As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion! My spouse is a disabled veteran and we're just starting to prepare for our first FAFSA for our daughter who will be a high school senior next year. I've been really anxious about how the new automated system would handle VA disability payments, but this thread has been absolutely invaluable. What's most reassuring is seeing so many veteran families consistently confirm that VA disability compensation is still legally protected and excluded from income calculations under the new system. The explanation about the system pulling from AGI rather than gross income was particularly enlightening - it makes perfect sense that since VA disability isn't taxable income, it wouldn't be included in the AGI anyway. I love the practical verification advice about comparing our tax return's AGI with what shows up on the FAFSA Submission Summary after submission. Having that concrete method to double-check gives me so much more confidence in trusting the automated process, especially when we can't see exactly how the calculations work behind the scenes. This community support is exactly what military families need when navigating these complex financial aid processes. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences and creating such a welcoming space for newcomers like me to learn and feel more prepared!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly comprehensive discussion! My husband is a disabled veteran and we're about to start our first FAFSA for our son who's starting college this fall. I've been really worried about how his VA disability compensation would be handled with the new automated system, but reading through all these experiences has been so reassuring. What I find most helpful is the consistent confirmation from multiple veteran families that VA disability payments are still legally protected and excluded from income calculations. The explanation about AGI vs. gross income really cleared things up for me - since VA disability isn't taxable, it makes sense that it's not included in the AGI that the system pulls from. I'm definitely going to use the verification method everyone mentioned about comparing our tax return's AGI with what appears on the FAFSA Submission Summary. Having that concrete way to double-check gives me so much more confidence in the process. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space where military families can get real answers and practical advice. This discussion has made what seemed like an overwhelming process feel much more manageable!

just remember FASFA for 2024-2025 is gonna be that new FASFA with the changes so its opening in december not october like before and everyones saying its gonna be a mess lol

As someone who just went through this process with my own kid, I wanted to add that you should also check if your state has any specific summer aid programs! Some states offer additional grants specifically for summer enrollment that aren't tied to the regular FAFSA timeline. Also, if your daughter is considering taking prerequisite courses over summer to stay on track for graduation, some schools have emergency aid funds available for students who need summer classes to maintain academic progress. It's worth asking about all available options when she meets with financial aid!

Just went through this exact situation last month! My advice would be to document everything showing you provide the majority of her living expenses - bank statements, receipts for school supplies, medical bills you pay, etc. Even though your ex claims her on taxes, having proof that you're the one actually supporting her day-to-day will really help when you file that special circumstances appeal with the colleges. Also, make sure to apply this to EVERY school she's considering - don't assume they'll all have the same response to your appeal. Some schools are way more flexible with divorced parent situations than others.

As someone who just went through this nightmare with my daughter's FAFSA, I feel your pain! The key thing is getting your ex on board early because once you start the application, you can't really move forward without his cooperation. I'd suggest having a conversation with him about timelines - the FAFSA opens October 1st for the following school year, and some deadlines are really early (like February for state aid in some states). Also, make sure he understands that even though he claims her on taxes, if you're the one who will actually be paying for college, you should gather documentation now showing your financial support. This will be crucial if you need to appeal the aid decision later. The whole system is frustrating, but it's definitely doable once you know the steps!

Congrats on getting it submitted on time! You made the right call - VA disability payments are definitely excluded from income reporting, but the account balances still need to be reported as assets. Just wanted to add that if you ever need to make corrections later, you have that option, but it sounds like you handled it correctly. Good luck with your aid package!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who works at a college financial aid office - you absolutely did the right thing! This is one of the most common questions we get, and yes, VA disability payments should NOT be reported as income on FAFSA, but any money sitting in accounts (regardless of source) does get reported as assets. You handled it perfectly. The good news is that even if you had made an error, you can always submit corrections later, but it sounds like you won't need to. Hope you get a great aid package!

FYI - If you run into trouble regardless of browser, the FAFSA customer service number is basically useless right now. Been seeing 3-4 hour wait times all month because of the new FAFSA rollout issues. Just be prepared with snacks and movies if you need to call them! 😂

Just wanted to add my experience - I used Chrome on Windows and had success, but the key was definitely doing it during off-peak hours like others mentioned. I started around 6 AM on a Sunday and breezed through the whole thing. One tip I haven't seen mentioned yet: make sure to save your progress every few sections by clicking "Save and Continue" rather than just moving forward. The auto-save feature seems unreliable, so manually saving gave me peace of mind. Also, have all your tax documents and bank statements ready beforehand - the less time you spend hunting for info, the less chance of timing out or encountering glitches. Good luck!