This is such a common frustration! I went through the exact same thing with my daughter's FAFSA last year. The disconnect between what the FAFSA portal shows and what schools actually need is incredibly confusing. What worked for me was calling the financial aid office directly and asking them to walk me through their specific verification requirements over the phone. Don't just rely on their portal or emails - sometimes the requirements aren't updated in real-time. When I called, they were able to tell me exactly which forms they needed and email me direct links to download them. Also, keep copies of everything you submit! Schools sometimes "lose" documents during busy processing periods, and having your own records makes resubmission much easier. The whole system really needs to be more user-friendly, but at least once you know what they want, it's usually pretty straightforward to submit.

This exact situation happened to me with my daughter's application too! The FAFSA site showing "complete" while the school keeps emailing about missing info is SO confusing. What I learned is that "verification" is basically a separate process that happens AFTER your FAFSA is submitted - the Department of Education randomly selects about 30% of applications for additional document verification, and each school handles it differently. The frustrating part is they use misleading language like "missing FAFSA info" when they really mean "we need extra paperwork for verification." Definitely check her UCR student portal for a verification checklist or to-do list - that's where you'll find exactly what they want. Don't stress too much, you're not behind on anything critical, just need to submit whatever verification docs they're requesting!

This is such an important thread for anyone dealing with FAFSA issues! As someone who's been through this process multiple times with different kids, I can confirm that the retirement account mistake is probably the #1 error I see families make. The way the questions are worded makes it seem like you should include everything, when really retirement accounts are specifically protected. What's really helpful about your post is showing the actual numbers - $145k income with a $60k+ SAI should immediately raise red flags for anyone familiar with the calculations. For comparison, families making $200k+ typically see SAIs in that range, not middle-income families like your brother's. One additional tip for anyone reading this: after you get your corrected SAI, make sure to check if you qualify for any institutional grants directly from the college. Many schools have their own need-based aid programs that kick in at different income/SAI levels, and a corrected SAI could open up opportunities you didn't know existed. Great job catching this error and sharing the solution with everyone!

This thread is a lifesaver! I'm just starting to research FAFSA for my daughter who's a junior in high school, and I had no idea about the retirement account exclusion. Reading everyone's experiences here is making me realize how many hidden pitfalls there are in this process. The fact that one misunderstood question can create a $30k+ swing in your SAI is honestly terrifying - and it sounds like the form wording practically sets families up to make this mistake. I'm definitely going to use the Federal Student Aid Estimator before submitting anything, and I'm bookmarking all the tips about what NOT to include as assets. It's frustrating that families have to become experts in financial aid terminology just to access education funding, but threads like this make it so much more manageable. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - you're probably saving thousands of families from making the same costly errors!

I'm completely new to FAFSA and this discussion has been such a relief to find! My wife and I are just beginning this process for our daughter's college applications, and honestly, we had no clue about these new contributor requirements. Like so many others here, we assumed our joint tax filing status would simplify things on the FAFSA too. It's really reassuring to see that we're not alone in this confusion - seems like the Department of Education could have done a much better job explaining these changes to families. Based on everyone's experiences, I'm going to get my wife started on creating her FSA ID right away so we don't get caught off guard by the verification timeline. This thread has probably saved us weeks of frustration and missed deadlines. Thank you to everyone for sharing your real-world experiences - it's made this intimidating process feel much more manageable for newcomers like us!

I'm new to this community and going through my first FAFSA experience! This entire thread has been incredibly helpful - my husband and I are in exactly the same situation as so many of you. We've been married for 10 years, always file jointly, and I had absolutely no idea that both of us would need separate FSA IDs and contributor sections. The "FAFSA Simplification Act" is definitely a misnomer! Reading through everyone's experiences has saved us from making some major mistakes (like me almost creating my husband's account for him). Based on all the advice here, we're starting his FSA ID process this weekend and planning to set aside a full evening to work through everything together once his verification comes through. It's so reassuring to know that thousands of other families are figuring this out for the first time too. Thank you to everyone for sharing your real experiences - this community is making what seemed like an impossible process actually feel doable!

Update: I just checked the mobile app and my SAI is actually showing there! It's $4,352. Thank you all so much for your help, especially the tip about checking the app! Now I can finish those scholarship applications in time.

Wow, this thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - my FAFSA shows processed but no SAI visible on the website. I'm definitely going to try the mobile app trick that worked for Zara. It's crazy how buggy this new system is, but at least there are workarounds. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Submitted my FAFSA on April 9th and it's been sitting in "processing" status for 10 days. What's really frustrating is that I have scholarship deadlines coming up at two of my schools that require completed FAFSA data, and I'm watching those dates approach with no control over the situation. I've been checking studentaid.gov obsessively and finally saw it change to "SAI Calculation in Progress" yesterday, so hopefully that means movement soon. The advice about emailing schools with confirmation numbers is gold - I had no idea they could see applications in the pipeline before receiving full data. I'm definitely doing that this week along with asking about provisional aid packages. It's wild that we have to become experts in navigating a broken system just to access financial aid. Crossing my fingers that the Department of Education's promise about faster processing actually materializes!

As someone who just went through this process with my younger sibling, I can confirm the delays are real but there's light at the end of the tunnel! We submitted in early April and it took exactly 18 days from submission to when schools received the data. The key thing that helped us was being proactive with communication. I created a spreadsheet tracking all the schools, their financial aid office emails, and our outreach dates. We sent a brief email to each school with the FAFSA confirmation number, submission date, and current status - most replied within 2 days confirming they could see our application in the pipeline and would prioritize processing once they received the official data. Three schools even offered to start preliminary aid calculations based on our previous year's tax information while we waited. Don't panic about the timeline - schools are definitely aware of the system issues and most are being very accommodating with deadlines and aid distribution.