UPDATE: Just wanted to thank everyone for the help! I logged in and made the corrections, especially removing our retirement accounts from the assets section. The correction process was actually pretty straightforward. Now fingers crossed for a good SAI number and some decent financial aid packages! This community has been so helpful during this stressful process.

Congratulations on getting through the correction process! That's awesome that you were able to fix the retirement account issue - that probably made a significant difference in your SAI calculation. The waiting period is definitely nerve-wracking, but you've done everything right. Your daughter is lucky to have a parent who cares enough to double-check and make corrections. Wishing you both the best with the financial aid packages! 🤞

I'm in a similar situation with two kids starting college next year, and I've been researching this extensively. One thing I discovered is that some states have their own grant programs that DO still consider multiple students in college when calculating aid. For example, California's Cal Grant and Pennsylvania's state grants still factor in siblings. It's worth checking if your state has similar programs that haven't adopted the federal changes yet. Also, I attended a financial aid webinar last month where they mentioned that the College Board (which administers CSS Profile) has been lobbying to restore the sibling discount in federal aid - apparently they have data showing it's created significant access issues for middle-income families. While there's no guarantee, there seems to be growing recognition that this change was harmful to families like ours.

I'm a financial aid consultant and wanted to add a few resources that might help families in your situation. First, check out the website "PayingForCollege.com" - they have a calculator that helps you estimate how different schools might actually treat multiple students even without the federal adjustment. Also, many states have started their own programs to help families affected by the FAFSA changes - for example, New Jersey launched a supplemental grant program specifically for families with multiple college students. One strategy I recommend is to have your oldest apply to a mix of schools including some that are known for "professional judgment" flexibility - schools like Occidental College, Connecticut College, and many Jesuit institutions have reputations for working with families on unique circumstances. When your twins apply in 2026, you can reference the aid packages and approaches that worked best for your oldest. Also, don't forget about 529 plan strategies - if you have multiple 529 accounts, you can potentially shift funds between beneficiaries to optimize aid calculations. And consider looking into schools with guaranteed merit aid based on GPA/test scores - these awards aren't affected by the FAFSA changes and can provide predictable funding. The system is definitely more challenging now, but with strategic planning and early relationship-building with financial aid offices, many families are still finding workable solutions.

Hey! I went through this exact same mess last year with my divorced parents situation. Just wanted to add that once you get your dad's tax info and fix the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, make sure to also check if your dad has remarried. If he has, you'll need his spouse's tax information too for the FAFSA, even if they filed separately. This caught me off guard and almost made me miss my deadline! Also, keep copies of everything you enter manually in case you need to verify later. Good luck with your deadline next week - you've got this!

Just wanted to add one more resource that might help if you're still struggling with getting through to the Federal Student Aid help line! I discovered that they also have a live chat feature on the studentaid.gov website that's sometimes faster than calling. It's not always available (usually during business hours), but when it is active, I've had better luck getting quick answers there than waiting on hold for hours. Also, since you mentioned your university deadline is next week, you might want to reach out directly to your school's financial aid office too. They often have staff who are really familiar with common FAFSA issues and can sometimes help troubleshoot problems or even contact FSA on your behalf if needed. Many schools also have extended hours during busy FAFSA season to help students meet deadlines. You're doing great working through all these details - the divorced parent rules and tax information matching requirements are honestly some of the trickiest parts of the whole FAFSA process. With everyone's advice here plus your dad's correct tax info, you should be all set to get this submitted on time!

As a newcomer to this process, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing such detailed experiences and professional insights! Reading through this thread has been incredibly eye-opening. I initially thought we could wait until acceptance letters arrived, but now I understand that would be a costly mistake. The information about state grants running out of funding, priority deadlines as early as January 1st, and the verification process really drives home why timing matters so much. What particularly convinced me was learning from the admissions counselor that aid packages can be ready within 24-48 hours of acceptance letters when FAFSA is filed early, versus weeks of delays when filed late. I'm also grateful for all the practical tips - creating FSA IDs beforehand, ensuring names match Social Security cards exactly, and having tax documents organized. These details make such a difference in avoiding delays. One question for the group: are there any other common mistakes or overlooked requirements that newcomers like me should be aware of when filing FAFSA? I want to make sure we get everything right the first time! Thanks again to this amazing community for helping families navigate these complex processes.

As a parent who just went through this exact scenario last year, I can't emphasize enough - DO NOT WAIT! My daughter applied Early Action to 5 schools, and I made the mistake of thinking we should wait to see where she got accepted first. Big error! Here's what I learned the hard way: many schools have financial aid priority deadlines between December 1st and February 1st, and some state grant programs are literally first-come, first-served until the money runs out. By the time we filed in late February, she had already missed several opportunities for additional aid. The FAFSA lets you list up to 10 schools, so just include all 6 schools she applied to. You can always modify the list later through your StudentAid.gov account if needed. The key thing to remember is that your Expected Family Contribution (now called SAI - Student Aid Index) will be the same regardless of which school she attends - what varies is how each school uses that number to build their aid packages. One practical tip: make sure both you and your daughter create FSA IDs now at StudentAid.gov before you start the actual application. Have your 2023 tax return handy, and block out about an hour to complete it without interruptions. The new simplified FAFSA is much shorter than previous years. Trust me, getting those financial aid award letters within days of acceptance letters (instead of weeks later) makes the decision process so much less stressful. You've got this - just don't wait any longer!

Glad you got it resolved! For what it's worth, I called my school's financial aid office and they said they're well aware of these technical issues with the new FAFSA system and most schools are being more flexible with deadlines this year. Might be worth checking if your school has any extension options if others are still struggling with this.

As someone who just went through this nightmare last month, I feel your pain! The FAFSA system has been an absolute disaster this year. I had a similar issue where everything looked fine on my end but there was some backend problem they couldn't see. One thing that helped me was screenshotting every error message and keeping detailed notes of what I tried - when I finally got through to someone, having that documentation made it way easier for them to figure out what was wrong. Also, if you're still having issues, try logging in at like 6 AM when fewer people are using the system. Sometimes the errors are just from server overload. Hope you get it sorted before your deadline!