To clarify some confusion in this thread: 1. You submit one FAFSA application per family, not per student. Your twins will be listed on the same form. 2. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll use 2023 tax information (they always use tax info from two years prior). 3. Each student will receive their own individual SAI (Student Aid Index) score based on your family information and the specific schools they're attending. 4. For the transfer student, both schools need to be listed on the current year's FAFSA if she might attend either one, and definitely both schools need to be on next year's FAFSA. 5. Priority deadlines vary by school, so check each institution's financial aid website for their specific deadlines.

Correct! That's one of the benefits of the FAFSA using prior-prior year tax information. You can complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA right now using your already-filed 2023 tax information. No need to wait for your 2024 taxes. This is why it's best to file as early as possible - many state and institutional grants are first-come, first-served until funding runs out. The federal Pell Grant doesn't run out, but other aid types might if you wait too long. Also make sure both your FSA ID and your students' FSA IDs are current and that you can access them before starting the renewal process.

wait so do we need to keep hitting submit or just leave it alone now? im confused about what to do

UPDATE: Problem solved! For anyone else dealing with this issue: 1. My school confirmed they received my FAFSA despite the website glitch 2. I used Claimyr to finally speak with an FSA agent who confirmed my submission was complete 3. The agent said they're working on fixing the display bug but it might take another week So if you've submitted and got a confirmation email, you're probably fine even if the website looks broken. Just double-check with your school's financial aid office to be 100% sure. Thanks everyone for your help!

Financial aid administrator here. A few important points: 1. For FAFSA purposes, stepparents ARE included in the household regardless of tax filing status or legal guardianship. This is a common misunderstanding. 2. That said, maintaining genuine separate households SHOULD be considered during a professional judgment review. 3. The fact that they only asked for his name but used his income suggests they likely obtained it through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool or other database matching. 4. For 2023-2024 FAFSA, non-taxable income like survivor benefits IS still counted in the calculation (this changes with the 2024-2025 FAFSA). 5. The solution is to request a Professional Judgment review at your son's school. Only the school (not FAFSA itself) can adjust the calculations based on your special circumstances. 6. Bring documentation of separate households (utility bills, leases, etc.) and be prepared to explain why the stepparent's income should not be included.

Yes, that's correct. FAFSA rules consider your marital status first, then look at who lives in the household. The fact that you file taxes separately doesn't change the FAFSA treatment, unfortunately. The separate households is your strongest argument for a professional judgment review. One more thing to check: make sure the household size was reported correctly. If it was reported as smaller than it actually is, that could also artificially inflate the SAI.

One additional thing to be aware of: Even if you submitted early, schools won't receive your FAFSA information until after the December 1st official processing date. So if you're contacting any schools about your financial aid package, they won't have your data yet even though you've submitted.

Just to close the loop on this thread - the original poster should be absolutely fine if they received a 2025-2026 confirmation email. The Department of Education does sometimes allow early submissions through their system testing phases. Your application is valid, you don't need to resubmit, but processing won't begin until after the official December 1st launch date. Just make sure to check your studentaid.gov account after that date to confirm everything is still showing as properly submitted.

ppl always blame students for these mistakes but the system is literally designed to be confusing af. why wouldn't summer 2024 be covered by the 2024-2025 FAFSA?? that makes logical sense! but nooooo gotta make it complicated

Update us after you speak with your financial aid office! If they say you needed the 2023-2024 FAFSA for summer and their deadline has passed, ask specifically about: 1) Late FAFSA exceptions, 2) Summer-specific scholarships, 3) Payment plans, and 4) Emergency aid funds. Many schools have emergency funds for students who otherwise couldn't afford to continue their education.