Thank you all for the incredible advice! After making several calls today, I confirmed that FIL is indeed the owner of the 529 accounts (phew!). I also learned that our specific state's 529 plan allows for a limited proxy authorization form that will let us request withdrawals without bothering him each time. I'm now shifting focus to other aspects of FAFSA optimization - timing any asset adjustments, understanding how our home equity factors in, and helping the kids target schools where they might qualify for merit scholarships too. This community has been SO helpful - I was seriously losing sleep over this 529 ownership issue!

This is such a great example of why it's worth double-checking all the details before panicking! I'm so glad you called and found out your FIL is already the owner - that's honestly the best-case scenario for FAFSA purposes. Since you mentioned you're now focusing on other FAFSA optimization strategies, here are a few things that helped us when my daughter was applying: 1. If you have any flexibility with retirement contributions (401k, IRA), maxing those out in the base year can help reduce your adjusted gross income 2. Consider timing any major purchases or home improvements before filing - reducing cash on hand can sometimes help with the asset assessment 3. Look into whether your state has any additional aid programs that might have different filing deadlines or requirements Also, don't overlook the CSS Profile if any of your kids' target schools require it - the strategies can be quite different from FAFSA optimization. You're being so proactive with this planning while they're still juniors - that's going to make such a difference!

what ever you do DONT waste ur time trying to call the fafsa 800 number... legit was on hold for 2 hours and then they hung up on me lol. just submit online and pray i guess

Don't panic! You're not alone in this situation - the FAFSA delays this year threw everyone's timeline off. Here's what I'd recommend: 1. Complete your FAFSA this weekend as planned. Have all your 2023 tax documents ready to make it go smoothly. 2. Immediately after submitting, contact each school's financial aid office. Let them know your FAFSA is submitted and ask about their specific timeline for your daughter's aid package. 3. Many schools are being flexible this year due to the widespread FAFSA delays. If you're cutting it close to May 1st, most will work with you on timing. 4. Remember that her acceptance is secure regardless of when financial aid is processed - those are separate processes. The good news is that once you submit, processing usually takes 3-5 days, and then schools typically have aid packages ready within 2-4 weeks. You should have plenty of time before the May 1st deadline if you get it done this weekend. Breathe! This is totally manageable, and your proactive approach shows you're on the right track.

As someone who works in financial aid at a university, I can confirm that the new FAFSA contributor system has definitely caused confusion for many families this year. The information shared in this thread is spot-on! I'd like to add one more tip that might help others: if you're having persistent technical issues with the contributor invitation not working, try clearing your browser cache and cookies before attempting the process again. Sometimes old session data can interfere with the new system. Also, make sure both the student and parent are using supported browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari) and that they're both updated to the latest version. The Department of Education has been pushing out frequent updates to improve the system, so keeping browsers current really helps avoid glitches.

As someone just starting to navigate the FAFSA process for the first time, I want to echo what others have said - this thread has been incredibly valuable! I'm the parent of a high school senior and we literally just created our FSA IDs yesterday, so this whole contributor system is completely new to us. Reading through everyone's experiences has saved us so much potential frustration. The key takeaway I'm getting is: don't look for an "invite" button in account settings, but instead have my son actually start the FAFSA application itself to find the Contributors section. I really appreciate how this community shares practical, step-by-step guidance. It's reassuring to know that even though the process seems confusing at first, it actually works well once you understand the flow. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and tips!

I've been dealing with this exact nightmare too! What's been working for me lately is a combination of several tricks from this thread. I switched to using Firefox in private browsing mode with a simple 12-character password (no special characters), and I also make sure to completely close the browser between sessions instead of just logging out. One thing I discovered that nobody else mentioned - if you have any password managers or auto-fill extensions running, they can actually interfere with the FAFSA login process even if you're not using them to fill in your password. I had to completely disable my password manager extension for the FAFSA site specifically. Also, for checking verification status when the main dashboard is being glitchy, I found that going directly to studentaid.gov/complete-aid-process/verify-your-fafsa-information sometimes loads the status page even when the regular application status page won't work. It's absolutely insane that we need all these workarounds for something this important, but hopefully these tips help someone else avoid the password reset hell we've all been through!

I've been having this exact same problem! Just want to add another potential fix that worked for me - I noticed that if I have multiple tabs open with other government websites (like IRS.gov or SSA.gov), it seems to mess with the FAFSA login cookies. Now I make sure to close ALL .gov sites before trying to log into FAFSA and it's been way more stable. Also, I've started using the "Forgot Password" link even when I'm pretty sure I know my password - sometimes it's faster than trying to troubleshoot why the login isn't working. The whole system is definitely broken but at least we're all finding workarounds together! Going to try some of these other solutions too, especially the mobile app approach.

Wow, this thread has become an incredible resource! As someone who works with students navigating financial aid challenges, I'm amazed by the comprehensive advice everyone has shared here. I wanted to add one more perspective - if you do end up needing to pursue the dependency override route, consider reaching out to your state representative's office. I know it sounds unusual, but many congressional offices have constituent services staff who specialize in helping people navigate federal programs like financial aid. They can sometimes provide additional advocacy or help escalate cases that are getting stuck in bureaucratic processes. Also, document EVERYTHING from your Monday meeting - names of people you spoke with, exactly what they told you, what forms they gave you, deadlines mentioned, etc. If you need to follow up or escalate later, having detailed records of every interaction will be invaluable. The community college environment is definitely going to work in your favor here. They see students in complex situations all the time and generally have more flexibility than large universities. You've clearly done your homework and have a solid plan - that preparation is going to make a huge difference in your meeting. Looking forward to hearing how it goes! This whole conversation is going to help so many students who find themselves in similar situations. 💪

This entire thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone who went through a similar situation about 5 years ago (estranged parents, financially independent since 18), I wish this kind of comprehensive resource had existed when I was struggling with the same issues. I wanted to add one more strategy that ended up being crucial for me - if your dependency override gets approved, make sure to ask your financial aid office about retroactive aid adjustments. Sometimes schools can go back and recalculate your aid package for previous semesters if your circumstances qualify. I was able to get some refunds for overpaid tuition from earlier terms, which was a huge help. Also, keep in mind that dependency override status usually carries forward to future years as long as your circumstances remain the same, so getting approved now could solve this problem for the rest of your college career rather than having to fight this battle every single year. The level of detailed, practical advice in this thread is amazing - from Sofia's professional insights to all the specific documentation suggestions. AstroAce, you're going into that Monday meeting armed with more knowledge than most financial aid staff expect students to have! Wishing you the absolute best of luck. Please update us - this thread is going to become required reading for anyone dealing with FAFSA dependency issues! 🤞✨