UPDATE: Thank you all for the advice! I ended up using my phone's data connection to complete the online FAFSA. It took about an hour but I got it done and received my confirmation email right away. My SAI calculation came through two days later. So glad I didn't attempt the paper version after hearing all your experiences!

That's awesome that you got it sorted out! The mobile FAFSA experience has really improved over the last couple years. For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues - Harold's solution of using mobile data is probably the easiest workaround. Also wanted to mention that many libraries have dedicated FAFSA help sessions during peak filing season if you need in-person assistance with the online version. Way better than dealing with paper forms!

I procrastinated on my FAFSA last year too and it turned out fine! Just submitted late and still got my full Pell Grant and everything. Don't listen to the people saying you've missed out on all the money - that's not how federal aid works. Just get it done now and you'll be fine. Good luck!

Hey Anastasia! Fellow procrastinator here and I totally get the overwhelm. I just submitted mine last week after putting it off for months too 😅 Here's what actually helped me get through it: 1. Don't try to be perfect on the first go - you can always make corrections later if needed 2. The "Save" button is your friend - use it every few questions so you don't lose progress 3. If you get stuck on a question, there are little "?" help icons next to most fields that actually explain things pretty clearly 4. For the stepdad question you asked earlier - yes, you'll need his info too since your mom is married to him now (learned this the hard way!) The thing that really got me moving was realizing that even if I missed some state deadlines, federal aid is still available and many schools have rolling admissions for institutional aid. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good - just get it submitted! You've got this! And honestly, once you start clicking through it's way less scary than it seems in your head. The anticipation is always worse than the actual thing.

@original poster - You mentioned this is your first time applying on your own. Here's a timeline to help you understand what happens after your FAFSA shows "PROCESSED": 1. FAFSA processing complete (where you are now) 2. Data sent to schools you listed on your FAFSA 3. Schools determine if they need verification documents 4. Schools calculate your financial aid package 5. Aid offers sent out (usually March-April for most schools) From this point forward, most of your communications will come directly from schools, not from studentaid.gov. Each school has its own timeline and communication methods.

Just wanted to add one more tip for anyone in a similar situation - if you're really anxious about whether everything is correct, you can also check with your high school guidance counselor if you're still a senior. Even though you're doing this on your own now, most counselors are happy to do a quick review of your FAFSA status and help you understand what to look for. They see this stuff all the time and can often spot issues you might miss. My counselor caught a mistake in my parent tax info that I totally overlooked, even after I thought everything was perfect!

Just wanted to chime in as someone new to this whole FAFSA world - my daughter is a junior in high school and I'm trying to wrap my head around all this financial aid stuff before we have to file next year. Reading your story gives me so much hope! I'm also a single parent (divorced last year) working in education, so it sounds like we're in very similar situations. It's really encouraging to see that the system actually does work to help families like ours. I had no idea that divorce could impact the SAI calculation so dramatically, but it makes total sense when you explain it. Thank you for sharing your experience and congratulations on the great news for your son! This community has been such a lifesaver for learning about all these processes.

This is such great news and really encouraging to read! As someone who's just starting to navigate the financial aid world (my kid is a sophomore), I had no idea that major life changes like divorce could have such a positive impact on aid eligibility. It's honestly refreshing to hear a story where the system actually worked in favor of a hardworking single parent rather than against them. Your experience gives me hope that there really are safety nets in place for families going through tough transitions. Congratulations on the 0 SAI - your son is so lucky to have such a dedicated parent looking out for his education!

As someone who just went through this exact same process with my twin daughters, I can definitely relate to the confusion! Both of my girls work part-time jobs and made between $6,000-$8,500 last year. I was initially worried about the same thing - it felt like the FAFSA was ignoring their income entirely. But after speaking with a financial aid counselor at our local community college, I learned that the new system is actually much more student-friendly than the old one. The student income protection allowance is higher now, and like others have mentioned, only income above that threshold gets assessed at 50%. What really helped me was realizing that for dependent students, parent income and assets are weighted much more heavily in the SAI calculation than student income. So even if your son's $8,200 does have a small impact, it's likely to be under $300 total effect on his aid eligibility. The stress of not knowing is definitely worse than the actual financial impact!

I'm going through this exact situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! My son is 20, still my dependent, and made about $8,900 last year from his retail job. I had the same panic when I filled out the FAFSA - it felt like they were completely ignoring his income and I was convinced I had done something wrong. After reading all these responses about the student income protection allowance and how the IRS Data Retrieval Tool works, I finally understand why the form focuses so heavily on parent information. It's because that's what actually drives the calculation for dependent students! Based on what everyone is saying, it sounds like only about $1,300 of his income would even be above the protection threshold, so maybe $650 total impact on his SAI. That's so much better than I was fearing! Thank you all for explaining this - I was literally losing sleep over whether I had messed up his financial aid chances.