Hey! I just went through this exact same thing with my daughter last month. The key thing is that your son needs to actively add you as a contributor - it doesn't happen automatically when he submits his portion. Have him log back into his FAFSA at studentaid.gov, go to the Contributors section, and make sure he's entered your email address correctly. One thing I learned the hard way - double check that he's entering your email exactly right, including any dots or underscores. My daughter had a typo in my email and I was waiting for days wondering why I never got the invitation! Once she fixed it, I got the email within a couple hours. Also, while you're waiting, go ahead and create your FSA ID if you don't already have one - you'll need it to complete your portion anyway and it can take a day or two to get verified. Don't stress too much about timing yet, you still have plenty of time to get this sorted out!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and reading through all these comments has been so helpful! My daughter just started her application yesterday and I was wondering when I'd hear from her about completing my part. Now I know to have her check that she actually added me as a contributor before I start worrying about missing emails. It sounds like this is a really common mistake that students make. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's making this whole process feel much less overwhelming for a first-time FAFSA parent!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I feel your pain completely. We're at $112K income and got hit with a $26,000 SAI - it really does feel like being stuck in the worst possible income bracket. One thing that made a huge difference for us was applying to schools strategically based on their net price calculators, not just their sticker prices. Some private schools that looked impossibly expensive actually came in cheaper than our state schools after institutional aid. Schools like Grinnell, Kenyon, and several others have surprisingly generous aid for families in our income range. Also, don't overlook applying for Professional Judgment appeals if you have any circumstances that aren't captured in the FAFSA - things like high medical expenses, recent job changes, or supporting elderly parents can sometimes help. The worst they can say is no. The timing issue with retirement contributions that someone mentioned is real too. We wish we'd known to max out our 401k contributions in the prior-prior year used for FAFSA calculations. Something to keep in mind if you have younger kids coming up. It's a frustrating system, but there are definitely paths through it if you're strategic about school selection and explore every funding avenue.

I'm new to this community but found this discussion while researching FAFSA issues for my own family. We're facing a similar situation with our oldest starting college next year - household income around $95K and anticipating a high SAI that will leave us in that challenging middle ground. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. I had no idea about the assessment rate structure or how dramatically the formula changes at different income thresholds. The suggestion about using net price calculators strategically rather than just looking at sticker prices is something I'm going to implement immediately. One question for the group - for those who successfully found good institutional aid at private colleges, how early in the process did you start reaching out to financial aid offices? I'm wondering if it's worth having conversations before applications are even submitted to understand their specific methodologies and what they look for in middle-income families. Also, has anyone had success with scholarship search engines beyond the obvious ones like Fastweb? I feel like I'm missing opportunities but don't know where else to look. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - it's helpful to know we're not alone in this frustrating situation, and that there are concrete strategies beyond just accepting the federal formula results.

This thread has been incredibly eye-opening and frankly terrifying as someone just starting to navigate this process. I had no idea about the removal of the sibling discount or how brutally the new SAI formula hits middle-class families. For those dealing with the stock sale issue - I'm wondering if there's any benefit to timing when you submit corrections or appeals? Like, should you wait until after schools release their initial aid packages to see which ones might be more receptive to professional judgment reviews? Also, has anyone had success with state-based aid programs that might not rely on the federal SAI calculation? I'm starting to think we need to completely rethink our college strategy and maybe focus on schools where our kids would be in the top 25% of applicants for merit aid rather than trying to chase need-based aid that apparently doesn't exist for families like ours anymore. The fact that people are getting SAI numbers higher than their actual income is just mind-boggling. It really does feel like the system is designed to force middle-class families into massive debt or price them out entirely.

As someone who just went through this nightmare last year, I feel your pain completely! The new SAI formula is absolutely brutal for middle-class families. A few things that helped us navigate this disaster: 1. Document EVERYTHING for your professional judgment appeal - not just the stock sale receipts, but also proof it was for necessary home repairs, your normal income history, and anything showing this was a one-time event. 2. Apply to a mix of schools including some where your son's stats put him in the top 25-30% of admitted students. These schools are more likely to offer merit aid to attract him. 3. Look into your state's grant programs - many have different formulas than federal aid and might be more generous. 4. Consider starting at community college for gen eds if the four-year costs are truly unaffordable. I know that's not what you planned, but the savings can be massive. The removal of the sibling discount is absolutely devastating for families like ours. It's like they designed this system specifically to hurt responsible middle-class families who saved for retirement and own homes. Don't give up on the appeals though - even a partial reduction could save you thousands. Good luck!

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to this community and just wanted to express how grateful I am for this incredibly detailed and helpful thread. I submitted my FAFSA about 10 days ago and have been checking the status obsessively - it's been showing "In Process" and I was starting to panic that I might have done something wrong. Reading through Collins' entire journey from initial worry through to successful resolution has been such a relief! The combination of real student experiences with professional insights from Misterclamation Skyblue and the clear timeline breakdown from Vince Eh has completely changed my understanding of the process. It's amazing to see how supportive and welcoming this community is to newcomers who are navigating this stressful process for the first time. I feel so much more confident now knowing that 10 days is still very early in the timeline and that there are clear steps to take if needed later on. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such an informative and supportive space - I'm looking forward to being part of this community and hopefully helping others once I get through my own FAFSA journey!

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been. I submitted my FAFSA about 8 days ago and it's been showing "In Process" status - I was already starting to get worried that maybe I made an error somewhere. But reading through Collins' detailed journey from being stuck in "In Process" to getting it successfully resolved, plus all the expert advice from Misterclamation Skyblue about how the system actually works, has been such a relief! The timeline breakdown from Vince Eh is exactly what I needed to understand that 8 days is still very early in the process. It's amazing to see how welcoming and supportive this community is to newcomers who are navigating the FAFSA maze for the first time. I feel so much more confident now knowing that there are clear steps to take if I need them later, and resources like Claimyr if calling becomes necessary. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such an informative space - I'm looking forward to being part of this community and hopefully helping other first-time applicants once I get through my own FAFSA journey!

I went through this exact same situation last year with my daughter! The confusion is totally understandable - having different parents for FAFSA vs tax purposes makes everything more complicated. Just to reinforce what others have said: you're in the clear as far as YOUR taxes go. The scholarships and Pell Grants don't get reported on your return at all, regardless of who claims her as a dependent. One thing that really helped me was sitting down with my daughter to go through her 1098-T form together when it arrived from her college. It shows exactly what was paid for tuition/fees vs what went toward room and board. The tuition portion is tax-free, but if any scholarship money went toward living expenses, that portion might be taxable income for her (though as others mentioned, most students still don't owe taxes because their total income is usually below the standard deduction). Your ex is actually right that you don't need to do anything on your end - he just doesn't understand that it's because of how scholarship taxation works, not because he claims her! Keep doing what you're doing with the FAFSA as the custodial parent.

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! My ex claims our daughter on his taxes but I'm the FAFSA parent since she lives with me. Reading through all these responses has been so reassuring - I was worried I was doing something wrong by not reporting her aid on my taxes. One thing I learned from our college's financial aid office is that they actually prefer when the FAFSA parent and tax dependent are different people in divorce situations, because it often results in better aid packages. The FAFSA looks at the custodial parent's income (usually lower if that parent has primary custody) while the other parent still gets the tax benefits. It's one of the few times the system actually works in favor of divorced families! Just wanted to add that perspective since it sounds like your arrangement is actually pretty optimal for financial aid purposes. Your daughter is lucky to have parents who are both looking out for her best interests even while navigating this confusing system.