Yes, definitely talk to your high school counselor! Many high schools have FAFSA completion events specifically to help with these situations. They often have direct contacts at the Federal Student Aid office too. Also - very important - when completing the FAFSA (paper or online), make absolutely sure you're entering the correct Alien Registration Numbers (A-Numbers) if your parents have them, even if they don't have SSNs. This can make a huge difference in processing time.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago! My parents are permanent residents but didn't have SSNs at the time. Here's what worked for me: First, try the online FAFSA one more time with the A-Numbers like Oliver mentioned - that's KEY! When you get to the parent section, look for "My parent does not have an SSN" checkbox rather than trying to enter zeros. If online still doesn't work, the paper route is totally legitimate. I actually did mine on paper and it took about 4 weeks to process, but I got all my aid. Just make sure to: - Use the current 2025-26 FAFSA form - Enter 000-00-0000 for parent SSNs - Include A-Numbers if they have them - Double-check all income information - Send certified mail with tracking Don't panic about the 3-week deadline - most state aid programs have some flexibility if you can show proof of submission. Call your state's student aid office to let them know your situation. They deal with this all the time and are usually understanding about processing delays for mixed-status families. You've got this! The system is confusing but thousands of students in your situation get their aid every year.

For everyone who helped resolve this issue - thank you for sharing your solutions. For those still struggling, please remember that this technical problem has been officially acknowledged by the Department of Education. They've issued guidance to colleges that students facing this specific issue should not be penalized for late submission. I recommend every affected student: 1. Keep detailed records of all submission attempts 2. Email their intended colleges' financial aid offices with documentation 3. Follow up weekly until resolution 4. Consider filing a complaint through the FSA Feedback System This situation is frustrating but solvable. Don't let a technical glitch stand between you and your college education!

As someone who just went through this nightmare process last month, I want to add that if you're still having issues, try clearing your browser cache and cookies completely before attempting the FAFSA again. I know it sounds basic, but the new system has serious session management problems that cause weird errors. Also, try using a different browser entirely - I had to switch from Chrome to Firefox to get past the contributor section. One more tip: if your school has a financial aid workshop or drop-in hours tomorrow, GO! Even though the deadline passed, most aid offices are extending deadlines for students who can prove they attempted submission due to technical issues. Bring printed screenshots of every error message you encountered. You've got this - don't let a broken website system keep you from your education!

my cousin works in rutgers financial aid office (not supposed to tell anyone lol) and she said theyre SWAMPED because the new FAFSA system sent them data in a format their software cant read properly. theyre literally having to manually review thousands of applications!!! she said absolutely call and be polite but persistent.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! My daughter applied to Rutgers and several other schools, and we've heard back from everyone except Rutgers. It's so stressful trying to make decisions without knowing what kind of aid package they'll offer. What's really frustrating is that when I called last week, they couldn't even tell me if our FAFSA was in their system at all - just that they're "still processing applications from the Department of Education." Meanwhile, Montclair State and Stockton both sent aid letters weeks ago using the same FAFSA data! I'm going to try calling again this week and ask the specific questions people have mentioned here about whether they can at least see our FAFSA in their system. Fingers crossed we all hear something soon - this waiting is killing me!

Have you considered working out an arrangement with your ex where you alternate years for claiming your daughter? That way you both get tax benefits in different years. My ex and I do this - I claim our son on even years, he claims him on odd years. We put it in our custody agreement to make it official. For FAFSA, just make sure you're consistent about household size and can document the living arrangement if needed.

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I want to echo what others have said about documentation being key. I let my daughter's father claim her on taxes while I included her in my FAFSA household size, and it worked out fine - but I was prepared. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also consider the timing. If you're filing for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll be using your 2023 tax information. Make sure whatever arrangement you make with your ex is consistent with how you plan to handle future years too. Also, don't stress too much about verification - only about 30% of students get selected. But if you do, having a paper trail makes all the difference. I kept a simple log showing which days my daughter was with me vs. her dad, along with receipts for her expenses. It was tedious but worth it for peace of mind. The financial aid office at your community college should also be able to give you guidance specific to their processes if you run into any issues!

Update on timelines since you asked: For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, current processing times for international mailed signature pages are running about 3-4 weeks from receipt (not counting mail time). This is longer than usual because of all the issues with the new FAFSA rollout. Here's what I recommend for your situation specifically: 1. Complete the online portion of the FAFSA immediately (tonight if possible) 2. Use DHL/FedEx/UPS for the signature page - NOT regular mail 3. Select the "tracking" option and pay for the fastest service you can afford 4. Email each school's financial aid office with the tracking number once sent 5. Follow up with schools weekly until you confirm they've processed your application One small silver lining: For some schools, international students who demonstrate financial need sometimes have access to specialized funding sources that aren't as time-sensitive as the general financial aid pool. Make sure to ask each school specifically about this possibility.

Isabella, I completely understand your panic - I went through this exact situation last year when my daughter applied from Dubai! The stress is real, but you CAN get this done. A few additional tips that haven't been mentioned yet: **For FSA ID verification without SSN:** When you create your FSA ID as a non-SSN parent, you'll get an email confirmation immediately, but your account will show "pending verification" until they receive your signature page. Your daughter can still start and complete most of the FAFSA while your verification is pending. **Banking information:** Make sure you have your Singapore bank account details ready in the exact format the FAFSA expects. International account numbers sometimes cause system errors, so have screenshots of your bank statements showing the account number formatting. **Emergency contact strategy:** Create a Google doc with all your FAFSA information (FSA IDs, confirmation numbers, tracking numbers, etc.) that you can access from anywhere. Share it with a trusted family member in the US who can help follow up with schools if needed. **Time zone advantage:** Use Singapore's time zone to your advantage! When US financial aid offices open (their morning), it's evening for you. Plan to be available for phone calls during their business hours. You mentioned March 1st and 10th deadlines - if you start the FSA IDs tonight, you can realistically have the online portion submitted by this weekend. The physical signature will arrive later, but as others mentioned, most schools work with you on this timing. You've got this! The fact that you're being so proactive already puts you ahead of many applicants.