UPDATE: We figured it out! My son logged into studentaid.gov with his FSA ID, clicked on "Manage My FAFSA" then selected "Edit FAFSA Form." He was able to add the new college without removing his current one. The new school should receive his information within 3-5 business days according to the confirmation page. We've also emailed both financial aid offices to inform them of the transfer. Thanks to everyone for your helpful advice!

Glad you got it sorted out! One more tip for anyone else reading this thread - make sure your son keeps screenshots of the confirmation page showing both schools were successfully added. I learned this the hard way when there was a system glitch that removed one of my daughter's schools and we had no proof it was ever added. Having that documentation saved us weeks of back-and-forth with the financial aid offices. Also, consider setting a calendar reminder to check both schools' aid portals in about 10 days to confirm they've received and processed his updated FAFSA information.

One more important tip - when creating your FSA ID as the parent contributor, use a different email address than your student used. The system requires unique emails for each account. Also, keep track of your FSA ID username and password - you'll need it again next year and for any corrections.

Congratulations on getting through the process! This thread has been so helpful - I'm bookmarking it for other parents who are struggling with the same confusion. The FAFSA website really needs to clarify their instructions because the mixed messaging about one vs. two parent accounts is causing so much unnecessary stress. For anyone else reading this: the key takeaway is that married parents filing jointly only need ONE contributor account, but you'll enter information for both parents during the process. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences!

One more important tip: When you submit your special circumstances documentation, include a clear month-by-month breakdown showing your projected income with and without the child support. Make it as simple as possible for the financial aid officers to understand the exact impact. Many schools have specific forms for this, but if they don't, create your own spreadsheet showing: - 2023 income including child support (FAFSA baseline) - 2025 projected income after child support ends - The percentage decrease in total income This makes it much easier for them to adjust your SAI appropriately and can speed up the review process considerably.

I'm in almost the exact same situation! My child support ends in June when my daughter turns 18, but I had to report the full 2023 amount on our FAFSA. Reading through all these comments has been so helpful - I had no idea about the special circumstances appeals process. It's frustrating that this isn't explained anywhere obvious when you're filling out the FAFSA. I'm definitely going to contact her schools right after we submit to ask about their specific forms for income adjustments. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver for navigating this confusing process!

UPDATE: I just tried using the correction process I described earlier today, and it seems like there's some maintenance happening on studentaid.gov. If you get an error message, try again tomorrow. Sometimes they do overnight updates to the system and it causes temporary glitches.

That's great news that you were able to add ASU's school code! Just as a heads up for anyone else reading this thread - even though you missed ASU's priority deadline, don't give up hope. Many schools have rolling admissions for financial aid, and you might still qualify for federal aid (Pell Grant, student loans) and some institutional scholarships. Also, make sure to check if ASU has any emergency or late-application funds available. Some schools set aside money specifically for students who run into FAFSA processing issues. Good luck with your financial aid package!

I'm a financial aid counselor and see this mistake constantly! You're absolutely right to be concerned, but this is definitely fixable. Here's what I recommend: 1. Call FSA at 1-800-433-3243 early morning (they open at 8am EST) - shortest wait times 2. Have your FSA ID, daughter's FSA ID, and FAFSA confirmation number ready 3. Specifically say "I need to correct investment reporting - I mistakenly included retirement accounts" Meanwhile, contact each school's financial aid office immediately. Email them explaining the error and attach: - Screenshot of your retirement account statements showing account types - Written explanation of the mistake - Request for professional judgment consideration Most schools will put a hold on aid processing while this gets resolved. The key is acting fast - don't wait for FSA to fix it before contacting schools, do both simultaneously. This won't affect your daughter's eligibility once corrected, but time is critical for meeting aid deadlines. You've got this!

I'm going through something similar right now! Made the same retirement account mistake on my son's FAFSA and have been trying to get through to FSA for days. Reading through all these responses is so helpful - I had no idea I could contact the schools directly with documentation while waiting for the FSA correction. One thing I learned from calling my state's financial aid office is that they recommended keeping a detailed log of every attempt to reach FSA (date, time, how long you waited) because it shows good faith effort to correct the error if there are any deadline issues later. Also @AstroAlpha thank you for that detailed breakdown - I'm copying your email template approach for contacting the schools. It's so stressful when you realize you've made a mistake that could cost thousands in aid!