For future reference, there's also a specific workaround documented on StudentAid.gov for spouses without SSNs that can cause similar errors (though this wasn't your issue). If anyone encounters that specific problem, there's an official guide on how to handle it. Just search "FAFSA contributor without SSN workaround" on the StudentAid.gov site. Glad you got it resolved!

So glad you got it figured out! This is such a helpful thread - I'm bookmarking it because I know I'll be dealing with the same spouse verification process soon. The name mismatch issue seems to be super common but not well documented anywhere. It's ridiculous that the system is so picky about every single character but doesn't give clear error messages about what's actually wrong. Thanks for updating with the solution, this will definitely save other people hours of frustration!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I spoke with my financial aid office and they confirmed I don't need to report my scholarship on my FAFSA application. Since it's being applied directly to tuition (and nothing is refunded to me), it won't be taxable income either. They did mention it might affect my overall financial aid package through something called "scholarship displacement" but said they try to reduce loans first before grants. I feel SO much better now understanding how this works!

As someone who just went through this process last semester, I wanted to add one more important point that might help future students reading this thread. Make sure to keep detailed records of how your scholarship money is allocated! Even though your school handles the FAFSA reporting, you'll want documentation for your own tax filing purposes. My school's bursar office was able to provide me with a breakdown showing exactly how much of my scholarship went to tuition vs. other expenses. This made tax season SO much easier when I needed to figure out if any portion was taxable income. Also, if you have multiple scholarships from different sources (like I did), ask your financial aid office how they prioritize which scholarships get applied to which expenses - some schools will strategically apply outside scholarships to non-qualified expenses first to help you avoid tax liability on their institutional aid. Knowledge is power when it comes to financial aid!

This entire thread is gold! As someone who works in a high school guidance office, I see this DRT issue constantly during FAFSA season. I'm definitely going to compile these troubleshooting steps into a handout for our students. The incognito browser trick, clearing cache/cookies, checking parent FSA ID login status, and that Claimyr service for getting through to FSA - these are all solutions I wish I had known about sooner. It's ridiculous that the official FAFSA help resources don't clearly outline these common fixes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - you're helping way more students than you probably realize!

This entire discussion has been so eye-opening! I'm a parent who will be helping my daughter with her FAFSA next year, and I had no idea there were so many potential technical pitfalls with the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has given me a great roadmap for troubleshooting if we run into similar issues. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and will make sure to start the process early, try incognito browsing first, and have that Claimyr service as a backup plan for contacting FSA if needed. It's really unfortunate that the official FAFSA resources don't provide this level of practical troubleshooting guidance. Thank you to everyone who shared their struggles and solutions - you're creating a valuable resource for future families navigating this complicated process!

**Update on our situation:** I finally got through to a FAFSA representative this morning. They confirmed that answering YES to the federal benefits question AND having an AGI below $60,000 made us eligible for the Simplified Needs Test (SNT), which is why I didn't get asked about assets. Even though our income is $120K, apparently the system only looked at MY income as the contributing parent, not our combined household income (we file separately). The rep said this was working as intended and that I should submit as-is. Hope this helps anyone else in a similar situation!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm a newcomer here and currently going through the FAFSA process with my oldest. We had a similar situation where we received WIC benefits for part of 2023, and I was worried about answering "yes" to that question. Reading through everyone's experiences here really clarifies how the new system works with the Simplified Needs Test. It sounds like the key takeaway is that if you legitimately received any qualifying federal benefits during 2023 (regardless of the reason) AND meet the income thresholds, the system will automatically skip asset questions. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and especially to those who followed up with official answers from FSA! One question for the group - has anyone had experience with the verification process after submitting a FAFSA that qualified for SNT? I'm wondering if they ask for additional documentation about the benefit programs during verification.

As a college financial aid counselor, I can tell you that skipping the FAFSA can have unintended consequences. Many institutions use FAFSA data for internal scholarships and grants that aren't federal aid. Also, the Student Aid Index (SAI) formula changes occasionally, so a family that didn't qualify one year might qualify the next. Additionally, some departments use FAFSA completion as a metric for student engagement/retention programs. Not having it on file could exclude your student from opportunities they might not even know about yet. I always recommend completing it annually unless you've explicitly confirmed with your specific institution that it's unnecessary for your student's particular situation.

Another thing to consider - if your daughter ever needs to take out federal student loans in the future (maybe for graduate school or if family circumstances change), having recent FAFSA data on file can speed up that process. The Department of Education keeps records of your submissions, and some schools require FAFSA completion before they'll even discuss loan options with students. It's kind of like insurance - you hope you won't need it, but it's better to have it just in case. Plus, with the 529 plan you mentioned, there are some educational tax credits that use similar financial information, so keeping everything current can help with tax planning too.