I'm completely new here but dealing with the exact same devastating situation! Our SAI exploded from $8,200 to $16,900 even though our income barely budged. We have twin daughters in college and had to make a $13k emergency withdrawal from my IRA last year when our central air system died during a record-breaking heat wave - with my asthmatic son at home, it became a serious health emergency. Reading through everyone's stories here has been both heartbreaking and reassuring - heartbreaking because so many families are struggling with this, but reassuring because I now realize we didn't mess up our FAFSA somehow. The fact that emergency withdrawals are counted as straight income while the multiple-student benefit was gutted is just cruel to families who planned their finances under the old system. I'm going to start collecting all our HVAC emergency documentation, medical records for my son's asthma, and those brutal temperature records from that heat wave to submit appeals to both schools. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating this incredibly helpful resource - this thread has given me actual hope that we can fight these inflated numbers through professional judgment appeals rather than just accepting financial devastation!

I'm new to this community but experiencing this exact same horrifying situation! Our SAI skyrocketed from $7,800 to $15,600 despite our income actually staying almost identical. We have two kids in college and had to make an emergency $11k withdrawal from my husband's 401k last year when our water heater burst and caused significant flood damage to our finished basement - we had to act immediately to prevent mold and structural damage. Reading through all these responses has been such an eye-opener - I had no idea about the massive changes to how multiple students are treated or that emergency retirement withdrawals are now counted as full income regardless of the emergency nature. It's incredibly frustrating that we made our college planning decisions based on the previous FAFSA system, only to have the formula completely overhauled without proper warning to families. I'm going to start gathering all our flood damage photos, emergency plumber receipts, water mitigation company invoices, and insurance documentation to submit appeals to both schools. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and providing such detailed guidance on the appeal process - this thread has been more informative and helpful than anything I could find through official FSA channels! It gives me real hope that we can actually challenge these inflated SAI numbers through professional judgment rather than just accepting this financial disaster.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this thread! My daughter's SAI jumped from $6,300 to $12,900 for 2025-2026 with no significant changes to our financial situation. After reading through all these experiences, I'm now confident I also made the retirement account reporting error that seems to be affecting so many families. What's striking is how systematic this issue appears to be - when this many families make identical mistakes on the same questions, it's clearly a form design problem, not user error. The way the new FAFSA buried the retirement account exclusion within confusing "investment" language is genuinely misleading and has cost families thousands in potential aid. I'm going to follow the correction process outlined here: document everything carefully, wait for processing to complete (currently showing as "submitted" for 6 days now), then submit corrections once it's fully processed. The 3-7 business day timeline for corrections that others have shared is really helpful for planning. Beyond fixing my own situation, I'm definitely planning to file a formal complaint with the Department of Education about this widespread form design failure. When this many families lose aid eligibility due to the same confusing questions, it demands accountability. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive community. This thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to reach the federal helpline! It's reassuring to know there's a clear path forward, even though the initial panic was overwhelming.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm both shocked and relieved to find this thread! My son's SAI jumped from $5,800 to $12,100 for 2025-2026 despite our household income remaining essentially the same. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly validating - I was starting to think I was losing my mind when I saw that nearly doubled number. Like so many others here, I'm now convinced I accidentally included our retirement accounts as assets due to the confusing "investments" wording on the new form. The contrast with previous years' clear exclusions is stark, and it's obvious this is affecting thousands of families based on the pattern of identical mistakes described in this thread. I'm planning to follow the correction roadmap everyone has shared: document everything thoroughly, wait for full processing (currently at "submitted" status for 8 days), then submit corrections. The 3-7 business day timeline for corrections that others mentioned gives me hope we can resolve this before aid deadlines. What I find most concerning is how systematic this problem appears to be. When this many families make the exact same reporting error due to misleading form language, it points to a serious failure in the FAFSA redesign that's costing families thousands in potential aid. I'm definitely planning to file a formal complaint with the Department of Education once my correction is processed. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative community - this thread has provided more actionable solutions than weeks of trying to reach federal support. It's reassuring to know we're not alone and that there's a clear path to getting our SAIs back to reasonable levels!

This thread has been incredibly helpful for someone just starting the FAFSA journey! I'm in a very similar position with my son's application and was completely overwhelmed by the asset reporting requirements until I found this discussion. Reading through everyone's experiences has really clarified the main categories: - 529 plans = parent assets (always for dependent students, regardless of ownership) - UTMA/UGMA accounts = student assets (legally the student's property) - Regular accounts = depends on actual legal ownership structure What I found most valuable was the advice about calling the bank to ask specifically about UTMA/UGMA designation rather than just accepting terms like "custodial" or "student account." It's clear that banks use these terms pretty loosely in their marketing. I have a question for the group - my son has been working part-time for about 8 months and has been depositing his paychecks into what we originally set up as a "student savings account" when he was 15. The account has both our names on it, but he's been the one making all the deposits and withdrawals. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like I should report this as his asset since he's been using it as his primary spending account, even though I'm technically listed as a joint owner. Does that sound right? Also, thank you to everyone who mentioned the importance of keeping good documentation for potential verification. I had no idea that was something to prepare for, but it makes total sense to have bank statements ready from the snapshot date. This community is amazing - I feel so much more confident about tackling the FAFSA now!

This thread has been such a goldmine of information! As another newcomer to the FAFSA process, I was completely lost on asset reporting until I found this discussion. The confusion around custodial vs. regular accounts is so real - I had no idea that banks use terms like "custodial" so loosely in their marketing materials. I'm in a similar boat with a checking account for my daughter that was opened when she was 16. Reading through all the advice here, I'm definitely going to call the bank tomorrow and ask specifically about UTMA/UGMA designation rather than just accepting whatever generic terms they use. One thing that's been really eye-opening is learning about the massive difference between the 20% student asset assessment rate versus the up to 5.64% parent rate. That alone makes it worth taking the time to get these classifications exactly right. The 529 being a parent asset regardless of ownership is such great news - I was worried about our $18,000 balance being hit with the higher student rate. Quick question for those who've been through verification - do they typically ask for statements from the exact FAFSA filing date, or is it acceptable to provide statements from within a few days of that date? I want to make sure I have the right documentation ready just in case. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed, practical advice. This community has been infinitely more helpful than any official FAFSA resource I've found!

I'm new to this community and just want to echo what everyone else has said about how incredibly helpful this thread has been! I'm facing the exact same situation with my FAFSA and TAP applications - my parents are unmarried but live together, and I was so confused when TAP only wanted one parent's information after I'd already submitted my FAFSA with both. Connor, thank you so much for not only asking this question but also following up with what your financial aid counselor told you. That update about potentially getting higher TAP aid with just one parent's income is such valuable information that I never would have known otherwise! What really impressed me about this thread is how everyone explained not just WHAT to do, but WHY the systems work differently. Understanding that TAP uses older methodology while FAFSA has updated their rules completely changed my perspective from "I must have done something wrong" to "oh, this is just how these different programs work." I'm planning to use my mom's information for TAP since I lived with her about 65% of the time last year, and I'm definitely going to start gathering documentation like @Ava Johnson suggested in case verification comes up later. For other newcomers who might be feeling overwhelmed by these financial aid inconsistencies, this thread is proof that even the most confusing situations have clear solutions when you have access to a supportive community like this one!

I'm brand new to this community and just wanted to say how grateful I am to have found this thread! I'm literally about to start my FAFSA and TAP applications next month and was already feeling anxious about having unmarried parents who live together. Reading through Connor's entire experience from initial confusion to final resolution has been incredibly reassuring. What really stands out to me is how this community not only provided the correct answer (use the parent you lived with most for TAP) but also explained the reasoning behind why FAFSA and TAP have different requirements. Understanding that TAP still uses older methodology while FAFSA has updated their rules makes the whole situation make perfect sense. The documentation tips from @Ava Johnson about keeping records to verify which parent you lived with most are so helpful - I would never have thought to gather that paperwork proactively. And Connor's update about potentially getting higher TAP aid with one parent's income is such encouraging news that I never would have known otherwise! For other newcomers who might be feeling overwhelmed by these financial aid inconsistencies, this thread is living proof that even the most confusing situations have clear solutions when you have access to knowledgeable community members willing to share their experiences. I'm actually looking forward to starting my applications now instead of dreading them!

Reading through this entire thread has been so educational as someone new to navigating FAFSA issues! My son is in a similar healthcare program (Physical Therapy Assistant) that doesn't align with traditional academic years, and I've been worried about how to handle his aid distribution. The advice about being proactive with enrollment period changes and keeping detailed documentation is invaluable. I especially appreciate the tips about including program coordinator letters and asking for new award amounts in writing. It's both comforting and concerning to see how common these issues are - at least there are established processes, but it's frustrating that students in specialized programs have to jump through so many hoops. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and practical steps!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who's been lurking here trying to figure out my own FAFSA situation! My daughter is in an accelerated medical assistant program and we're facing the exact same issue - her aid package shows funding for summer 2025 but she'll graduate in spring. Reading through everyone's experiences has been SO helpful, especially the detailed steps about submitting the Change in Enrollment Period form and getting program coordinator letters. It's honestly ridiculous that the FAFSA system doesn't automatically account for these specialized healthcare programs that have different timelines. But I'm grateful for communities like this where people actually share real experiences and practical solutions. I'm definitely going to follow all the advice here about being proactive and keeping detailed documentation. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their stories - it's making this whole process feel much less overwhelming!