Thanks everyone for the responses! From what I'm gathering, it seems like switching from mom to dad should be okay as long as all the household financial information is consistent. I'll make sure my dad has access to what my mom submitted last year so he can keep things aligned. And I'll double check about that retirement account to make sure it's properly included. Fingers crossed I don't get flagged for verification!

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who works in financial aid - the confusion here is understandable! While switching parents between years *technically* shouldn't trigger verification by itself, what often happens is that different parents have different levels of attention to detail or access to financial documents. So you might see variations in reported assets, income sources, or other details that weren't necessarily "wrong" before, just incomplete or rounded differently. My advice: have your dad review last year's submitted FAFSA line by line before starting this year's application. Note any accounts, income sources, or assets that might have been missed or reported differently. If there are legitimate changes (like that retirement account), you can always provide a brief explanation in the special circumstances section. Better to be proactive than reactive if verification does come up!

I had no idea about the origination fee difference! That's significant. It seems like the subsidized loans really are the better deal all around. I'll need to have my daughter check exactly what types of loans are in her financial aid package.

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can confirm what others have said - there's absolutely no requirement for your daughter to take loans before you can apply for Parent PLUS. The misinformation from financial aid offices is unfortunately common. I'd recommend going directly to studentaid.gov and applying yourself rather than relying on the school's guidance. Also, definitely have your daughter accept any subsidized loans she's eligible for first since they don't accrue interest while she's in school. The interest rate difference alone makes it worth prioritizing student loans over Parent PLUS when possible. Good luck with your decision before the May 1st deadline!

Thank you all for your helpful responses! I feel much clearer now about how to approach this. I'll follow the advice to: 1. File the FAFSA listing myself as the custodial grandparent 2. Include the 2023 Social Security benefits as required 3. After acceptances, contact each financial aid office about a professional judgment review 4. Provide documentation of both the legal custody arrangement and the June 2025 end date for benefits 5. Look into scholarships specifically for students who've lost a parent I really appreciate everyone taking time to explain this complicated situation. It's frustrating that the system makes it so difficult to navigate these non-traditional family situations, but at least we have a clear path forward now.

I'm glad you found all the advice helpful! One additional tip - when you contact the financial aid offices after acceptances, ask specifically about their "Special Circumstances" or "Professional Judgment" process. Some schools have specific forms for this, while others just want a letter and documentation. Getting on their radar early in the process (like January/February) can really help since these reviews take time. Also, don't be discouraged if you have to explain the situation multiple times to different people at each school. Unfortunately, these cases are complex and not every staff member will be familiar with the nuances between custody and guardianship. The key is persistence and good documentation. Your granddaughter is lucky to have you advocating for her through this process!

Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! This community is amazing. We've decided to select "YES" on the authorization. It sounds like it will make everything much smoother and avoid any potential delays or registration issues. This whole FAFSA process is so confusing for first-timers!

Just wanted to add one more perspective here! As someone who works in a college financial aid office, I can confirm that selecting "YES" is usually the way to go for most students. We see so many problems when students select "NO" - not just the refund delays that others mentioned, but also confusion about what charges are covered vs. not covered. One thing to keep in mind: even if you select "YES," you can still request a refund for any remaining balance after all authorized charges are applied. So if there's leftover money after tuition, fees, housing, meal plan, etc., that excess would still come back to you as a refund check. The authorization really just gives the school flexibility to handle your aid disbursement more efficiently. Hope this helps ease any remaining concerns!

when we did my brothers fafsa with his va benefits we had to get a letter from the va showing exactly what he got for the year. might wanna get that now so u have it ready when they ask for verificashun

I'm new to this community but dealing with a very similar situation! My husband is also a disabled veteran receiving both VA disability compensation and SSDI, and we're non-filers. After reading through all these helpful responses, I wanted to add that you should also check if your state has any special financial aid programs for veterans' families - some states have additional grants or scholarships that can supplement federal aid. Also, when you're gathering documentation, don't forget to keep copies of everything you submit. We learned the hard way that sometimes documents get lost in the system and you'll need to resubmit. Having everything organized and ready to go again can save you weeks of delays. One more tip: if your daughter is applying to multiple schools, create a spreadsheet tracking which schools have received what documents and when. Each school's financial aid office operates independently, so staying organized is crucial!