I went through this exact same stress last year! Here's what I learned from my experience: I ended up double depositing at two schools ($300 each) while waiting for aid packages, and it actually worked out okay. The key things that helped me were: 1) I immediately emailed both financial aid offices explaining my situation and got responses within 2-3 days (much faster than calling), 2) I was very careful NOT to accept any federal aid awards until I made my final decision, and 3) I set a personal deadline of May 10th to decide, regardless of whether I had all the info. One school actually expedited my aid package when I explained I was considering other options due to the delay. The financial stress is real, but try not to let it paralyze you - sometimes you have to make the best decision with the information available. Document everything and be proactive about communicating your timeline to both schools. You've got this!

I'm actually going through this exact situation right now with two schools - one with a May 1st deadline and another with May 15th. After reading everyone's experiences here, I think I'm going to try the email approach that several people mentioned rather than continuing to waste time on hold. The point about documentation is really smart too - I should have been keeping records of all my attempts to contact them. One question for those who successfully got extensions: did you email both admissions AND financial aid offices, or just one? And did you mention specific competing schools in your request or keep it general? This whole process feels like navigating a minefield, but hearing that others made it through successfully gives me hope!

I'm a new parent going through this exact same situation! My husband and I are married, but I've been a stay-at-home mom for the past 6 years. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that both parents needed FSA IDs even when one doesn't work. One thing I'm still wondering about: if I have a small 529 education savings account that I set up years ago for my daughter (but it's technically in my name as the account owner), does that count as a parent asset that needs to be reported? Or is it treated differently since it's specifically for education? I know every dollar matters when it comes to the aid calculation, so I want to make sure I understand how to handle this correctly. Also, has anyone had experience with the FAFSA customer service phone line being helpful, or is it better to work with the college financial aid offices directly if you have questions?

I'm a newcomer to this community and going through my first FAFSA experience with my daughter! This thread has been incredibly enlightening - I had so many of the same questions that have already been answered here. As a stay-at-home parent for the past 7 years, I was really worried about whether I was handling the parent information correctly. One additional tip I'd like to share for other newcomers: I found it helpful to do a "practice run" by looking at the FAFSA website's demo version before actually starting our real application. It gave me a good sense of what information I'd need to gather ahead of time without the pressure of making actual submissions. Also, for anyone feeling overwhelmed by this process - you're not alone! This community seems incredibly supportive and knowledgeable. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and advice. It's made what felt like an impossible task seem much more manageable!

As someone who's completely new to the FAFSA process (my daughter will be applying next year), this entire thread has been incredibly educational! I had no idea that household size could be such a complex issue, and reading through everyone's experiences has really opened my eyes to how important it is to get these details right from the beginning. The "more than half support" test that keeps coming up seems to be the crucial factor - not where someone physically lives, but who's actually providing their financial support. Madison, based on everything you've described about your daughter (working full-time, filing her own taxes, paying rent, buying her own food), it sounds like she's clearly supporting herself and shouldn't be counted in your household size. I'm definitely taking notes from all the verification horror stories shared here! It seems like being accurate upfront is so much better than dealing with the paperwork nightmare later. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that you can't find in the official FAFSA instructions. This community is such a valuable resource for families navigating this confusing process!

As someone who just completed my first FAFSA last month, this discussion has been incredibly helpful! I made the mistake of overthinking the household size question initially - we have my 23-year-old nephew living with us temporarily, and I almost counted him even though he pays us rent and has his own job. After reading through all the advice here about the "more than half support" test, it's so clear that the key isn't physical address but financial dependency. Madison, your daughter sounds exactly like someone who shouldn't be counted - working full-time, filing independently, paying rent, and covering her own expenses means she's definitely providing more than half of her own support. The verification stories shared here are honestly terrifying! It really drives home how important it is to be accurate from the start rather than having to deal with months of paperwork and potential delays to financial aid packages. I'm so glad I found this thread before submitting - it's probably saved me from making the same mistake. Change it to 4 and avoid the headache!

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who works at a college admissions office - we actually encourage families to submit FAFSA even BEFORE applications are complete! The reason is that financial aid processing takes time on our end too. When we receive Early Action applications in November, we're simultaneously pulling FAFSA data to begin preliminary aid calculations. The families who submit FAFSA in October often receive their financial aid award letters within 24-48 hours of their acceptance letters. Those who wait until after acceptances can experience delays of 2-4 weeks for aid processing, which creates unnecessary stress during the decision-making period. Also, don't forget about CSS Profile if any of her schools require it - that's a separate form from FAFSA but equally important for institutional aid at many private colleges. Check each school's financial aid website to see what forms they require and their specific deadlines. Some schools have different deadlines for Early Action vs Regular Decision applicants. The bottom line: there's literally no downside to filing early, but significant potential downsides to filing late. Get those forms in as soon as possible!

As a financial aid counselor, I want to emphasize something that hasn't been mentioned yet - the verification process! About 30% of FAFSA applications get selected for verification, which means you'll need to submit additional tax documents and forms to confirm your information. This process can take 2-4 weeks, so filing early gives you a crucial buffer. If you wait until after acceptances arrive and then get selected for verification, you could be looking at aid packages arriving in late March or April - cutting it very close to enrollment deposit deadlines. I've seen families lose out on thousands in aid simply because verification delays pushed them past school-specific deadlines. Also, a quick tip: make sure your daughter's name on the FAFSA matches EXACTLY what's on her Social Security card. Even small discrepancies (like using a nickname instead of full legal name) can trigger delays in processing. This is one of the most common issues we see that could easily be avoided. File early, double-check all names and SSNs, and you'll be in great shape!

As a newcomer to the Parent PLUS loan process, I'm finding this entire discussion incredibly helpful! My son is starting his sophomore year and we went through this process last year for the first time. One thing I learned that might help other newcomers - definitely call your school's financial aid office BEFORE you submit your Parent PLUS application to discuss their specific disbursement timeline and refund process. Each school handles things slightly differently, and knowing their exact schedule helped us plan much better for when rent payments would be due versus when refund money would actually be available. Also, I wish someone had told me to screenshot or print out the cost of attendance breakdown from the school's website when we first applied - it made it much easier to track actual expenses against their estimates throughout the year. The financial aid counselors are usually really helpful if you explain you're new to the process!

As someone brand new to the Parent PLUS loan world, I'm incredibly grateful for all the detailed insights shared in this thread! My daughter will be starting college next fall and I honestly had no idea about most of these nuances - the origination fees, the disbursement timing, the importance of budgeting refunds, etc. Reading through everyone's experiences has been like getting a crash course in what to expect. I'm particularly interested in what Zoe mentioned about calling the financial aid office before applying. Can anyone share what specific questions I should ask them during that call? I want to make sure I'm fully prepared and don't miss any important details about their particular process. Also, for those who have been through multiple years of this - do you find it gets easier to manage once you understand the rhythm, or are there new challenges each year? Thanks to everyone who has been so generous with sharing their knowledge!