As someone new to navigating FAFSA, I'm finding this thread incredibly informative! The distinction between legal custody and guardianship is something I never would have known to look out for. It sounds like you've gotten some really solid advice here about filling out the FAFSA with your information first, then pursuing dependency overrides with individual schools. The documentation checklist that Maxwell provided seems especially valuable. I hope the process goes smoothly for your granddaughter - it's clear she's been fortunate to have such a dedicated advocate in you throughout her life. Best of luck with everything!

wow, blown away by all the poor advice being given here. “The grandparent has to fill out the FAFSA.” That is typically INCORRECT. For FAFSA purposes, grandparents are generally NOT contributors unless: • they legally adopted the student, OR • the student was in a legal guardianship as defined by FAFSA rules. Simple custody does not automatically make the grandparent the FAFSA parent or contributor. In many of these situations, the student may still technically be considered dependent under federal rules, but the biological/adoptive parents’ information would normally be required — even when that makes little practical sense. If parent information truly cannot be obtained due to abandonment, death, estrangement, etc., the student may need to pursue a dependency override or unusual circumstances review directly through the financial aid office. This is exactly why families get overwhelmed: “Custody,” “guardianship,” “adoption,” and “dependency” are NOT interchangeable terms in financial aid. One wrong assumption can completely change how a FAFSA is filed.

UPDATE: I tried submitting through Firefox as suggested and manually entered our tax information instead of using the DRT. After a brief heart attack when it seemed to freeze during processing, it FINALLY went through! The confirmation page shows it's been successfully submitted. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help! I'm going to contact my son's schools today to let them know about the amended return situation. Fingers crossed there won't be verification issues, but at least the application is in before the priority deadline.

So glad you got it submitted! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with similar FAFSA nightmares right now. Quick question for everyone - if we manually enter tax info instead of using the DRT like Zoe did, does that automatically trigger verification, or is it still just the random 30% selection that someone mentioned earlier? My family also has some complications with our tax situation and I'm trying to figure out the best approach before I start my application.

UPDATE: For anyone having similar issues, I finally got this resolved! Turns out there were two problems: 1) My son had entered my email with a typo as someone suggested, and 2) The system was getting confused because I had an old FSA ID from when my daughter applied years ago that used a different email. I used the Claimyr service that someone recommended here to get through to an agent quickly. They fixed both issues and now I can log in normally. Just submitted my parent portion today - what a relief! Thanks everyone for your help.

Wow, glad you got it sorted out! The multiple FSA ID issue is something I hadn't heard about before but makes total sense - the system probably didn't know which account to authenticate. Thanks for sharing the resolution, this will definitely help other parents who run into the same problem. The FAFSA rollout has been such a mess this year with all these technical glitches!

I'm going through the exact same frustration right now! Submitted my FAFSA about 13 days ago and have been checking studentaid.gov obsessively. This entire thread has been a lifesaver - I had absolutely no idea about the Student Aid Report being a separate document under "My Documents." I was literally just staring at the main dashboard thinking my SAI number would magically appear there! It's honestly such a relief to see so many people dealing with this exact issue. I was starting to think I completely messed up my application somehow. The timeline information everyone's shared is super reassuring too - knowing that 2-3 weeks is normal right now makes me feel way less panicked. I'm definitely going to try: 1. Looking specifically for the SAR document (can't believe I missed this!) 2. Logging out completely and back in 3. Clearing my browser cache and trying Chrome instead of Safari 4. Calling my college's financial aid office if all else fails The tip about colleges potentially seeing the SAI before we can is mind-blowing. Never would have thought to call them directly! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and timelines. This community is amazing for helping navigate all these confusing FAFSA changes. Here's hoping we all get our SAI numbers soon! 🤞

I'm experiencing the exact same issue! Submitted my FAFSA about 10 days ago and have been checking studentaid.gov multiple times daily looking for my SAI number. This entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea I needed to look specifically in the Student Aid Report under "My Documents" rather than just the main dashboard! It's so reassuring to read everyone's experiences and realize that 2-3 week processing times are completely normal right now, especially with all the new FAFSA system changes. I was starting to get really worried that I had made some kind of error on my application. The most helpful tips I'm taking away: 1. Check for the Student Aid Report (SAR) under "My Documents" - not the main page 2. Try logging out completely and back in to refresh the system 3. Clear browser cache and try different browsers (switching from Safari to Chrome) 4. Call your college's financial aid office - they might have access before it shows up online 5. Don't panic until you've waited at least 3 weeks I'm going to try all of these steps tonight and tomorrow. If the SAR still doesn't appear, I'll definitely call my school's financial aid office since several people mentioned they were able to get their SAI that way. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and solutions - this community support makes navigating this confusing new system so much easier! 🙏