Hey everyone! I just wanted to jump in with a quick update - I successfully added the school to my FAFSA this morning and it was actually much easier than I expected! Following the advice here, I logged into studentaid.gov, went to "Make FAFSA Corrections," and added the new school code. The whole process took about 10 minutes including double-checking the federal school code. I also took a screenshot of the confirmation page like someone suggested. Already called the school's financial aid office and they confirmed they should receive my info within 3-5 business days. They also mentioned I'll need to submit the CSS Profile by next Friday for full scholarship consideration, so I'm tackling that next. Thank you all SO much for the help and advice - this community is amazing! 🙏

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually in a very similar situation - just discovered a scholarship at a school I didn't include on my original FAFSA. Reading through everyone's experiences has really put my mind at ease about the correction process. One quick question for those who've been through this: after adding the new school and getting confirmation, how long did it typically take before you could see the school listed in your FAFSA summary? I want to make sure everything processed correctly before I submit my scholarship application. Also, huge thanks to everyone who shared their step-by-step experiences - it's so much less intimidating knowing others have successfully navigated this! 🙏

Just to close the loop on this thread - the consensus advice is correct. As others have mentioned: 1. Scholarships and grants generally don't affect YOUR tax return 2. Your daughter may need to report scholarship amounts that exceed qualified educational expenses on HER return 3. Your status as the FAFSA parent is separate from tax dependency 4. Your daughter should have received a 1098-T form from her school The key is making sure your daughter understands her potential tax obligations. Most students don't end up owing taxes even on the taxable portion of scholarships because their total income falls below the standard deduction, but it's still important to file correctly.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact same situation! My ex claimed our son on taxes but I was the custodial parent for FAFSA. The key thing I learned is that the IRS and Department of Education operate completely independently - they don't cross-reference who filed what. What really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track everything: scholarship amounts, what they covered (tuition vs room/board), and copies of all the 1098-T forms. This way if there are ever any questions down the road, you have everything documented. Also worth noting - if your daughter ends up with a summer job or internship income on top of any taxable scholarship money, she might hit the filing threshold even if the scholarships alone wouldn't require it. Just something to keep in mind for future planning!

Thanks everyone for the advice and commiseration. I've scheduled meetings with both financial aid offices for next week and started researching departmental scholarships. I'll definitely look into Claimyr to get some clarification directly from FSA as well. It helps to know we're not alone in this struggle, even though it's cold comfort given the financial reality we're all facing. Will update after my meetings with the schools!

This whole situation is such a nightmare - I'm dealing with the exact same thing! My son's SAI jumped from $15k to $22k this year with virtually no change in our income. What's really frustrating is that nobody prepared families for this massive shift. I've been budgeting for his remaining two years based on previous aid amounts, and now I'm scrambling to figure out how to cover an extra $7k per year. Has anyone had success negotiating payment plans with their schools while waiting for appeals to process? I'm worried about missing enrollment deadlines while trying to sort this mess out.

UPDATE: Finally got the form! For anyone else dealing with this, I ended up downloading the general IDR application from StudentAid.gov, filling it out with my Nelnet account info, and faxing it to them using an online fax service. I also called (finally got through) and requested the administrative forbearance while it processes. The agent confirmed they're having technical issues with their electronic system for IDR applications but said it should be resolved within 6 weeks. In the meantime, they're processing all applications manually. She also emailed me a receipt confirming they received my application. Thanks everyone for your help!

Just want to add for anyone else dealing with this - if you're having trouble with the online fax services, most UPS Stores and FedEx locations can fax documents for you for a small fee (usually $1-2 per page). I know it seems old-school, but it's faster than mailing and you get a confirmation receipt. Also, make sure to include a cover sheet with your loan account number and clearly write "IDR APPLICATION" at the top - it helps them route it to the right department faster. The whole situation is frustrating but at least there are workarounds while they fix their system.

They're supposed to email you, but their notification system has been unreliable. I recommend checking your NJFAMS account weekly until your TAG award is confirmed. Any required verification documents will appear in your \

As someone who just went through this process, I can confirm that the FAFSA-to-HESAA transfer is still automatic for 2025-2026, but you definitely need to stay on top of checking your NJFAMS account. I had my FAFSA processed in February and didn't get my TAG notification until last week - way longer than previous years. The key thing is making sure you selected "Yes" to sharing your info with state programs on the FAFSA. Also, even though it's automatic, HESAA might still ask for additional verification docs that are different from what FAFSA required. Check your NJFAMS portal every few days rather than waiting for emails since their notification system seems hit or miss this year.