As a newcomer here, I'm so grateful to find this discussion! My ex-husband and I are in the exact same boat with our daughter who's starting college this fall. We've been alternating tax years for about 6 years now, and I had absolutely no clue that wouldn't matter for FAFSA under these new rules. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both enlightening and a bit overwhelming. It sounds like we really need to sit down and calculate who actually provides more financial support, which is something we've never formally tracked. We've just naturally fallen into patterns where I handle certain expenses and he handles others. What I'm finding most helpful is everyone's emphasis on documentation and keeping detailed records going forward. The stories about verification processes taking months when you're not prepared definitely have me motivated to get organized now rather than scrambling later. One question I have after reading all these responses: For those who went through the expense calculation process, how did you handle shared costs like family vacations or big purchases that benefit your child? Did you split those 50/50 or assign them based on who actually paid? Thanks to everyone for sharing your real experiences - this community is already proving to be more helpful than hours of trying to decode the official FSA guidelines!

As someone new to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this discussion! My ex-wife and I have been alternating tax claims for our son for the past 5 years, and I was completely confused about how this would affect his FAFSA application for next year. After reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that I need to have that difficult conversation with my ex about who actually provides more financial support. We've been pretty informal about splitting expenses - I cover his health insurance, school fees, and most extracurricular costs, while she handles clothing, some food expenses, and entertainment. What really concerns me after reading these responses is the verification process. It sounds absolutely crucial to have documentation ready from the start rather than trying to piece everything together later if we get flagged. I'm definitely going to start tracking all expenses going forward using a spreadsheet approach like several of you suggested. One specific question: For those who calculated housing costs as part of support, how did you handle the situation where your child has bedrooms at both parents' homes? Did you count the full value of providing housing, or did you prorate it somehow based on time spent at each location? Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed, real-world experiences. This has been infinitely more helpful than trying to navigate the official FSA guidance alone!

I'm a newcomer here but this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently dealing with what appears to be the exact same issue - my daughter's SAI came back at $22,400 on our family income of $44,800, which seemed completely unrealistic. As a single parent working in education, I was devastated thinking we wouldn't qualify for any meaningful financial aid. After reading through all these detailed experiences, I'm now confident I made the classic primary residence mistake that so many families have encountered. When filling out the FAFSA asset section, I definitely included our home value (approximately $162k) because the questions really weren't clear about excluding your main residence. I honestly thought I was being thorough and accurate by reporting all our assets! It's both frustrating and reassuring to see how widespread this calculation error has become with the new FAFSA system. Frustrating that the form wasn't clearer about these exclusions, but incredibly reassuring to see so many successful corrections and understanding financial aid offices. I'm planning to submit my correction this evening and contact her target schools tomorrow morning to proactively explain the situation. Based on all the excellent advice shared throughout this thread, I'll make sure to carefully review every asset section and save all confirmation documentation. Thank you to everyone who has shared their stories, practical solutions, and encouragement - this community has provided such crucial support during what initially felt like a hopeless situation. I'll definitely post an update once we receive our corrected SAI numbers!

I'm a newcomer here but this entire thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm dealing with the exact same situation - my son's SAI came back at $31,800 on our family income of $49,200, which seemed absolutely impossible. I was honestly starting to lose hope thinking we'd never be able to make college work financially. After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm now pretty confident I made the same home value mistake. When the FAFSA asked about assets, I definitely included our primary residence (worth about $184k) because the questions really weren't clear about what should be excluded. I thought being thorough and reporting everything was the right approach! It's incredible to see how many families have successfully resolved this exact issue. The stories about SAI dropping by $20k+ once the home value gets corrected are giving me so much hope. I had no idea the primary residence was supposed to be excluded from FAFSA assets - that distinction really should have been clearer on the form. I'm submitting my correction tonight and will email his target schools first thing tomorrow to give them a heads up. Thank you all for sharing such detailed advice and encouragement - this community support has been amazing during what felt like an impossible situation. I'll definitely post an update once our corrected numbers come through!

Just wanted to add my voice to this incredibly helpful thread! I'm a parent helping my daughter navigate this process, and I was equally confused when we logged in and couldn't find the renewal option. We've been doing this for her older brother for the past few years, so I was sure I was missing something obvious. After reading through all these experiences, we tackled her 2025-2026 FAFSA yesterday evening around 8 PM. Here's what happened: - Her basic demographic info was pre-populated as expected - We had to re-enter all school codes (thankfully kept a list from her brother's applications) - The IRS data transfer worked smoothly on the first try - The new questions about family contributions were actually clearer than previous years - Total time: 35 minutes Her SAI came out about 25% lower than what we calculated her EFC would have been using the old formula, which was a pleasant surprise! Still trying to understand exactly how the new calculation works, but hoping this translates to better aid offers. For other parents feeling lost about this change - the process really isn't as daunting as it initially appears. The lack of clear communication from the Department of Education about removing the renewal button was frustrating, but the actual form completion was smoother than expected. Having all your documents ready beforehand definitely makes a difference! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community support made all the difference in our confidence level going into it!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who completed the 2025-2026 FAFSA earlier this week! I had the exact same moment of confusion when I logged in and couldn't find the renewal button - honestly thought the website was broken or I was in the wrong place somehow. After reading through all these helpful responses and taking the plunge with "start new form," here's how it went: - Basic info was already filled in (name, SSN, contact details) - Had to re-enter all my school codes, which was tedious but not terrible - IRS data transfer worked on the first try (did it Tuesday morning around 9 AM) - The new format questions were actually pretty straightforward - Total completion time: about 43 minutes Like many others have mentioned, my SAI came out lower than what my EFC was last year with similar family finances, so fingers crossed that means better aid eligibility! For anyone still hesitating - the anticipation anxiety is definitely worse than actually doing it. Just make sure you have your school codes ready and try to do it during off-peak hours like everyone suggests. This thread was honestly a lifesaver in helping me understand that the missing renewal button was intentional and not some technical glitch. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helped calm my nerves about the whole process!

I'm a first-year medical student and just went through this exact situation last year! The confusion is totally understandable - I spent weeks panicking that I'd filled something out wrong when I saw my negative SAI. Your daughter is definitely looking at old undergraduate information. When you have multiple FAFSA applications in the system, the dashboard can be really confusing about which results correspond to which school year and program level. For med school specifically, she'll want to focus on maximizing any institutional aid her school offers. At my school, they had a separate scholarship application that wasn't tied to FAFSA at all - it was based on essays, community service, and intended specialty. Some schools also offer tuition discounts for in-state students or have partnerships with local hospitals that provide funding. The debt is definitely scary, but most of my classmates have found the financial aid offices at medical schools to be incredibly helpful with creating realistic repayment plans. They understand the unique timeline of medical training (4 years school + 3-7 years residency) and can help map out strategies for different career paths. Best of luck to your daughter - medical school is an amazing journey and the financial piece will work itself out with proper planning!

I'm a parent who went through this exact same confusion two years ago when my son started dental school! The negative SAI threw us for a loop too - we kept thinking there must be some mistake with the application. What helped us tremendously was understanding that the negative SAI for graduate students is actually pretty meaningless in terms of actual aid eligibility. It's just an artifact of how the formula works when you have a student with minimal income and no parental contribution factored in. The real determining factors for graduate school aid are the federal loan limits and whatever institutional aid the school offers. One tip I'd add: have your daughter ask the medical school about their institutional work-study programs or research assistantships. While most med students can't work regular jobs during the academic year, some schools offer paid research positions or tutoring opportunities that can help offset living expenses without interfering with studies. Also, don't overlook external scholarship opportunities specifically for medical students. Organizations like the American Medical Association, specialty medical societies, and local medical foundations often have scholarships that aren't widely advertised. Your daughter's school's financial aid office should have a list of these opportunities. The whole process is overwhelming at first, but you'll get through it! The investment in her medical education will definitely pay off in the long run.

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm in a very similar situation - got accepted to a university but the costs are making me seriously reconsider community college. Reading through everyone's experiences has made me realize that transferring Pell Grant eligibility isn't nearly as complicated as I thought it would be. The consensus seems clear: add the CC school code to your FAFSA, contact the university to decline your aid package, wait a few days for processing, then work with the CC financial aid office. What really stands out to me is how many people mentioned getting additional institutional scholarships at their community colleges that they wouldn't have received at the 4-year schools. That's such an unexpected bonus! It's also reassuring to see financial aid professionals confirming that this is a common and smart transition. Thanks to everyone who shared their step-by-step processes - having these detailed roadmaps makes the whole thing feel so much more manageable!

I went through this exact same situation two years ago and can confirm everything everyone's saying - your Pell Grant absolutely transfers! The key thing that helped me was creating a timeline and checklist to stay organized through the process. I'd recommend: 1) Screenshot your current aid award for your records, 2) Add the CC school code to your FAFSA this week, 3) Call the university Monday to formally decline (get a confirmation number!), 4) Wait the full 5 business days before contacting the CC, and 5) Have your Social Security number and FAFSA ID ready when you call the CC. The waiting period between steps 3 and 4 is crucial - I learned that the hard way! Also, when I made the switch, I discovered my CC had a "Transfer Promise" program that guaranteed my credits would transfer to in-state universities, which actually put me ahead of where I would have been starting at the 4-year school. You're making such a smart financial decision - I graduated debt-free and landed the same job as my friends who went the traditional route but with $40K+ in loans. Best of luck with the process!