I went through this same situation last year and want to emphasize how important it is to keep good records! Since you mentioned having 60% custody, you're clearly the custodial parent for FAFSA purposes, but some schools do ask for verification especially when it's not obviously one-sided. I actually created a simple spreadsheet tracking overnight stays for the full 12 months before filing - just dates and which parent's house. It ended up being super helpful when the financial aid office had questions. Also, don't stress too much about the exact percentage - as long as it's more than 50% with you, you're good to go. The new FAFSA really did simplify things compared to the old system!

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter, I can confirm everything everyone has said is correct! Since your daughter lives with you 60% of the time, you're definitely the custodial parent for FAFSA purposes. One thing I'd add is to make sure you have your 2023 tax return handy when you start filling it out - the new FAFSA can actually pull a lot of the financial info directly from the IRS now, which makes it much faster than the old version. Also, don't panic if the form seems glitchy at first - there were some technical issues early in the year but they've mostly been resolved. You've got this!

As a complete newcomer to this community and the financial aid world, I'm absolutely amazed by this thread! My daughter is a high school junior, so we're just starting to dive into all of this FAFSA and MPN stuff, and honestly Carlos's experience has been both incredibly helpful and pretty nerve-wracking. The fact that you had to become a tech detective just to submit a government form is mind-blowing - Edge InPrivate mode, disabling security software, clearing specific cookies, AND finding hidden checkboxes with zero error messages? That's like a puzzle designed to frustrate families when they're already stressed about college costs! What really gets me is how the system fails silently with no guidance whatsoever. At least give parents a hint about what's wrong! I'm definitely bookmarking this entire thread as my MPN troubleshooting bible and sharing it with other parents in our district. Thank you Carlos for not giving up and documenting every step of your solution, and thanks to everyone who jumped in with their technical expertise. This community is already proving to be such a valuable resource for navigating these bureaucratic nightmares! Knowing there are people here who've been through this and are willing to help gives me so much more confidence about tackling this process next year.

As someone completely new to this community and just starting to navigate the financial aid process with my daughter who's a high school senior, I cannot thank you enough for this incredibly detailed thread! We're literally going through the FAFSA process right now and I had no idea that the MPN could be such a technical nightmare. Reading through Carlos's three-day battle and the specific combination of solutions that finally worked (Edge InPrivate mode + disabling security software + clearing site-specific cookies + finding that hidden checkbox!) has me both grateful and honestly pretty scared about what we're going to face. The fact that a government website designed to help families access education funding has such poor error handling - or rather, NO error handling - is absolutely mind-boggling. I'm definitely printing out this entire thread and keeping it as my MPN troubleshooting guide for when we inevitably hit these same roadblocks in a few months. Thank you Carlos for your persistence in solving this and taking the time to document every step, and huge thanks to everyone who contributed their technical expertise. This community is already proving to be such an invaluable resource for those of us trying to figure out these complex bureaucratic processes!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! My son's FAFSA has been flagged THREE times since mid-April - first for income verification, then for dependency status, and now for some "institutional verification" that I don't even understand. Each time we submit documents, a new flag appears 1-2 weeks later. It's absolutely maddening! What's really frustrating is that each college portal shows different information about what's needed, and the studentaid.gov site seems to update at random times. I've been keeping a spreadsheet tracking every document we've submitted and when, because I'm starting to lose track of what we've already sent where. The worst part is watching other families get their financial aid packages while we're still stuck in verification limbo. My son's top choice school said they can't process ANY aid until ALL verification is complete, so we have no idea what our actual costs will be. Really hoping this new consolidated review process that @Hattie Carson mentioned actually works!

I'm so sorry you're all going through this! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with the exact same issue. My daughter's FAFSA has been flagged twice so far - once in early April for tax verification and again last week for "household composition verification." What's been most helpful for us is keeping detailed records like @Selena Bautista mentioned with the spreadsheet. I've also learned to screenshot everything in the studentaid.gov portal because the information seems to change or disappear randomly. One thing that's given me some peace of mind - I called our state's financial aid hotline (didn't even know this existed until recently!) and they confirmed that colleges are required to work with families experiencing FAFSA delays this year. They suggested asking each school specifically about their "professional judgment" process, which can sometimes allow them to make aid determinations based on estimated information while verification is pending. Hang in there everyone - it sounds like we're all in this together and hopefully the new consolidated review process will help!

As someone who just went through this entire FAFSA process with my twin daughters who graduated spring 2024, I can absolutely confirm what everyone here is saying - you MUST use your 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 FAFSA! I cannot stress this enough because I actually made this mistake initially. When I first started filling out their FAFSAs in October 2023, I got confused by some outdated information I found online and used our 2022 tax return thinking it was the "prior year." Big mistake! We had to go back and correct everything, which delayed their financial aid packages and caused so much unnecessary stress. The "prior-prior year" rule is absolutely consistent - for any student starting college in fall 2025, you use 2023 tax information, period. This applies whether you fill out the FAFSA in October 2024, December 2024, or even if you wait until spring 2025 (though definitely don't wait that long!). One thing I'll add that I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure to check if your state has its own FAFSA deadline that's earlier than the federal deadline. Some states distribute aid on a first-come, first-served basis, and missing their deadline can cost you thousands in state grants. In our state, the deadline was March 1st, much earlier than I expected. Trust me, stick with the 2023 tax return and you'll be fine. Good luck with your daughter's applications!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I want to add my voice to thank everyone for this incredibly comprehensive and helpful discussion! My daughter is graduating spring 2025 and I was equally confused about which tax year to use until I found this thread. The consistent confirmation from everyone that we need to use our 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 FAFSA has been such a relief. I was getting mixed signals from different websites and was genuinely worried about making a mistake that could hurt my daughter's financial aid eligibility. The "prior-prior year" rule explanation finally clicked for me - it's actually quite smart that they designed the system this way so families don't have to scramble with estimated numbers or wait for their most recent tax filings to be completed. I'm definitely taking all the excellent advice shared here to heart: organizing our 2023 tax documents immediately, creating FSA IDs for both myself and my daughter well before October, submitting as soon as the FAFSA opens, using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to minimize errors, and researching each school's priority deadlines for scholarships and state aid programs. The tip about checking state-specific FAFSA deadlines that @Chloe Harris mentioned is something I never would have thought to look into - thank you for that crucial insight! This community has truly transformed what felt like an overwhelming bureaucratic nightmare into a manageable process with clear, actionable steps. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and experiences - it means everything to us first-time FAFSA parents trying to navigate this correctly!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly helpful as I prepare for my daughter's college applications next year! The breakdown of how the new FAFSA system works has been eye-opening - I had no idea about the shift from EFC to SAI or that student assets are now assessed at 20% instead of 12%. What really stands out to me is how many different strategies and resources are available beyond just the initial FAFSA calculation. The Professional Judgment review process, state aid programs, Work-Study opportunities, and institutional aid all seem like crucial pieces of the puzzle that I never would have known about without this community discussion. Fiona, your situation really illustrates how complex this system has become, but it's encouraging to see how much support and practical advice you've received here. The fact that you're advocating so strongly for your son and pursuing multiple avenues (the Professional Judgment review, scholarship applications, etc.) shows you're on the right track. For other parents like me who are just starting this journey, this thread has been invaluable for understanding that we need to be proactive, strategic, and persistent in navigating the financial aid process. Thank you to everyone who shared their expertise and real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical guidance families need!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive discussion about the FAFSA changes! My son will be applying for college next year, and I honestly had no idea how dramatically the system has changed. Reading through Fiona's situation and all the detailed responses has been like getting a masterclass in financial aid strategy. The explanation about the Student Aid Index replacing EFC and the increase in student asset assessment to 20% is particularly concerning - it really does seem counterintuitive that students are now penalized more heavily for saving money for college. The "donut hole" income concept also explains so much about why families with seemingly similar financial situations can have vastly different aid outcomes. What I'm taking away from this discussion is that the financial aid process requires much more strategic planning than I realized. The timing of asset management, understanding state aid programs, building early relationships with financial aid offices, and knowing about Professional Judgment reviews all seem crucial. I'm definitely going to start researching our state's supplemental aid programs and reach out to financial aid offices at target schools well before application deadlines. Fiona, I really hope your Professional Judgment review results in increased aid for your son - you're clearly advocating strongly for him and have gathered excellent documentation and strategies from this community. Thank you to everyone who shared their real-world experiences and expertise. This thread has been more informative than any official resource I've found!