This is such a helpful thread! I'm a sophomore who just went through verification last semester, and I wanted to add one more tip that really helped me. When you're gathering your documents, also grab your Social Security Administration benefit statement (if applicable) and any records of untaxed income like child support or veterans benefits. My verification got delayed because I forgot to include documentation for some untaxed income that was on my original FAFSA. The financial aid office had to request additional documents, which added another 2 weeks to the process. It's better to bring everything upfront even if they don't end up needing it all. Also, definitely follow up regularly but be patient with the staff - they're usually dealing with hundreds of these cases during peak season. Good luck with your verification!

I went through a similar situation last year and want to share what worked for me! The key thing that saved me time was calling my school's financial aid office BEFORE submitting any corrections online. They were able to tell me exactly which documents they'd need for verification and gave me a checklist to follow. This prevented me from having to make multiple trips or submit additional paperwork later. Also, when you do correct your FAFSA, take screenshots of every page showing your corrected information - my counselor said this helps them process things faster since they can see exactly what changed. The verification process is stressful but definitely manageable if you stay organized and communicate proactively with your school. You've got this!

btw dont stress too much about this, schools deal with this stuff ALL THE TIME. my financial aid officer literally laughed when i was panicking about it and said they see multiple cases every single day with name changes, marriage changes, etc. they have standard procedures for handling it

I completely understand your stress about this situation! As someone who works in financial aid, I want to reassure you that you're handling this exactly right by planning ahead. The key points everyone has mentioned are spot-on: 1. Use your stepmom's current legal name (as it appears on her Social Security card) on the FAFSA 2. Be prepared that the IRS Data Retrieval Tool may not work due to the name mismatch - you'll likely need to manually enter tax information 3. Proactively contact your financial aid office to explain the situation and ask about their specific documentation requirements One thing I'd add: keep copies of EVERYTHING - marriage certificate, tax returns, any correspondence with your financial aid office. Having organized documentation ready will speed up the process if you're selected for verification. The good news is that schools are very familiar with these situations, especially with all the FAFSA changes this year. Your proactive approach will actually make their job easier, and most financial aid offices appreciate students who communicate early about potential complications. You've got this! The fact that you're asking these questions now rather than after submission shows you're being responsible about the process.

This thread is so helpful! I'm in a similar boat - submitted my FAFSA 4 weeks ago and it's still stuck in processing hell. Reading through everyone's experiences gives me hope that there are actual solutions. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service tomorrow and also call my school's financial aid office to ask about their FAFSA delay policy. It's reassuring to know that schools are being more flexible this year because of all the system issues. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community is a lifesaver when you're dealing with financial aid stress!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My FAFSA has been processing for almost 3 weeks and I was getting so anxious about my upcoming deadlines. This thread is honestly a huge relief - I had no idea so many other students were dealing with identical issues. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that several people mentioned since waiting on hold for hours just to get disconnected is driving me crazy. I'm also planning to call my school's financial aid office tomorrow to ask about their FAFSA delay policies and see if they can work with me on a provisional aid package. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - it's so helpful to know there are actual steps we can take instead of just waiting helplessly!

UPDATE: I called FSA today and finally got through after trying multiple times. They confirmed it's a calculation error on their end and are doing a "SAI reconciliation" between the two applications. The agent said this has been happening a lot with the new system and they've had to do manual corrections. Thanks everyone for your help - especially for confirming I was right about the grad student question. The representative said it should be fixed within 5-7 business days and both kids should end up with the lower SAI number (16,000).

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with something similar - my twins' SAIs are off by about 3,000 points even though I used identical information. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like this is definitely a system issue with the new FAFSA rather than user error. I'm going to call FSA tomorrow and specifically ask for an "SAI calculation reconciliation" like Andre suggested. It's frustrating that we have to deal with these glitches during such an important process, but at least there seems to be a solution. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this gives me hope that it can be fixed!

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with this exact same issue! Just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their experiences - I was completely panicked when I saw those bank account questions pop up. Like many of you, I immediately thought it might be a scam or that I was on the wrong website. It's such a relief to know this is legitimate, even though I'm still not thrilled about having to provide this information. The lack of clear communication from the Department of Education about this change has been really frustrating. I wish they had sent out notifications or updated their guidance materials to let families know what to expect. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to call and verify - it's saved the rest of us a lot of stress and confusion!

I'm new to this community and just went through this exact same experience! I was filling out my 2025-2026 FAFSA yesterday and completely freaked out when I saw the bank account questions. Like so many others here, I thought it was a scam or that I had somehow ended up on a fake website. I actually closed the browser and started over three times because I was so suspicious! This thread has been a lifesaver - thank you to everyone who took the time to call and verify this information. It's really frustrating that the Department of Education didn't do a better job communicating this major change to families. A simple email or announcement on their website would have saved so many of us from this confusion and stress. I'm still not comfortable sharing my bank information, but at least now I know it's legitimate and I can move forward with my application.