This is such valuable information! I'm in a similar situation with my son who's a sophomore in high school - his great-grandfather set up a UTMA account that now has about $8,000 in it. Reading through all these responses, I'm realizing I need to start planning NOW rather than waiting until his senior year. The idea of spreading out educational expenses over multiple years is brilliant. I think I'll talk to the custodian about using some funds for SAT prep, a better laptop for his coursework, and maybe some dual enrollment courses. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is going to save us from making the same mistakes!

As someone who works in financial aid administration, I want to emphasize a few key points that have been touched on but are worth repeating clearly: 1) UTMA/UGMA accounts are ALWAYS student assets on FAFSA, regardless of who the custodian is - this is federal law, not negotiable. 2) The 20% assessment rate means $14,300 would increase your SAI by approximately $2,860, which could significantly impact aid eligibility. 3) Spending down these accounts on legitimate educational expenses BEFORE filing FAFSA is completely legal and ethical when done properly through the custodian. 4) For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, report the account balance as of the day you submit your application - so timing matters if you're planning to spend some funds first. One additional strategy to consider: if your daughter has any educational expenses this spring (books for dual enrollment, computer equipment, etc.), those could be paid from the UTMA account now to reduce the reportable balance. Just make sure grandmother approves all expenditures since she's still the custodian. Good luck navigating this - it's a common situation that catches many families off guard!

Hannah, as someone new to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm not dealing with VA benefits myself, but watching how everyone came together to help you navigate this confusing situation really shows what a supportive space this is. The separation between VA benefits and FAFSA systems seems like such a design flaw - it's crazy that two federal programs don't communicate with each other at all. But it sounds like you've gotten amazing guidance from people who actually know the ins and outs of the system. I'm particularly impressed by how many practical details people shared - things like the "VA pending" policies, keeping records for next year's FAFSA, and even summer enrollment options. These are exactly the kinds of real-world tips that official websites never mention but can make or break your experience. Best of luck with your VA Form 22-5490 application and the whole certification process! I hope you'll come back and let us know how it all works out. Threads like this are so valuable for future students who will inevitably face the same confusion. Thanks for asking the question that led to such an informative discussion! 🎓

Hannah, I'm new to this community but wanted to jump in because I went through something very similar with my Chapter 35 benefits! Reading your original post brought back all the confusion and stress I felt when my aid package didn't show any VA benefits either. Everyone here has given you absolutely fantastic advice - the separation between VA and FAFSA systems is SO poorly explained to students and families. What really helped me was creating a simple tracking document with all my important dates and deadlines once I started the process. I tracked when I submitted my 22-5490, when I contacted the school's Veterans Services office, expected processing times, etc. It helped me stay on top of everything when there were so many moving pieces. One thing I'd add that I learned the hard way: when you do get your Certificate of Eligibility, take a photo or scan it before you bring it to your school's Veterans Services office. I had a minor panic when I thought they had lost mine (they hadn't, but it was temporarily misplaced), and having that digital backup gave me peace of mind. The monthly payments really are a game-changer once everything gets set up! And you're asking all the right questions - you're going to navigate this just fine. This community has been such a great resource for so many students dealing with these kinds of confusing financial aid situations. Welcome to the group! 😊

This thread has become an absolute masterclass in community problem-solving! As someone who just successfully completed my daughter's FAFSA after being stuck in the verification loop for 12 days, I can confirm that the comprehensive approach outlined here WORKS. Here's what finally worked for us: 1. Created a completely new Gmail account (not just for the application, but for the FSA ID itself) 2. Used Edge in InPrivate mode with ALL extensions disabled (including built-in ones) 3. Attempted at 5:30 AM when servers were less loaded 4. Manually typed every single piece of information - no copy/paste anywhere 5. Used ethernet cable instead of WiFi 6. Most importantly: called technical support through Claimyr to remove phantom records from our 4 previous abandoned attempts The technical support agent found THREE conflicting records in their system from our previous attempts. Once those were cleared, the verification went through immediately. This community has created better troubleshooting guidance than anything FSA provides officially. Isabella, thank you for starting this thread and sharing your success - it gave so many of us the roadmap to victory! For anyone still struggling: persist with this approach, it WILL work eventually. The system is broken, but beatable with the right strategy!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone who's about to start the FAFSA process with my twin boys next month, I'm both terrified and incredibly grateful for all the wisdom shared here. What strikes me most is how this community has essentially reverse-engineered solutions to a fundamentally broken system. The comprehensive troubleshooting guide that's emerged - fresh email accounts, Edge InPrivate mode, off-peak hours, manual data entry, wired connections, and using Claimyr for technical support - is more valuable than any official FSA documentation I've seen. Isabella, thank you for your persistence and for sharing your success story. And Savanna, your confirmation that the approach actually works with real details about the THREE phantom records is so reassuring! It's mind-boggling that families have to become IT experts just to apply for financial aid, but at least we now have a proven battle plan. I'm bookmarking this entire thread as my FAFSA survival guide. For anyone still stuck in verification hell - don't give up! The collective wisdom here proves that persistence combined with the right technical approach will eventually defeat this dysfunctional system. You've all turned a nightmare into a roadmap for success!

Welcome to the community! As another newcomer who's been following this incredibly informative discussion, I wanted to add my voice to thank everyone for sharing such detailed and practical advice. I'm also planning to return to school after becoming disabled, and this thread has been more helpful than anything I've found through official channels. One thing I'd like to emphasize that I haven't seen mentioned explicitly is the importance of keeping copies of ALL correspondence with financial aid offices, SSA, and other agencies involved in this process. I learned this the hard way when dealing with other disability-related bureaucracy - having a paper trail can be crucial if there are any discrepancies or if you need to appeal decisions. Also, for those mentioning professional judgment reviews, I'd suggest asking each school about their specific timeline and process for these reviews. Some schools handle them quickly while others can take months, which could affect your enrollment timeline. I'm curious - has anyone had experience with how changing from full-time to part-time enrollment mid-semester affects financial aid calculations? With disability, sometimes our health situations change unexpectedly and I want to be prepared for that possibility. Thank you again to everyone for creating such a supportive and informative discussion. This community is clearly an incredible resource for navigating these complex systems!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for creating such an incredibly comprehensive and helpful discussion! I'm also planning to return to school after becoming disabled and had many of the same questions about how disability status affects FAFSA applications. Reading through all the experiences shared here has been more informative than hours of trying to navigate official websites. The practical advice about organizing documentation early, understanding professional judgment reviews, and knowing about resources like Vocational Rehabilitation services and state-specific programs has completely changed my perspective on this process. A few key takeaways I'm noting for my own situation: - Start gathering disability-related expense documentation now (medical bills, transportation costs, adaptive equipment, etc.) - Research state-specific disability grant programs beyond federal aid - Connect with disability services coordinators who work directly with financial aid offices - Ask schools about their experience working with disabled students during the selection process - Look into emergency aid funds and disability-specific scholarships What really stands out is how many support systems exist that I had no idea about - from AHEAD's scholarship database to Independent Living Centers to the various funding sources that can work alongside FAFSA. It's clear that preparation and knowing what resources to ask about can make a huge difference. This community has transformed what felt like an overwhelming obstacle into a manageable process with clear steps and plenty of available support. Thank you to everyone who shared both their successes and challenges - it's invaluable to have real-world perspectives on navigating these systems as disabled students!

That's such a relief that you got answers! I'm in a similar situation - my FAFSA has been "In Review" for 2 weeks now and I was starting to panic. Your post inspired me to be more proactive instead of just waiting. I'm going to contact my school's financial aid office tomorrow and also try using Claimyr to see if there's verification holding up my application. It's frustrating that the system doesn't clearly communicate when verification is needed, but at least there are ways to find out. Thanks for sharing your update - it gives me hope that mine will move along once I know what's actually happening with it!

Wow, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a freshman applicant and my FAFSA has been stuck "In Review" for about 12 days now. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like this is unfortunately pretty normal for this year's cycle. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here - contacting my school's financial aid office first thing tomorrow and checking out Claimyr to see if I can find out what's actually happening with my application. The lack of transparency in the system is really frustrating when you're trying to plan for college expenses. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and solutions - it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this!