Hi Sofia! I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I went through something very similar this year. I submitted my FAFSA in early March but had to make a correction in mid-April when I realized I'd incorrectly reported my parents' 529 plan assets (I accidentally included my younger sibling's account too). I was absolutely panicking that the April correction would somehow mess up my priority status at my top choice schools. But after calling three different financial aid offices and speaking with a Federal Student Aid representative, I can confirm what everyone here is saying - your original March 15 submission date is completely protected! The correction system is specifically designed so that fixing errors doesn't penalize students who submitted on time. Your $18k asset reduction should actually improve your Expected Family Contribution, which could mean more aid. I ended up getting great aid packages from all my schools despite the late correction. You did everything right by submitting early and then fixing the error when you caught it. Don't stress - you're in a really good position! 😊

Hi Sofia! As someone new to this community, I wanted to jump in and share that you're definitely not alone in this worry! I'm a college freshman who went through this exact same situation last year. I submitted my FAFSA in mid-March but had to make a correction in late April when I discovered my parents had incorrectly reported some investment income. I was absolutely convinced that the April correction date would somehow override my March submission for priority deadlines at my schools. But after calling my top choice school's financial aid office (and having a minor panic attack on the phone 😅), they assured me that corrections NEVER affect your original submission date for priority purposes. The financial aid counselor actually laughed (in a nice way!) and said this is probably the most common question they get during FAFSA season. Your March 15 date is locked in, and that $18k asset reduction is actually going to work in your favor for aid calculations. I ended up getting great aid packages from all my schools despite the "late" correction. You handled this perfectly by catching the error and fixing it - that's exactly what you're supposed to do! Don't stress anymore, you're all set! 😊

This thread has been absolutely amazing to read through! As a college freshman who just went through the FAFSA process last year, I wish I had found this kind of detailed discussion when I was filling out my application. My family made the exact mistake that several people mentioned - we included my independent older sister because she was living at home, and we ended up getting selected for verification. It was such a stressful experience! What I love about all the responses here is how clearly everyone has explained that household size is about financial support, not just who sleeps under the same roof. The 50% support test makes so much sense once it's broken down properly. For anyone still feeling uncertain about their situation, I'd definitely recommend the advice about calculating actual dollar amounts - when we finally did that during our verification process, it became crystal clear that we had reported incorrectly. One thing I'd add is to save screenshots or print out this entire discussion! When we were going through verification, having clear explanations of the rules (like what everyone has provided here) really helped us communicate with our financial aid office. They appreciated that we had done our research and understood the reasoning behind our corrected reporting. Thanks to everyone who contributed their knowledge and experiences - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes navigating college finances so much easier!

This entire discussion has been absolutely incredible to read! As someone who's about to start the FAFSA process for the first time, I had no idea that household size could be this nuanced. I have a very similar situation - my 23-year-old brother just graduated and moved back home while he job hunts in this tough market. He's been using his savings to cover his car payment, phone bill, and personal expenses while contributing to groceries. Reading through everyone's explanations about the "more than 50% support" test versus physical residence has been such an eye-opener! I initially thought that since he lives with us, he should automatically be counted. But now I understand it's really about who's financially dependent on whom, not just housing arrangements. The advice about making a detailed expense list is brilliant - I'm definitely doing that with my family this weekend. Based on what I've learned here, it seems clear we shouldn't include my brother since he's supporting himself financially, even while job hunting. The fact that he contributes to groceries actually demonstrates independence rather than dependency. Thank you to everyone who shared their personal experiences and professional insights! It's so reassuring to know this confusion is totally normal and that there are clear guidelines once you understand them. This community has potentially saved me from making a costly mistake on my first FAFSA. I feel so much more confident now about approaching this correctly!

So glad you got it sorted out! Your post actually helped me too - I'm dealing with the exact same situation with my son's FAFSA right now. I was also panicking about clicking that contributor invitation email. Reading through all these responses gave me the confidence to go ahead and complete my section. It's crazy how much they've changed the process, but at least we're all figuring it out together!

Just went through this exact same thing last week! I was so worried about messing up my daughter's application that I let that email sit for 3 days before finally clicking it. The new FAFSA system definitely requires both parents to complete their own sections now, even if you file jointly. Once I actually did it, it was much simpler than I expected - the system guides you through everything step by step. Don't let fear hold you back like I did - your daughter's application can't be processed until you complete your part!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer who just discovered this incredibly helpful thread while desperately searching for answers about my own financial aid situation, I can't express how relieved I am to have found such detailed and supportive information here. I'm currently dealing with $2,650 of my FAFSA aid marked as "ineligible" at my community college, and until reading through all of your shared experiences, I was completely lost about what was causing this frustrating issue. Like so many others here, I'm taking general education courses with the intention of transferring to a four-year university next fall, but I had absolutely no idea that being officially enrolled in a transfer program was a requirement for accessing my full financial aid amount. My school's financial aid office has been incredibly unhelpful, just giving me vague responses about "pending verification" without explaining what needs to be verified or providing any concrete steps I could take to resolve the situation. It's honestly shocking how poorly these critical requirements are communicated to students upfront. We're expected to navigate these complex bureaucratic systems without clear guidance, and then we're left scrambling when our educational funding gets tied up in processes we didn't even know existed! Thanks to all the comprehensive advice shared throughout this thread, I now feel prepared to tackle this issue effectively. I'm scheduling an appointment with an academic advisor first thing tomorrow morning to get officially enrolled in a transfer pathway program, and I'll make sure to bring documentation about my intended transfer university and ask the advisor to coordinate directly with the financial aid office to expedite the process. This community is exactly what confused students need when our schools fail to provide adequate support and clear communication. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a valuable resource for navigating these confusing systems. I'll definitely post an update once I get my situation resolved!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer who just discovered this incredibly helpful thread while searching for answers about my own financial aid confusion, I'm so grateful to have found such a supportive and knowledgeable group of people here. I'm currently facing a similar situation with $1,450 of my FAFSA aid marked as "ineligible" at my community college, and like so many others who have shared their experiences, I had absolutely no idea what was causing this frustrating issue. I'm taking general education courses planning to transfer to a state university next year, but I had no clue that official enrollment in a transfer program was required for full aid access. My school's financial aid office has been giving me the same vague "under review" responses that everyone else seems to be getting, with no timeline or clear steps to resolve it. Reading through all of your shared experiences and detailed solutions has been such an eye-opener - it's honestly appalling how these critical requirements aren't communicated upfront when students are enrolling and applying for aid. We shouldn't have to discover these unwritten rules through community forums while our educational expenses pile up! Thanks to all the comprehensive guidance shared here, I'm calling my school's academic advising office tomorrow to schedule an appointment and get enrolled in their official transfer pathway program. I'll make sure to bring my transfer university information and ask the advisor to coordinate directly with financial aid to expedite the process. This community is providing exactly the kind of clear, actionable support that our schools should be offering but clearly aren't. Thank you all for creating such a valuable resource for students navigating these confusing systems. I'll definitely update everyone once I get my situation resolved!

As a newcomer to this whole FAFSA process, I can't tell you how much this thread has helped ease my anxiety! I just saw 'processed' status on my son's application yesterday and immediately started second-guessing everything - did I fill something out wrong? Are we missing documents? Should I have heard something by now? Reading everyone's experiences here has been such a relief. I had no idea about things like verification selection, CSS Profile requirements, or even that I should be checking the individual college portals separately. The tracking spreadsheet idea is brilliant - I'm definitely creating one this weekend with all deadlines and requirements for each school. It's both overwhelming and comforting to realize how many steps are involved in this process beyond just submitting the initial FAFSA. But seeing how supportive this community is and knowing that other parents have successfully navigated these same concerns gives me so much confidence. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you're making this intimidating process much more manageable for those of us doing it for the first time!

As someone who's also navigating the FAFSA process for the first time, this entire conversation has been incredibly enlightening! I was in the same boat just last week - saw 'processed' status and immediately wondered if I was done or if there were more steps I was missing. What I've learned from reading everyone's experiences here is that 'processed' is definitely a positive milestone, but it's just one step in a longer journey. The advice about creating a tracking spreadsheet, taking screenshots, and checking individual college portals has been invaluable. I had no idea about CSS Profile requirements or the verification process before reading this thread. One thing I'd add is that I found it helpful to join my state's financial aid Facebook group as well - they often share updates about processing delays or system issues that can affect timelines. Also, don't forget to check if your son qualifies for any state-specific aid programs that might have separate applications or deadlines. You're clearly being thorough and asking all the right questions, which puts you way ahead of parents who just submit and hope for the best. The fact that you're staying on top of this with 3 weeks before the deadline shows you're managing this process really well. Keep up the great work!