income - while it's true that it can reduce aid eligibility, remember that you're also gaining a second potential income source for college expenses. It's not ideal from an aid perspective, but the overall family financial capacity does increase, which is partly why the FAFSA includes stepparent income. Still frustrating though when you're in that transition period!

As someone who works with families on college planning, I wanted to add a few practical tips for your situation. Since you're getting married in February 2025 and filing FAFSA in fall 2025, consider having a conversation with your new spouse about college financial planning early in your relationship. Even though his income will count toward the FAFSA calculation, you'll want to discuss how college costs will actually be handled - will it be a shared responsibility, or will you continue to be the primary financial provider for your daughter's education? Also, I'd suggest creating a simple spreadsheet to track all the support you've provided for your daughter over the years (housing, medical, educational expenses, etc.). This documentation could be invaluable if you need to request professional judgment later. And don't forget to check if your daughter qualifies for any merit-based scholarships that aren't tied to financial need - these can help offset any reduction in need-based aid. One last thing: consider running some preliminary financial aid calculators on college websites using both your current single-parent income and your projected married household income. This will give you a rough idea of the potential impact and help you set realistic expectations for your daughter's college search.

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to echo how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm also navigating this process for the first time with my son who's a senior, and I've been having the exact same anxieties about FAFSA timing and merit scholarships. What's been most eye-opening is learning that merit scholarships are generally awarded based on academic achievements during the admissions process, independent of FAFSA submission timing. However, I'm definitely taking note of all the examples where schools have specific requirements or where FAFSA completion can actually enhance merit awards through those "need-aware" programs. The clarification about FAFSA using 2023 tax information rather than current bank balances is such a relief! I've been stressing about the same holiday spending impact that the original poster mentioned. I'm also really grateful for all the practical advice about creating tracking spreadsheets, calling financial aid offices directly, and checking each school's specific deadlines. The tip about mid-morning calls on Tuesday-Thursday is particularly helpful! One thing I'm wondering: for those who have successfully navigated this process, did you find it helpful to follow up via email after phone calls to confirm important details, or do financial aid offices generally prefer to communicate just by phone? I want to make sure I have documentation of any important information they share about deadlines or requirements. Thank you to everyone for creating such a supportive and informative discussion - this community is exactly what stressed parents like us need!

As a newcomer to this community, I have to say this thread has been absolutely life-saving! I'm also a first-time college parent with a daughter who's a senior, and I've been having the exact same panic about FAFSA timing potentially affecting merit scholarships. What's been most reassuring is learning from everyone's experiences that merit scholarships are typically awarded based on academic achievements during admissions review, not FAFSA completion timing. However, I'm definitely taking note of all the important exceptions people have shared - like schools that require FAFSA for certain merit programs or those "need-aware" scholarships that can actually increase with demonstrated need. The clarification about FAFSA using 2023 tax information rather than current bank balances is HUGE! I've been losing sleep over the same holiday spending concerns, thinking December vs January submission would affect our financial picture. I'm planning to implement all the great advice shared here: creating that tracking spreadsheet, calling each school's financial aid office directly for specific requirements, and checking state aid deadlines too. The tips about optimal calling times (mid-morning, Tuesday-Thursday) and asking for email confirmations are so practical! One question I have: for schools that do have merit scholarships requiring FAFSA completion, is there typically a grace period if you submit slightly after their stated deadline, or are these deadlines absolutely firm? I'm wondering if I should prioritize certain schools over others if I can't get everything completed simultaneously. Thank you to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this community has provided more clarity than months of official resources!

Just wanted to add that as a newcomer to this community, reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation to Luca - starting a healthcare program soon and worried about loan repayment. It's really reassuring to see actual numbers and experiences from people who've been through this process. The breakdown of $250-300 monthly payments for $24k in loans sounds so much more manageable than the horror stories you hear. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences and practical advice - this thread should be bookmarked for anyone starting their FAFSA journey!

As someone new to this community and just starting to research student loans, this entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea there were so many different repayment options available. The income-driven repayment plans sound like a real lifesaver for new graduates who might not land high-paying jobs right away. I'm curious - for those who mentioned the SAVE plan, how difficult is the application process? And does anyone know if you can switch between repayment plans if your financial situation changes after you start working? It sounds like there's a lot more flexibility in the federal loan system than I originally thought. Thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences - it's making this whole process feel a lot less intimidating!

Wow, this thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my FAFSA shows "processed successfully" but also says corrections are needed with zero specifics. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the new system is really struggling with tiny formatting inconsistencies that wouldn't have been issues before. I'm going to systematically check all the things mentioned here - name formatting consistency, household vs college student counts, address formatting, and ID information. It's ridiculous that we have to play detective to figure out what's wrong with our own applications! Thanks to everyone for sharing their solutions, especially @Anastasia Fedorov for the detailed update. Going to try that Claimyr service if I can't resolve it myself in the next day or two.

As someone who just went through this nightmare myself last month, I can't stress enough how important it is to check EVERY single detail for consistency across all sections. The new FAFSA system is incredibly sensitive to even the tiniest discrepancies. Beyond what others have mentioned, also check if your school codes are still correct - sometimes they get accidentally removed during corrections. And if you have any assets or investments reported, make sure those numbers are exactly the same in all places they appear. I also learned that if you're using the DRT (Data Retrieval Tool) for taxes, sometimes it pulls slightly different formatting than what you manually entered elsewhere. The system treats these as "errors" even though they're technically the same information. It's absolutely maddening that they don't just tell us what's wrong, but persistence really does pay off. Don't give up!