I'm also new to this community and unfortunately dealing with this exact same 401(k) rollover disaster! My husband had a $62,000 rollover when his company switched from Principal to Fidelity last year, and our SAI skyrocketed from around $12,000 to $32,000. I was absolutely panicking thinking we had completely botched our FAFSA submission until I discovered this incredibly helpful thread. It's both maddening and such a relief to see how many families are experiencing this exact same system error. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences and advice has given me so much hope that this can be resolved, even though it's ridiculous that we all have to fight individual battles with each school for what should be a simple system fix. I'm going to follow the comprehensive documentation approach that's been so thoroughly outlined here: - Get the 1099-R with distribution code G from Principal - Obtain statements from both Principal and Fidelity showing the direct transfer - Include our tax returns proving it wasn't included in our AGI - Create a detailed cover letter mentioning this is a documented FSA system issue My plan is to proactively contact every school on our list to request their professional judgment forms immediately rather than waiting for initial aid decisions. From all the experiences shared, it's clear that weekly follow-ups and having complete documentation ready are absolutely essential for getting these corrections processed quickly. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone tracked how long the entire process took from submitting documentation to receiving corrected aid packages? Just trying to set realistic expectations for timing. Thank you to everyone who has shared such detailed guidance and experiences - this thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding how to navigate this nightmare!

I'm new to this community and unfortunately also dealing with this exact 401(k) rollover nightmare! My husband had a $74,000 rollover when his company was bought out and switched from American Funds to Vanguard last year, and our SAI shot up from around $11,500 to $34,000. I was absolutely convinced we had somehow destroyed our daughter's financial aid chances until I found this incredibly helpful thread. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief - it's both infuriating and comforting to know this is such a widespread system error affecting so many families. The comprehensive advice shared here has given me a clear roadmap for fighting this, even though it's ridiculous we have to do all this extra work for what should be an automatic system correction. I'm putting together my documentation packet this week based on all the excellent guidance here: - 1099-R with distribution code G from American Funds - Account statements from both American Funds and Vanguard showing the direct transfer - Our tax returns proving it wasn't counted as income - A detailed cover letter explaining this is a documented FSA system issue Planning to contact all schools immediately for their professional judgment forms rather than waiting for aid decisions. From everything I've read, persistence with weekly follow-ups seems to be absolutely critical for getting these processed quickly. Thank you to everyone who has shared such detailed experiences and advice - this community has been a lifesaver for understanding how to navigate this mess and knowing we're not alone in this fight!

I'm new to this community but wanted to add my experience since I went through something very similar about 6 months ago. I was separated for almost 3 years without legal papers and also filing "married filing separately" with kids. One thing that really helped my case that I haven't seen mentioned yet is including documentation of any changes you made to beneficiaries on insurance policies, retirement accounts, or other financial accounts. When I separated from my ex, I changed all my beneficiaries from him to my children, and my financial aid counselor said this was additional evidence of our intent to live completely separate financial lives. Also, if you have any text messages, emails, or other communication that shows discussions about living separately or dividing responsibilities for the kids, save those too. I know it sounds weird to include personal communications, but my counselor said it helped demonstrate that this wasn't just a temporary separation but a genuine dissolution of the marriage relationship. Miguel, your documentation sounds really solid with 2 years of separate tax filings and addresses. The fact that you're claiming the kids as dependents and have been the primary caregiver should definitely strengthen your case. Good luck with your Thursday meeting - this thread has been so helpful for all of us dealing with this frustrating situation!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience as someone who just went through this exact situation about 8 months ago. I was separated for over 2 years without legal papers, filing "married filing separately," and had primary custody of my kids. What really saved me was discovering that many schools have a specific form called a "Dependency Override" or "Special Circumstances" form for situations exactly like yours. When I met with my financial aid office, they had me fill this out along with a detailed personal statement explaining why I couldn't provide my spouse's information. The documentation that made the biggest difference in my case: - A letter from my landlord confirming I'd been the sole tenant for 2+ years - Utility bills in only my name for the entire separation period - Bank statements showing no shared accounts or transactions - Documentation showing I was the sole parent on school emergency contact forms One crucial tip: when you meet with them Thursday, ask specifically about their "inability to contact spouse" procedures. Every school handles this differently, but most have established processes since this situation is more common than you'd think. My professional judgment was approved in about 3 weeks, and I was able to get the aid I needed. The key is being persistent and thorough with your documentation. Your 2-year track record should definitely work in your favor - that's substantial proof of genuine separation. Good luck with your meeting! This community has been so helpful for navigating these complicated situations.

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this thread has been! I'm currently working through my FAFSA application and was completely stuck on this exact same Foreign Earned Income Exclusion issue. Like everyone else here, I kept trying to enter it as a negative number since that's how it appears on my tax return, and I was getting so frustrated when the system wouldn't accept it. Reading through all of your experiences has been such a relief - it's validating to know that this counterintuitive formatting requirement has tripped up so many people. The fact that you have to enter tax exclusions as positive numbers in their dedicated fields, even though they show as negative adjustments on your actual tax documents, is something that really should be explained much more clearly in the official FAFSA instructions. I'm planning to submit my application tonight using the positive number approach that everyone has successfully validated here. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a comprehensive resource for navigating these international income complications. This is exactly why online communities like this are so valuable - you've filled the gap where official documentation falls short!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so relieved to have found this thread! I'm currently struggling with the exact same Foreign Earned Income Exclusion issue on my FAFSA application. Like everyone else here, I've been trying to enter the exclusion as a negative number since that's how it appears on my tax return ($118,500), but the system keeps rejecting it. Reading through all of your experiences has been incredibly validating - it's reassuring to know that this counterintuitive formatting requirement has caused confusion for so many people. The fact that you need to enter exclusions as positive numbers in their dedicated fields, despite them being negative adjustments on your actual tax documents, is something that definitely should be explained more clearly in the official instructions. I'm going to try submitting my application this evening using the positive number approach that everyone here has successfully validated. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a comprehensive guide for navigating these international income complications. This community has provided the clear guidance that the official FAFSA documentation is clearly lacking!

I'm new to this community but wanted to add my voice to all the excellent advice you've already received! As someone who just completed their FAFSA a few weeks ago, I totally understand the anxiety around those tax schedule questions - they definitely make the process feel more intimidating than it needs to be. It sounds like you've gotten solid confirmation from your dad that your family only had W-2 income and took the standard deduction, which means entering $0 for all those schedule fields is absolutely the right approach. What helped me feel more confident about this was realizing that these schedules are really only relevant for families with more complex financial situations - rental income, significant investments, business ownership, etc. If your parents' tax return was straightforward, they simply wouldn't have needed to file these additional forms. You're being incredibly smart by asking questions and double-checking everything rather than guessing. That thoroughness will definitely pay off throughout your financial aid journey. The FAFSA process can feel overwhelming at first, but you're clearly approaching it with the right mindset. Don't worry about your aid chances - being accurate is what really matters, not having complicated finances. You've got this, and it sounds like you're ready to submit with confidence!

Hey Mason! I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since I just went through this exact same confusion a couple weeks ago when filling out my FAFSA! Those tax schedule questions are honestly the most confusing part of the whole application - you're definitely not alone in feeling lost about them. From reading through all the great advice here, it sounds like you've already gotten confirmation from your dad that your family only had W-2 income and didn't itemize, which means you're absolutely safe entering $0 for all those schedule fields. What really helped me get past my anxiety about this was understanding that these schedules are basically "specialty forms" that only get attached when families have specific types of income beyond regular jobs - like rental properties, significant stock trading, business income, etc. If your parents could do their taxes without needing an accountant or dealing with complex investments, they almost certainly didn't file any of these additional schedules. You're being so responsible by asking questions and double-checking with your parents instead of just guessing or leaving things blank. That's exactly the approach that leads to a smooth FAFSA process! The application has to ask about every possible income source to be comprehensive, but most families with straightforward situations won't have anything to report for these specialty schedules. Sounds like you've got everything figured out now - good luck submitting your FAFSA! This community is such a great resource for navigating all these confusing financial aid questions.

I'm a high school senior who made this EXACT same mistake just a few months ago! I was filling out my FAFSA super late at night and somehow selected 2023-24 when I needed 2024-25. I literally cried when I realized what I'd done because I thought I'd messed up my entire college financial aid 😭 But seriously, everyone here is giving you perfect advice - you just have to wait for the 2025-26 application to open and start fresh. The good news is that all the tax info you already entered will be the same since both applications use 2023 tax data! One tip from a fellow mistake-maker: when you do fill out the correct application in October, maybe do it during the day when you're more alert instead of late at night like I did. Also, I literally wrote "2025-26" on a sticky note and put it on my computer screen so I couldn't miss it lol. Your daughter's financial aid will be totally fine - this mistake happens to SO many people!

I'm a college sophomore who went through this exact situation with my mom when I was applying! We filled out the 2022-23 FAFSA when I needed 2023-24 and I remember the absolute panic we both felt. But honestly, it ended up being a blessing in disguise because we were SO prepared and organized the second time around. Here's what I learned from the experience: when you fill out the correct 2025-26 application in October, take your time even though you'll be familiar with the process. I was so eager to get it done "right" the second time that I almost made other mistakes from rushing. Also, screenshot EVERYTHING - the year selection page, the confirmation page, even your school list. Having those screenshots saved me so much anxiety because I could go back and verify we'd done everything correctly. The hardest part is just waiting for the application to open, but use this time to your advantage! Get all your documents organized, maybe even practice filling out the application using the FAFSA4caster tool just to stay familiar with the questions. Your daughter's financial aid will be completely fine - I got the same aid package I would have gotten if we'd filled it out correctly the first time. This mistake is honestly so common that financial aid offices are used to dealing with it!