This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm also a federal employee with TSP and was completely lost about the FAFSA reporting requirements for my son's application. Reading through all these responses - especially the official confirmation from Alana at the Department of Education - has given me the clarity I desperately needed. The consistent message that TSP accounts are NOT reported as assets because they're retirement plans (just like 401ks and IRAs) makes perfect sense once explained properly. I was definitely overthinking this! It's so reassuring to see real examples from other fed employees who've successfully gone through verification without any issues. Thank you to this entire community for breaking down such a confusing process into understandable terms. The distinction between retirement accounts (excluded) versus regular investments and savings (must report) is exactly what I needed to understand as a FAFSA newcomer!

This discussion has been incredibly helpful as someone who just started my federal career and is dealing with FAFSA for the first time! I was really stressed about how to handle my TSP reporting for my daughter's application. The clear consensus from everyone here - especially that official confirmation from Alana at the Department of Education - that TSP accounts are NOT reported as assets since they're retirement plans has been such a relief. I love how this community explains complex government processes in terms that newcomers can actually understand. The simple rule that retirement accounts (including TSP) are excluded while regular investments must be reported makes so much more sense than the confusing FAFSA instructions. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and expertise - it's exactly what people like me need to navigate these important financial aid requirements with confidence!

I'm a newer member here but wanted to share that I went through something very similar at my school last semester! The financial aid office kept giving me different answers about my VA disability benefits and whether they counted against my Pell eligibility. What finally worked for me was printing out the actual Federal Student Aid handbook pages that specifically list what income/benefits are excluded from aid calculations. I highlighted the VA education benefits section and brought it to my appointment. The counselor I was working with had to call their supervisor, and within 20 minutes they admitted they had been applying the wrong policy. The whole "show us all your bills" request sounds really suspicious to me. When I did my professional judgment appeal for a family emergency, they only asked for specific documentation related to that emergency - not my entire financial picture. That feels like they're either fishing for reasons to deny your appeal or they really don't understand the process. Don't give up! The regulations are clearly on your side here, and it sounds like you have great advice from the other members about escalation paths if your school continues to resist. Keep that paper trail going!

I'm new to this community but wanted to jump in because I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My financial aid office initially told me I wasn't eligible for any Pell Grant, then when I questioned it (like you did), they suddenly said I could get a small amount. When I asked why the change, they mentioned my VA education benefits as a factor. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational - I had no idea that VA education benefits legally cannot be counted against Pell eligibility! I've been accepting what my financial aid office told me without questioning it, but now I realize I need to advocate for myself just like you're doing. The fact that multiple people here have gone through this exact same issue and successfully resolved it gives me hope. I'm going to print out those FAFSA guidelines everyone mentioned and schedule a meeting with my financial aid office next week. Thank you for posting about this - your situation has opened my eyes to the fact that I might be getting shortchanged on aid I'm legally entitled to. Sometimes it takes seeing someone else fight the good fight to realize you need to stand up for your own rights too!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding SSDI reporting on the FAFSA! As a complete newcomer to this process, I was really stressed about how to handle my spouse's Social Security Disability benefits on our son's application. Seeing Noah's complete journey from initial confusion to successful submission has been so reassuring - it shows that even when the process feels overwhelming at first, it's totally manageable with the right guidance. The consistent advice throughout this discussion about trusting the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when disability benefits are included in your AGI has really clicked for me. I'm especially grateful for all the practical tips shared here, like Javier's advice about checking Form 1040 line 6b to verify if benefits were taxable, and Chloe's suggestion about keeping documentation notes for potential verification. It's incredible how this community has transformed what initially seemed like an impossible task into something I can approach with confidence. Thank you to everyone who's contributed their expertise and experiences - you're making such a difference for families like mine who are navigating financial aid for the first time!

As someone just starting to research the FAFSA process for my daughter's college applications, this thread has been incredibly enlightening! I had no idea that Social Security Disability benefits could create such confusion in the application process. Reading through Noah's complete journey from initial panic to successful completion gives me hope that I can navigate this too. The consistent guidance about trusting the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when SSDI benefits are part of your AGI makes so much sense, and I'm really grateful for all the practical tips shared here - especially Javier's advice about checking Form 1040 line 6b and Chloe's suggestion about keeping documentation for verification. It's amazing how this community has created such a comprehensive resource for families dealing with this specific situation. Even though I don't have SSDI benefits in my family, understanding how the IRS DRT works and the principle of not double-reporting income will definitely help me when I tackle our FAFSA. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise - this kind of community support makes the whole financial aid process feel much less intimidating for newcomers like me!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm starting my financial aid journey next semester and had so many of the same questions that Anastasia originally asked. Reading through all the responses has given me a much clearer picture of what to expect with loan disbursements. The tips about bookstore voucher programs, emergency loans, and those hidden financial aid calendars are absolute gold - I never would have known to look for these things! It's also reassuring to see how supportive everyone is here. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for reference and will be sure to call my financial aid office early in the morning when I have questions. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - you're making the financial aid process so much less intimidating for students like me!

As someone who's been working in financial aid for over a decade, I want to add a few things that might help future students reading this thread. First, always check if your school participates in the Return to Title IV (R2T4) process - if you withdraw from classes mid-semester, you might have to pay back a portion of your loans immediately, which can be a nasty surprise. Second, keep all your financial aid documentation in one place (digital folder works great) because you'll need to reference award letters, MPN details, and disbursement records throughout the year. Third, understand that "satisfactory academic progress" (SAP) affects your future loan eligibility - maintain at least a 2.0 GPA and complete 67% of attempted credits to keep receiving aid. Finally, if you're planning to transfer schools, loan disbursement timing can get complicated since your new school has to request your loan funds from the previous school. The financial aid system has a lot of moving parts, but posts like this show how helpful it is when students share their experiences with each other!

As a newcomer to FAFSA filing, I'm finding this thread incredibly reassuring! I was literally having the same panic about whether to report exact amounts or estimates. The screenshot strategy that everyone keeps mentioning sounds perfect - it gives you that paper trail for verification while ensuring accuracy. I'm planning to do exactly what many of you suggested: log in to all accounts right before submitting tonight, screenshot everything, and use those exact figures. One question though - for those who've been through verification, how strict are they about timing? Like if I submit at midnight but my screenshot shows 11:58 PM, would that tiny time difference matter? Also, should I be worried about including things like Venmo or PayPal balances if I have money sitting there? Thanks for making this process feel less overwhelming!

As someone who just submitted my FAFSA last week, I can totally relate to this stress! I was literally refreshing my bank accounts every few minutes wondering if I should wait for pending transactions to clear. Here's what I ended up doing and it worked perfectly: I waited until around 10 PM when I knew no more transactions would post that day, logged into every single account (checking, savings, even that old savings account from high school with $37 in it), took screenshots of each balance, and then immediately used those exact numbers on the FAFSA. The screenshot approach is clutch because if you do get selected for verification, you have concrete proof of what your accounts actually showed that day. I haven't been selected for verification yet, but just knowing I have that documentation gives me so much peace of mind. Don't overthink it too much - you're already being way more careful than most people by even asking this question!