Just want to follow up on the divorce situation since that seems to be a major sticking point: the FAFSA's definition of "contributor" is very specific and often confuses people. The actual rule is: - If parents are divorced/separated, you report information ONLY for the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months - If you lived with both equally, then you report the parent who provided more financial support - Child support and alimony ARE counted as income for the parent who receives it - If your custodial parent is remarried, your step-parent's information MUST be included The most common mistake is including information from both biological parents when divorced, which causes verification flags. The system is designed to only collect data from the household you actually live in, not both parents.

whatever you do DONT miss the priority deadline for your schools!!! my son did last year and lost out on like $4000 in institutional grants even though his fafsa eventually went through. some schools are super strict about those dates!!

my cousin had this problem and it turned out his application was actually incomplete even though he thought he was done! the FAFSA website is THE WORST. make sure you've actually completed everything before freaking out about the signature.

Hey did you get this resolved? I had a similar issue and realized I needed to complete the "Agreements" section first before I could sign and submit. Just checking if you were able to submit your application!

I remember when I was applying for college back in 2017, we didn't have this SAI thing at all! We had EFC instead. The entire system keeps changing every few years and honestly it just makes everything more confusing for families. I spent weeks trying to figure out my brother's financial aid stuff last year because everything was different from when I applied. Why can't they just make a simple system that tells you exactly what you'll get??

You're right that the change from EFC to SAI has been confusing for many families. The good news is that negative SAI numbers are generally more straightforward to interpret than the old EFC system. The change was actually intended to make aid eligibility clearer and expand Pell Grant access. But your frustration is completely valid - the financial aid system should be more transparent about outcomes!

you should look into if he qualifies for a dependency override maybe? my brother got one when my mom couldnt help with his college anymore and he got way more financial aid

Update for anyone who finds this later: We had success! After meeting with Yale financial aid (and yes, they had a separate summer aid form due in March that we just barely made), they're covering about 60% of the summer costs through a combination of loans and a small grant. For the remaining amount, we're using the consortium agreement idea to have him take one class at our local community college that will transfer back. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help - we're looking at about $3,800 out of pocket instead of $9,000+. Still not cheap but manageable with a payment plan.

One thing no one mentioned yet - your son should create his own email account BUT make sure you have access to it or that he adds you as a recovery option. My son never checks his email and almost missed the verification deadline because important notices went to his inbox. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, both student and parent will get separate notifications, so having access to both accounts is really helpful.

I work in a college financial aid office. Here's what your son needs for his part of the FAFSA: - Social Security Number - Alien Registration Number (if not a U.S. citizen) - Federal income tax returns - W-2s and other records of money earned - Bank statements and records of investments (if any) - Records of untaxed income (if any) And absolutely get separate email addresses. This isn't just a preference - it's required by the system. Gmail and Outlook both offer free accounts that he can keep permanently. Also, start the process early! The new system has had issues, and priority deadlines for many schools are in early February 2025.