I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in a very similar situation - my daughter lives with me full-time but her father claimed her on his taxes this year for the child tax credit. I've been putting off submitting my FAFSA because I was scared I'd mess something up, but reading everyone's experiences here has given me the confidence to move forward. It's amazing how many of us are dealing with this exact same issue! I had no idea that FAFSA and tax dependency were completely separate things. I'm going to start gathering all the documentation everyone mentioned (school records, medical records, etc.) and finally get my application submitted. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - it really helps to know we're not alone in navigating these complicated situations!

I just wanted to jump in as someone new to this community to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm currently dealing with a similar custody/tax situation and was completely panicking about my FAFSA application. Reading through everyone's real experiences and seeing actual financial aid professionals explain the difference between tax dependency and FAFSA dependency rules has been such a relief. It's clear that this is way more common than I thought, and the process is much more manageable than it initially seemed. The advice about keeping documentation organized and taking screenshots of your application is gold - I'm definitely going to do both of those things. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and knowledge. This community is amazing for supporting each other through these stressful financial aid situations!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! My daughter's FAFSA has shown "processed" with an SAI for two weeks, but yesterday I got emails from three colleges saying they need corrections before they can finalize her aid package. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely going to call the financial aid offices directly instead of trying to navigate the Federal Student Aid phone system. It's honestly mind-blowing that the student portal can show everything as complete while there are actually verification issues flagged on the backend. This whole process feels like it's designed to be as confusing as possible! Really appreciate everyone sharing their stories - it's reassuring to know this is a common problem and not something we messed up. Will definitely post an update once I figure out what's going on with ours.

I'm experiencing the exact same frustrating situation! My son's FAFSA shows "processed" with his SAI displayed, but I just received emails from two colleges yesterday saying corrections are needed before they can process his financial aid. Like everyone else here, there's absolutely nothing on studentaid.gov indicating what needs to be fixed. After reading through all these helpful responses, I'm definitely going to call the financial aid offices directly tomorrow morning instead of trying to get through to the Federal Student Aid line. It's really reassuring to see so many families dealing with this same issue - at least we know it's not something we did wrong! The fact that the student portal can show everything as complete while there are actually verification flags on the backend is just mind-boggling. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and especially those who posted updates after getting things resolved. Will definitely come back and share what I find out once I make those calls!

I'm also a newcomer to this financial aid process and this thread has been incredibly enlightening! My daughter is a high school senior and we're just starting to navigate all of this. I had absolutely no clue that TAP was separate from FAFSA - I assumed once we completed the FAFSA, we were done with applications. Reading everyone's experiences has saved us from making the same mistakes. The detail about using the exact same name format between applications is something I never would have thought of but makes total sense. It's so reassuring to see a community where parents are willing to share their hard-learned lessons to help others avoid the same pitfalls. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread to reference when we start our applications next month!

As another parent new to this process, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their experiences! My daughter is also starting college this fall and I was completely overwhelmed by all the different applications and systems. I had no idea TAP was separate from FAFSA and was getting so frustrated trying to use her FSA ID for everything. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially the practical tips about name formatting consistency and taking screenshots. It's such a relief to know that other families have navigated this successfully, even though it seems so complicated at first. I feel much more confident about helping my daughter create her HESC account now that I understand the process better. This community is amazing for supporting each other through these confusing financial aid processes!

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to both this community and the FAFSA process - my daughter just started her senior year and we're feeling pretty overwhelmed by everything we need to learn. This thread has been absolutely amazing and such a relief to find! I haven't received any FSA security alerts yet, but after reading through all the detailed advice here, especially @Sophia Long's comprehensive verification checklist and @Ravi Gupta's professional cybersecurity insights, I feel so much more prepared for when they do come. I'm definitely going to set up two-factor authentication right away based on @Mia Alvarez's recommendation - I had no idea that was even an option! It's incredible to see how supportive and knowledgeable this community is. Thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences and expertise - you've transformed what felt like a completely intimidating process into something that seems much more manageable for newcomers like me!

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to this community and just starting the FAFSA journey with my daughter who's a high school senior. This thread has been absolutely invaluable - I had no idea FSA sent legitimate security alerts and probably would have dismissed any such email as spam! The detailed verification steps from @Sophia Long are incredibly helpful, and having @Ravi Gupta's cybersecurity expertise validate the security indicators gives me real confidence. I'm definitely setting up two-factor authentication right away based on @Mia Alvarez's recommendation - can't believe I didn't know that was available! It's amazing to find such a supportive community where experienced members take time to educate newcomers like me. Thank you all for making this intimidating process feel much more manageable!

Just to update you on what to expect next: Once your status changes to "processing," you'll eventually receive your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation. This is what replaces the old EFC number and determines your aid eligibility. The complete processing time from submission to receiving your SAI is typically 2-3 weeks right now. Your schools won't be able to put together your financial aid package until they receive your SAI, but again, they can see that you submitted on time. If you're really concerned, you can always email your school's financial aid office with your FAFSA confirmation number to verify they'll consider your application submitted before their priority deadline.

Hey Aisha! I just went through this same stress last month. The "submitted" to "processing" status change took about 4 days for me, and I was panicking the whole time too! What really helped my anxiety was creating a StudentAid.gov account if you haven't already - you can track everything there and it's usually more up-to-date than just checking the basic status. Also, most schools have a grace period even after their "priority" deadline for processing delays, especially this year with all the FAFSA issues. You submitted yesterday so you're definitely not behind! The system is just slower than it used to be.