Reading through this thread as someone who just completed this exact process last month! My situation was nearly identical - mom doesn't file taxes due to low income, dad works in France. A few things I wish I'd known earlier: 1) That IRS non-filing letter is CRUCIAL - request it the moment you start thinking about FAFSA because it really does take 2-3 weeks. 2) For the foreign tax documents, I found it super helpful to highlight the specific income lines that correspond to what FAFSA is asking for BEFORE converting to USD - it made verification so much smoother. 3) Screenshot EVERYTHING during the application process - not just the exchange rate, but also each page as you complete it. I had a technical glitch that lost half my work and those screenshots saved me hours of re-entering data. 4) When verification comes (and it will), respond within 24-48 hours if possible - some schools process verification requests in the order they're received, so being quick can get your aid package finalized sooner. The whole process feels overwhelming but you're getting amazing advice here. Just stay organized and patient - it really does work out in the end!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year, I can't stress enough how important it is to be proactive about documentation! My mom doesn't file taxes and my dad works in Australia, so I completely understand your confusion. Here's what saved us: 1) Request that IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter immediately - seriously, don't wait another day because it takes forever. 2) For the Spanish "Declaración de la Renta," make sure it's the 2023 version for your 2025-26 FAFSA. 3) Create a simple one-page summary in English of the key income figures from the Spanish document - verification officers will love you for this! 4) Use xe.com for currency conversion on the day you submit and screenshot the rate with the date clearly visible. Your son's application will definitely get flagged for verification, but that's totally normal with international income - not a red flag at all! The key is having everything ready before you even submit the FAFSA. Also, once your son gets accepted somewhere, reach out to their financial aid office directly - they're way more helpful than the general FAFSA hotline for complex situations like yours. You've got this, and this community has given you amazing advice to work with!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm currently going through the exact same situation with my son who's a high school senior. Reading everyone's experiences and advice has been so reassuring - it's clear that the financial aid timeline confusion is totally normal and that we parents need to be persistent advocates for our kids. I especially appreciate the practical tips about checking online portals, keeping detailed records, and contacting regional admissions counselors. The spreadsheet idea for comparing packages is something I'm definitely going to implement. It's also good to know that the May 1 national decision deadline gives us more breathing room than some schools might suggest with their early commitment pressures. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly - this kind of peer support makes navigating the college application process so much less stressful for families like mine who are going through it for the first time!

As someone new to this community and currently navigating the college financial aid process with my daughter, I can't tell you how relieved I am to find this thread! We're in almost the identical situation - she's been accepted to several schools, we submitted the FAFSA months ago, but we're still waiting on aid packages from most of them. What's been most frustrating is feeling like we're supposed to know how this all works, but nobody really explains the timeline clearly. Reading all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening. I had no idea about the May 1 national deadline or that it's completely normal (and expected!) to receive financial aid packages before committing to any school. I'm definitely going to implement several suggestions from this thread - checking online portals, creating a comparison spreadsheet, and being more persistent with follow-up calls. The tip about contacting regional admissions counselors is something I never would have thought of. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences so generously. It's such a relief to know we're not alone in this confusing process, and that advocating firmly for our kids is not only okay but necessary!

I'm new to the FAFSA process and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was getting ready to fill out my first FAFSA for my daughter and had no idea child support even needed to be reported. Reading through everyone's experiences with finding it under the "Money received or paid on your behalf" section after answering "Yes" to untaxed income has saved me from making a major mistake. It's really concerning that they made something so important this difficult to find in a form that's supposed to be "simplified." I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and make sure I have all my child support documentation organized before I start filling out the form. Thank you to everyone who shared their solutions and especially to the financial aid counselor who provided the clear explanation!

I'm jumping into this conversation as someone who just completed the FAFSA for my son and ran into this exact same issue! After reading through all the helpful advice here, I wanted to add one more tip that saved me time: if you're using a mobile device or tablet to fill out the FAFSA, the "Money received or paid on your behalf" section might be even harder to spot because of how the form displays on smaller screens. I almost missed it completely until I switched to my laptop. Also, for anyone who might be worried about making mistakes - I called my son's college financial aid office after submitting, and they told me that corrections for missing child support information are really common this year because of the form changes. They said not to stress if you need to go back and make adjustments, as long as you do it before their internal deadlines. The staff have been really understanding about the confusion this redesigned form is causing. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread should be pinned somewhere for all the parents going through this process!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I wanted to add my perspective as someone whose daughter just completed her first semester at UGA with Zell Miller. Your daughter's stats look very promising - that 1380 SAT score puts her well above the 1200 minimum requirement, which gives you some good cushion. One thing I wish I had known earlier in the process is that you can actually track the status of scholarship applications through the GSFC student portal in real-time. It shows when they receive documents, when reviews are in progress, and when decisions are made. This was so much better than constantly calling or wondering what was happening behind the scenes. Also, don't underestimate how helpful UGA's financial aid office can be if you run into any issues. When we had a question about my daughter's award letter, they were able to connect us directly with someone at GSFC who resolved our concern within 24 hours. The coordination between the two offices is actually much smoother than you might expect. Your proactive approach is exactly right - getting organized early and asking these questions now puts you ahead of many families who wait until the last minute. With your daughter's strong academic record and your careful attention to deadlines and requirements, I'm confident everything will work out well. The Georgia scholarship programs really are designed to support students like her who have demonstrated academic excellence!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I wanted to share some encouragement based on what I've learned from other parents in similar situations. Your daughter's academic profile looks excellent for Zell Miller eligibility - that 1380 SAT score gives her a solid buffer above the 1200 minimum requirement. One thing that might help with the waiting anxiety is understanding that Georgia's scholarship system is actually quite transparent once you know where to look. I'd recommend creating accounts on both the GSFC portal and UGA's financial aid portal so you can monitor progress from both ends. Many parents find that having access to real-time status updates significantly reduces the stress of waiting for official notifications. Also, since you mentioned budget planning, it might be worth reaching out to UGA's financial aid office to get their latest cost breakdown beyond tuition. Even with Zell Miller covering tuition costs, understanding the full picture of fees, housing, and other expenses will help you plan more accurately. They're usually very helpful with providing detailed cost estimates for families in your situation. Your proactive approach in researching and asking these questions early shows you're setting your daughter up for success. The Georgia scholarship programs are well-established and reliable - students who meet the qualifications like your daughter typically receive their awards without major complications. Best of luck with the process!

As a newcomer to both this community and the FAFSA process, I'm blown away by how helpful and comprehensive this discussion has been! Reading through everyone's experiences with joint accounts and complex asset situations has been such an eye-opener for me. What I'm learning is that there's really no substitute for getting all the proper documentation upfront and being completely transparent on your FAFSA, even when it feels scary. The four-step approach that's developed here - bank documentation, FSA consultation, accurate reporting, and appeal readiness - provides such a clear roadmap for anyone dealing with these tricky asset questions. I'm particularly grateful for the real-world perspectives from people who work in financial aid and those who've actually been through verification processes. The reassurance that the actual impact is often much smaller than we fear, combined with those verification horror stories, really drives home why honesty is the best policy. As someone who's about to start my own FAFSA journey, this thread has transformed what felt like an overwhelming and confusing process into something much more manageable. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment where newcomers can learn from your experiences and expertise!

As someone completely new to FAFSA, this discussion has been absolutely amazing to read through! I had no idea that asset reporting could be so complex, especially when it comes to joint accounts with non-relatives. What really strikes me about this thread is how everyone consistently emphasizes transparency and proper documentation over trying to hide assets or minimize reporting. The four-step approach that's emerged - getting bank documentation first, consulting FSA for official guidance, reporting everything accurately, and being prepared for potential appeals - seems like such a solid framework for handling these situations. I'm particularly grateful for the insights from @Mei Lin who works in financial aid, and the reassurance that the actual financial impact is often much smaller than we initially fear. Those verification horror stories mentioned throughout are definitely powerful motivation to stay completely honest on the FAFSA! As someone just starting this journey, this community has made what seemed like an overwhelming process feel much more manageable. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a valuable resource for newcomers like me navigating these tricky FAFSA questions!