Just wanted to add my experience here - I was in the exact same boat last year! I panicked thinking the CSS Profile would hurt my chances because it shows so much more detail about our finances. But honestly, it ended up helping me get MORE aid at my private colleges. The key thing everyone's saying is right - you NEED both forms. FAFSA gets you federal aid (which is huge - Pell Grants, subsidized loans, etc.) and CSS Profile helps private schools give you their institutional money. Don't worry about being "too transparent" - financial aid offices want to help students who need aid. The extra info in CSS Profile can actually work in your favor if you have special circumstances. I got much better packages from schools that used CSS Profile than from ones that only used FAFSA. Get that FAFSA done ASAP though! You're missing out on potentially thousands in federal aid without it.

Don't stress too much about being "too transparent" with your finances! I was in a similar situation and worried that the CSS Profile would hurt my aid chances because it digs so deep into family assets. But here's what I learned: many private schools have MUCH better aid packages than you'd expect, and they use that detailed CSS info to actually help students in unique situations. The bottom line everyone's hitting on is absolutely correct - you need BOTH forms. FAFSA is non-negotiable for federal aid (Pell Grants alone can be worth thousands), and CSS Profile unlocks institutional aid at private colleges that often have huge endowments to help students. I'd recommend getting your FAFSA submitted immediately since you're already behind on that. The CSS Profile work you've done isn't wasted at all - it's going to open doors to aid you wouldn't get otherwise. You didn't make a mistake by being thorough with your financial info!

everyone saying call the fafsa people but omg their phone system is THE WORST. i spent 3 days trying to get through. finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and got through in like 15 mins. worth it cuz i was losing my mind with the hold music lol

A follow-up on the process: if your application has already been processed and generated an SAI, making corrections will trigger a recalculation. It's important to note that all schools you listed on your FAFSA will automatically receive the updated information once corrections are processed. However, as another commenter suggested, it's still good practice to contact your schools' financial aid offices to ensure they're aware of the pending correction. For your specific errors: - The income correction from $87k to $78k could significantly impact your aid eligibility - The tax return status is less critical as long as the income figures are accurate The most important thing is to address this quickly, whether that means catching it before processing completes or making corrections immediately after.

I'm dealing with almost the identical situation! My SAI went from around 800 to over 10K even though my mom took a major pay cut this year. I've been researching like crazy and found that the formula now treats parent income and assets totally differently than before. Apparently they changed how they calculate the "income protection allowance" and adjusted how they assess different types of assets. I'm going to submit a special circumstances form to all my schools this week. One financial aid officer told me they're seeing tons of these cases and are prepared to make adjustments. Fingers crossed for both of us!

I'm going through something similar but not quite as extreme - my SAI went from 2,400 to 6,800 even though our income stayed roughly the same. What I learned from talking to my school's financial aid office is that the new formula counts assets differently and has different income brackets. They told me that even families with the same income can see very different SAI results compared to previous years because of how the calculations changed. The good news is that schools are definitely prepared for these situations and have been doing lots of professional judgment adjustments this year. Start gathering all your documentation about your dad's unemployment now - pay stubs, termination letter, unemployment benefits info, anything that shows the income change. Most schools want to see current income projections too, so if you can estimate what your family will actually earn this year versus what's on your taxes, that helps a lot. Don't wait - some schools have deadlines for these appeals!

For those still confused about how activities relate to college funding: 1. Federal aid (determined by FAFSA/SAI) - Based ONLY on financial information 2. Institutional aid - Can be need-based, merit-based, or both 3. Private scholarships - Often consider academics AND activities This is why tracking extracurriculars matters for financial aid broadly speaking, even though it doesn't impact your FAFSA results specifically. Students with significant activities may qualify for merit scholarships that reduce their overall cost, sometimes dramatically. As for resources, the Federal Student Aid website (studentaid.gov) has guides for middle and high school students. The FAFSA in 7 project also provides materials specifically designed for middle schoolers.

This thread is so helpful! As someone just starting to navigate this with my 8th grader, I'm realizing we need to get organized NOW. Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like I should: 1. Start a spreadsheet tracking ALL her activities, volunteer hours, and leadership roles 2. Understand that FAFSA = federal aid based on finances only 3. Research merit scholarships early since those DO care about extracurriculars 4. Look into whether her target schools use CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA Is there a good resource for finding out which schools require CSS Profile? And should we be thinking about specific types of volunteer work that scholarship committees prefer, or is any documented service equally valuable? Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice schools should be providing but clearly aren't!

He can complete the FAFSA before applying to colleges. When filling out the FAFSA, he'll list all the schools he's considering, and the information will be sent to them. He can add or remove schools later if his plans change. What's most important is getting that application in early, especially with his special circumstances.

As a financial aid officer, I want to emphasize that dependency overrides are absolutely possible in your situation, but documentation is key. In addition to what others have mentioned, consider getting a letter from your grandson's pediatrician or any healthcare provider who has treated him over the years - they can verify the long-term care relationship. Also, if there are any school records showing you listed as the emergency contact or guardian over the years, those help establish the pattern of care. The fact that you've raised him for 17+ years with zero parental contact is actually a very strong case for independence. Don't let the temporary custody aspect discourage you - courts recognize these arrangements as valid care situations.