Hey Freya! I just wanted to add my voice to this incredibly helpful thread. I'm a sophomore who went through this exact same dilemma last year with about $5,000 in my HYSA from working at a summer camp. After reading all these responses, I'm really struck by how consistent the advice is: report it honestly, understand the real impact (which is probably less scary than you think), and remember that having savings actually demonstrates financial maturity. One thing I'd add that I don't think anyone mentioned yet: some schools have emergency aid funds or short-term loans available for students who run into unexpected expenses during the year. Having your own emergency fund means you might not need these resources, leaving them available for students who really need them. It's kind of a nice way to think about how your financial responsibility benefits the whole community. Also, I've found that being able to say "I worked and saved money for college" in scholarship essays and interviews has actually been a real asset. It shows initiative and planning that admissions committees and scholarship boards really value. You should definitely be proud of saving $6,200 - that's amazing for a student! Report it honestly, work with whatever aid package you get, and remember that you're setting yourself up for financial success in college and beyond. This community has given such great advice! 🌟

Hey Freya! I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and your question has been incredibly helpful - I'm in a similar situation with about $4,500 saved from my part-time job at a local bookstore. After reading through all these amazing responses, I feel so much more informed and less anxious about the whole thing! The consensus is crystal clear: yes, definitely report your HYSA honestly. The verification process sounds absolutely terrifying and the consequences of getting caught aren't worth any potential short-term benefit. What's really reassuring is learning that the actual financial impact probably won't be as dramatic as we're imagining - with the asset protection allowance potentially shielding some of our savings, plus all the long-term benefits of having an emergency fund. I love how everyone keeps emphasizing that we should be PROUD of saving this money! It really does show incredible work ethic and financial responsibility. And hearing from actual financial aid counselors and students who've been through this process about how savings can actually open doors to additional opportunities has completely changed my perspective. Your question has created such an educational discussion that's going to help so many students! Thanks for being brave enough to ask what we're all wondering about. I'm definitely going to report everything honestly and then be proactive about exploring all the aid opportunities beyond just federal aid. We've got this! 🙌

As someone who's been helping families navigate FAFSA for years through my work at a college prep center, I want to reinforce what the experts here have said: the student absolutely MUST be the one to create their FSA ID and initiate the application. This isn't just a recommendation - it's how the system is designed to work. I've seen too many families create major headaches by having parents start the process. The Department of Education's systems are very particular about this workflow, and deviating from it often results in verification holds, processing delays, or worse - having to start completely over. Here's my foolproof checklist for success: 1. Student creates FSA ID using their own email/phone/SSN 2. Parent creates separate FSA ID using their own email/phone/SSN 3. Student logs in and starts application 4. Student completes all their personal sections 5. When prompted, student adds parent as contributor 6. Parent completes their sections using their own FSA ID The key is patience and following the system's prompts exactly. Don't try to shortcut or "help" by doing steps out of order. Trust the process - it really does work when done correctly!

As a newcomer who's been lurking and reading through this entire thread, I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who shared their experiences! My daughter is a senior and we were completely lost about where to even begin with the FAFSA process. The consensus is crystal clear now: she needs to create her FSA ID first, then I create mine, and then SHE starts the application under her own account. I was initially thinking I should handle everything since I'm more familiar with financial paperwork, but I can see that would have been a huge mistake. One quick follow-up question - when the application asks for parent information, will it be obvious when it's time for me to step in with my FSA ID? Or should we plan to sit down together from the very beginning so I can help her with any questions that come up during her sections too? I want to be supportive without accidentally interfering with the process. This community has been incredibly helpful - I feel so much more prepared now!

Great question! I was confused about this too when I first started college. Everyone's already covered the main points perfectly - it's once per academic year, not per semester. Just want to emphasize what others said about keeping track of your school's priority deadline. I missed my school's February 1st deadline my sophomore year (thought I had until March like some friends at other schools) and ended up losing out on about $2,000 in institutional grants. The federal aid was still there, but those school-specific funds with limited budgets get distributed first-come, first-served after the priority date. Definitely don't make my mistake!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is verification! About 1 in 3 students get selected for verification after submitting their FAFSA, which means you'll need to provide additional documents like tax transcripts, W-2s, and sometimes bank statements to confirm the info you submitted. This doesn't change the "once per year" rule, but it can delay your aid processing if you don't respond quickly. I got selected for verification my first two years and it added about 3-4 weeks to get my aid package finalized. Just something to keep in mind when planning your timeline, especially if you're cutting it close to your school's priority deadline!

This thread has been such an incredible resource! As someone who's currently dealing with a similar situation (I'm on workers' comp after an injury and considering going back to school), reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been both educational and reassuring. What really strikes me is how many specialized resources exist that most people don't know about - I had never heard of WIPA programs, student navigators, or Benefits Access Programs before reading this. It's clear that there's a whole support system designed to help people in our situations, but you really have to know where to look and what questions to ask. The emphasis throughout this thread on documentation and proactive communication makes so much sense. It seems like the people who run into problems are often those who try to navigate these systems without getting proper guidance upfront. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about starting conversations with all relevant agencies well before I plan to enroll. @Andre, thank you for asking such thoughtful questions that sparked this amazing discussion. Your careful approach to protecting your family's stability while working toward better opportunities is really admirable. Between all the resources mentioned here and the experiences people have shared, it sounds like you're going to be well-equipped to make this work! For anyone else reading this who might be in a similar boat - this thread is proof that with proper planning and the right support, pursuing education while on benefits is not only possible but can be a real pathway to positive change.

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone who works as a peer counselor for people transitioning back to work after disability, I see situations like yours all the time, and I'm so impressed by how thoroughly this community has covered all the important angles. One additional resource I wanted to mention that I don't think has come up yet: many California community colleges participate in the "Basic Needs" initiative, which includes emergency financial assistance, food pantries, and housing support specifically for students. These programs are separate from FAFSA and typically don't count as income for benefit purposes since they're emergency/in-kind assistance rather than cash aid. Also, since you mentioned you're looking at part-time enrollment while recovering, you might want to ask about "accommodated reduced course load" through the DSPS office. If your injury impacts your ability to take a full course load, this accommodation can sometimes allow you to maintain full-time financial aid eligibility even while taking fewer units. This could be really helpful for maximizing your aid while minimizing any complications with your benefits. The fact that you're planning this out so carefully and asking all the right questions upfront tells me you're going to be successful. I've seen so many people transform their lives through education after disability - it's challenging but absolutely doable with the right support system. You've got this!

I'm experiencing this exact same issue! Been trying to submit my parent contributor section since Monday and getting that same "system unable to complete action" error every single time. It's honestly such a relief to find this thread and know I'm not the only one - I was starting to think I had entered my dad's tax information incorrectly somehow. I've tried Chrome, Firefox, clearing cache, restarting my computer, even tried from my school's computer lab thinking it was my home internet. Nothing works! My school's priority deadline is next Tuesday and I'm getting really anxious about missing out on aid. Definitely going to try the 3am approach that seems to be working for everyone - setting my alarm now! Also planning to contact my financial aid office tomorrow morning to document these technical issues before my deadline. Thanks for posting this and for everyone sharing their experiences and solutions - it really helps to know this is a widespread system problem and not something we're doing wrong! 🙏

I'm having this exact same issue! Started getting the "system unable to complete action" error two days ago when trying to submit my parent contributor section. I've tried everything - Chrome, Firefox, clearing cache, different devices, even tried from my friend's computer thinking it was something on my end. Nothing works! My mom's tax info is pretty straightforward (W-2, standard deductions) so I know it's not a data entry problem. My school's priority deadline is next Friday and I was starting to panic thinking I was doing something wrong. This thread is honestly a lifesaver - it's such a relief to know this is affecting so many people and it's clearly a system-wide issue. Definitely going to try the 3am approach that seems to be working for everyone. Also planning to email my financial aid office tomorrow morning with screenshots to document all my attempts before the deadline. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips - knowing we're all dealing with the same tech nightmare makes me feel so much better! 🤞