I'm a first-time FAFSA filer and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about the TEACH Grant or that there was a specific teaching certification question that could be worth up to $4,000. My younger brother is planning to major in secondary education next year, so I'm definitely going to bookmark all these troubleshooting tips. It's honestly shocking how many technical issues people are having with something as important as financial aid applications. The fact that questions can just disappear based on browser choice or school selections seems like a major design flaw. I really appreciate everyone sharing their specific solutions - the cache clearing method, trying different browsers, and making sure the major is listed as something education-specific rather than generic. For anyone still struggling with this issue, it sounds like the consensus is: don't panic if you can't find the question, submit by your priority deadline, and then make corrections afterward if needed. But definitely worth trying all the troubleshooting steps first since that $4,000 TEACH Grant could make a real difference!

As someone who just went through this exact issue with my daughter's FAFSA last month, I want to emphasize how important it is to persist with finding this question! The TEACH Grant really is worth up to $4,000 per year, but there's a catch - recipients have to commit to teaching in a high-need field at a low-income school for 4 years after graduation, or the grant converts to an unsubsidized loan with interest calculated from the original disbursement date. For anyone still troubleshooting this disappearing question issue, here's what worked for us after trying everything mentioned in this thread: 1. Make sure your son's major is listed as something very specific like "Elementary Education," "Secondary Education - Mathematics," etc. rather than just "Education" or "Undecided" 2. Ensure ALL the schools on his list have accredited teacher preparation programs 3. Try accessing the FAFSA during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) when the servers are less congested If you absolutely cannot get the question to appear and need to submit by your deadline, don't stress! You can definitely add this information through corrections later. Just make sure to do it within the first few weeks after submission so schools can consider it for their aid packages. The TEACH Grant has specific deadlines that vary by school, so you'll want to contact the financial aid offices directly to confirm their timelines.

Hey Chloe! I'm a junior who went through this EXACT same situation my freshman year - the housing crisis is so real right now! Just wanted to add a few things that really helped me that I haven't seen mentioned yet: **For your immediate 2-week deadline:** - Check if your school has a "Housing Resource Center" or similar office - they often maintain lists of verified off-campus options and can connect you with other students looking for roommates - Look into student housing cooperatives if your school has them - they're usually way cheaper than regular apartments and understand the financial aid timeline **Money-saving tips that worked for me:** - I ended up in a 3-bedroom house with 2 other students for $650/month (vs $1,700 studios!) through a Facebook group connection - Some landlords near colleges will let you pay a smaller deposit upfront if you show them your financial aid award letter and agree to pay the rest when your loan refund comes in **One thing nobody warned me about:** Make sure to budget carefully once you get that loan refund! It comes in one lump sum at the beginning of each semester, but you need to make it last for months of rent. I made a spreadsheet to track exactly how much I could spend each month. The stress is SO real but you're going to figure this out! Getting into your dream school is huge - don't let housing logistics overshadow that amazing accomplishment! 🎉 Feel free to reach out if you want to brainstorm specific search strategies or need someone to talk through the financial aid stuff with!

Hey Chloe! I'm a sophomore who just went through this whole process last year, so I totally feel your stress right now! The short answer is YES - federal student loans can absolutely cover off-campus housing, but there are some important details to understand. Here's how it works: Your loan money goes to the school first to pay tuition and fees, then any remaining amount gets refunded to you (usually 1-2 weeks after classes start). You can use that refund for any educational expenses, including rent, groceries, books, etc. The catch is that your refund amount is limited by your school's "Cost of Attendance" calculation, which includes a housing allowance that might be way lower than actual rental costs in your area. My school budgeted $900/month for housing but studios were $1,600+! A few quick tips for your 2-week deadline: - Call your financial aid office and ask for the exact housing allowance amount in your COA - this tells you how much loan money you'll actually have for housing - Look into "professional judgment review" - if you can show documentation of actual housing costs, they might increase your allowance - Search Facebook for "[Your School Name] Housing" groups - I found a shared room for $700/month vs those expensive studios - Ask about emergency aid for deposits - some schools offer short-term loans to cover upfront costs before loan disbursements The timing is definitely tricky since you'll probably need to front deposit money before your refund comes through, but lots of landlords near colleges understand the student aid timeline. You've got this! Don't let housing stress overshadow the amazing accomplishment of getting into your dream school! 🎉

I'm going through something very similar right now! My partner and I have been together for 8 years but aren't married specifically because of FAFSA considerations for my two kids. We just started the home buying process last month. From what I've learned so far, the most important thing is understanding that FAFSA looks at YOUR assets, not your partner's, since you're not married. So if you own 25% of a $400k house, they're looking at your $100k in equity, not the full $400k. One thing that's been helpful for me is using the Federal Student Aid Estimator tool to run different scenarios. I plugged in numbers for owning 0%, 25%, and 50% of our potential home purchase, and the difference in estimated aid was smaller than I expected - maybe a few hundred dollars per year rather than thousands. The bigger question for me has been the legal protection aspect that others mentioned. I've decided I'd rather have some asset impact on FAFSA than risk losing my investment if something happens to our relationship. My kids will only be in college for a few more years, but I need housing security for much longer than that. Have you looked at any specific schools' net price calculators? Some are more sensitive to home equity than others in their aid formulas.

I've been following this thread with great interest since I'm also navigating the unmarried-partner-home-buying situation with college-bound kids! One resource that might be helpful is reaching out directly to the financial aid offices at your kids' target schools. I found that many aid counselors have seen these situations before and can give you school-specific guidance on how they handle partial home ownership in unmarried partnerships. Also, regarding the CSS Profile that someone mentioned - it's worth noting that while CSS Profile schools often have more aid available, they also tend to look more closely at assets including home equity. However, many have policies that cap how much home equity they'll consider (often 2-3x annual income), which could work in your favor given the income difference between you and your fiancé. The more I read everyone's experiences, the more convinced I am that the legal protection aspect should be the primary consideration. The FAFSA impact seems manageable, but losing your housing security would be devastating. Have you considered getting pre-qualified to see what ownership percentage would make sense based on your actual financial contributions?

Emma, I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress during what should be an exciting time! As a parent who went through a divorce myself, I can tell you that your dad's behavior is unfortunately more about his own feelings than actual FAFSA rules. You absolutely did everything correctly. The federal guidelines are designed specifically for situations like yours - when parents are divorced, you report the parent you lived with most AND their spouse if remarried. Since you live with your mom and stepdad who provide your primary support AND are helping pay for college, their information is exactly what should be on your FAFSA. I went through something similar with my ex trying to claim our daughter should use his income "because it's higher" even though she lived with me. The school's financial aid counselor actually laughed and said they get this question weekly - manipulative non-custodial parents trying to use fear tactics about "fraud" when they're just upset about not being the reporting parent. Your dad cannot get you in legal trouble for following federal regulations correctly. Focus on your amazing accomplishment of getting into your dream school and don't let anyone's manipulation tactics steal that joy from you!

I'm a recent college graduate who dealt with this exact same situation! My divorced parents put me through months of stress over FAFSA reporting, with my dad threatening all sorts of legal consequences that were completely made up. What finally ended it was when I called the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly (1-800-433-3243) and had them explain the rules to both my parents on a three-way call. The representative was incredibly patient and walked through the official guidelines: if your parents are divorced, you report the parent you lived with more during the 12 months before filing the FAFSA, period. Income doesn't determine custody for FAFSA purposes. The agent also confirmed what everyone else is saying - there are no criminal penalties for following the custody rules correctly, and even if there WAS an honest mistake, it would just be corrected administratively. Your dad is using fear tactics because he's probably feeling left out of your college process, but that doesn't make his threats legitimate. You did everything right, Emma. Don't let anyone's emotional manipulation make you second-guess yourself when you've followed federal guidelines perfectly. Enjoy your college experience - you've earned it!

Unfortunately, the FAFSA doesn't have a general "comments" section where you can explain special circumstances. However, after you submit the FAFSA, you can contact each college's financial aid office directly to explain your situation. This is called a "Professional Judgment" or "Special Circumstances" review. Financial aid officers have discretion to adjust your Student Aid Index (SAI) based on documented special circumstances that aren't captured by the standard FAFSA questions. This might include: - Unusual medical expenses not covered by insurance - Job loss or reduction in income since the tax year reported - One-time income events that inflated your reported income - Unusual family circumstances I highly recommend reaching out to each school's financial aid office after submitting the FAFSA. Be prepared to provide documentation of your circumstances.

Just wanted to add one more important tip - when you're filling out the FAFSA, make sure to answer the parent marital status question correctly. Since you're divorced, select "Divorced or separated" rather than "Single" even though you might consider yourself single. The FAFSA uses specific definitions, and this choice affects which subsequent questions you'll see. Also, I noticed you mentioned being frustrated about this situation - totally understandable! But try not to let the stress overwhelm you. Thousands of single parents navigate this process successfully every year. Once you get through it the first time, renewals in subsequent years are much easier since most of your information carries over. One last thing - if your daughter is considering taking out student loans, make sure you both understand the difference between federal subsidized/unsubsidized loans and private loans. The FAFSA determines eligibility for federal aid, which typically has much better terms than private alternatives.