Any update on your situation? Were you able to get the hold on your account or reach someone at FSA?

This is such valuable information for parents dealing with PLUS loan delays! I'm a newcomer here but going through something similar with my son's loan application. The name discrepancy issue you discovered is so important - I never would have thought to check for something like that. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service if I can't get through to FSA directly. It's really reassuring to know that schools have these pending aid holds available - I had no idea that was even an option. Thanks for sharing your experience and the happy ending!

This discussion has been incredibly valuable to read through! As someone new to both this community and the FAFSA process, I've been struggling with a very similar situation involving inherited farmland that we lease out for soybean production. What really stands out to me is the consistency of advice throughout this entire thread - everyone who's actually been through this process agrees that if you're not actively farming the land yourself AND it's not your primary residence/income source, it should be reported as investment real estate. The fact that the IRS hobby farm classification actually supports this decision rather than complicating it is really reassuring. I'm definitely going to follow all the practical strategies shared here: keeping property documentation organized, using the Additional Information section to explain our classification reasoning proactively, and creating that summary document that Paloma mentioned. Reading about the verification delays some people experienced when they misclassified their properties as farms has convinced me that being thorough upfront is absolutely worth the effort. Thank you to everyone who shared their real-world experiences and practical tips - this thread has transformed what felt like an impossible decision into a clear, manageable process. This community is such an amazing resource for navigating the confusing aspects of financial aid!

As someone who just completed this process last year with similar circumstances, I wanted to add my experience to this incredibly helpful discussion! We have 45 acres that we lease to a neighbor for hay production - almost identical to your situation. After reading through all the confusion in the FAFSA instructions, I ended up calling our state's financial aid office (much easier to reach than Federal Student Aid) and they confirmed what everyone here has said: since we're not actively farming it ourselves and it's not our primary residence or income source, it's definitely investment real estate, not a farm asset. The "hobby farm" classification from the IRS actually makes this decision clearer, not more complicated. We reported the net equity value as investment property and included a brief note in the Additional Information section explaining our reasoning. No issues with verification, and our son's aid package was processed without delays. One tip I haven't seen mentioned: if your land value represents a significant portion of your total assets, consider whether the timing of your FAFSA submission matters. Asset values are based on the day you submit, so if land prices in your area are particularly high right now, it might be worth waiting a bit if you expect values to stabilize lower (though don't wait too long and miss deadlines!). Thanks for starting this discussion - the collective wisdom here is so much more helpful than the official guidance!

As someone who just joined this community because I'm dealing with this exact same issue, I can't tell you how relieved I am to find this thread! My family submitted our FAFSA 3 weeks ago and we've been getting those contradictory "incomplete" emails while our online status clearly shows "Submitted." I was starting to think we had somehow messed something up. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - especially the advice about taking screenshots, contacting schools proactively, and understanding that the processing times are much longer than expected this year. It's frustrating that the FAFSA system is having these issues, but knowing it's widespread and that schools are being understanding about the delays makes me feel much better. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice!

Welcome to everyone who's new to the community! As another newcomer dealing with this exact same FAFSA nightmare, I just wanted to add my voice to this incredibly helpful thread. My family submitted our FAFSA about 2 weeks ago and we've been getting those same contradictory "incomplete" emails despite our online status clearly showing "Submitted." I was starting to panic thinking we'd somehow messed up the application process, so finding this discussion has been such a lifesaver. The collective wisdom here - from taking screenshots to contacting schools proactively to understanding the processing delays - has given me so much peace of mind. It's frustrating that the new FAFSA system is having these widespread issues, but knowing we're all in this together and that schools are being understanding about the delays makes the wait much more bearable. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive space for navigating this stressful process!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare - the stepparent income rule really is one of the most broken parts of the FAFSA system! As someone new to this community, I've been reading through all these responses and I'm honestly shocked by how many students are getting screwed over by this exact same issue. Your situation with the $87K stepparent income destroying your SAI while he contributes nothing to your education is infuriating but unfortunately very common. The advice everyone has given about professional judgment appeals is spot on - that's definitely your best path forward. One thing I wanted to add that might help: when you're documenting the separate finances between your mom and stepdad, try to get official statements from banks showing their accounts are completely separate. Some schools give more weight to official bank documentation versus just utility bills or informal records. Also, if your stepdad has his own kids from a previous relationship that he supports financially, that could actually strengthen your case since it shows his income is already committed to other family obligations. The success stories in this thread are really encouraging - it sounds like persistence and detailed documentation really do pay off with these appeals. Don't give up before you've exhausted all options! The financial aid system is broken but there are people who want to help students in situations like yours. Keep us posted on how your appeals go - your experience could help other students facing this same unfair situation!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! As someone new to this community, I've been following this thread and I'm amazed by how much practical advice everyone has shared. Your case with the $87K stepparent income destroying your aid eligibility is unfortunately very common, but the good news is that you now have a clear roadmap for fighting it. I wanted to add one more strategy that might help with your professional judgment appeal: consider getting a letter from your biological father explicitly stating that he would be willing and able to provide more support if the stepparent income wasn't artificially inflating your family's expected contribution. This can help demonstrate that the FAFSA calculation is preventing actual available support from being utilized effectively. Also, when documenting your living situation, include any evidence of the "temporary" nature of your time with each parent. If you can show that your extra time at your mom's house is primarily due to school logistics rather than a permanent custody preference, some schools might be more flexible in their interpretation. The success stories shared here are really encouraging - it sounds like schools are often willing to work with students when the documentation clearly shows the stepparent income doesn't reflect actual available resources. Don't give up before trying every avenue! The appeals process exists specifically for situations like yours where the standard formula doesn't capture the real financial picture.

As someone who just went through the FAFSA process for the first time with my daughter, I can definitely relate to the frustration! We didn't have the exact same email issue, but we did encounter several other confusing error messages during the transition to the new system. One thing I learned is that the new FAFSA has some quirks where if you start an application and don't complete it within a certain timeframe, it can cause conflicts when you try to start over. We ended up having to clear our browser cache completely (not just cookies) and also disable any browser extensions that might interfere with the forms. Also, just a heads up - even after you get past this email issue, make sure to save your progress frequently! The new system seems to time out more quickly than the old one, and we lost about 30 minutes of work once because we didn't save often enough. Really glad to see you got it resolved though - that update will help so many other families!

This entire thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm currently dealing with the exact same email issue with my twins' FAFSA applications - we accidentally created 2023-2024 applications for both of them last month and now can't move forward with their 2024-2025 ones. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions gives me so much hope that this is fixable. The explanation about the transition period really helps me understand what's happening behind the scenes. I was starting to think we had somehow broken the system! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr callback service since 4+ hour wait times are just not feasible with my work schedule. One question for anyone who's been through this - if I have two students with the same issue, will I need to call twice or can the agent fix both email conflicts in one call? I'm hoping to streamline this as much as possible. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is amazing!