Make sure you specifically ask about the HESC Form H (Special Consideration Form). This is typically the form used for TAP dependency overrides in McKinney-Vento cases. Not all college financial aid advisors mention it immediately, but it's the official pathway for these situations in New York State. The student's high school McKinney-Vento liaison should be familiar with this form as well.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share some hope! My sister went through almost the exact same situation last year as a McKinney-Vento student. The initial TAP rejection was devastating, but we didn't give up. Working with her college's financial aid office, we gathered every piece of documentation we could find - the McKinney-Vento determination letter, statements from her high school counselor and principal, even a letter from the family she was staying with. The key was being very persistent and detailed in explaining her complete lack of contact with her parents. It took about 6 weeks total, but TAP finally approved her dependency override. Don't lose hope - the system is frustrating but it can work! Make sure to keep copies of absolutely everything you submit.

Just joining this community and wow, this thread is exactly what I needed! I'm a parent with three kids - already completed FAFSA for my eldest last year, and now my twins are both applying for 2025-2026. I was totally panicking about whether to create separate accounts for each of them. Reading everyone's experiences here, especially the horror stories about fraud flags and months-long delays, has been incredibly eye-opening. The official FAFSA website really does a terrible job explaining this process clearly. I'm so relieved to know I can use my existing parent FSA ID for both twins' applications. One thing I'm wondering about - since both my twins will be adding me as a contributor around the same time, should I wait to complete one fully before starting the other? Or can I have both applications "in progress" simultaneously in my parent dashboard? Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed guidance - this community is invaluable!

Just wanted to add my experience as another newcomer who was about to make this same mistake! I have two kids - completed my older daughter's FAFSA last fall and now my son is applying for 2025-2026. Like everyone else here, I was completely confused by the FAFSA website and was about to create a separate parent account for him. Thank goodness I found this thread first! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring. I love how this community provides such clear, step-by-step guidance that you just can't find on the official site. For anyone else reading this later - the process really is straightforward once you understand it: use your ONE existing parent FSA ID for all your children, have each child add you as a contributor with your exact email address, and complete each parent section when you get the notifications. This thread should honestly be pinned as a resource for other parents navigating multiple FAFSA applications!

As someone who just went through this exact situation with my daughter, I can confirm that you should absolutely list him as a senior for the 2025-26 FAFSA! The grade level should reflect his actual academic standing based on credit hours at the beginning of the academic year. We had the same "jump" from freshman to junior on consecutive FAFSA forms due to her dual enrollment credits, and it didn't cause any issues at all. The financial aid office actually told us that these accelerated progressions are becoming so common with dual enrollment students that their systems are designed to handle them now. Just make sure his school's registrar office confirms his senior classification before you submit - having that documentation gives you peace of mind if any questions come up later. Don't worry about the appearance of jumping grade levels - you're just accurately reporting his academic progress!

I'm new to this community and going through a very similar situation with my daughter! She's accumulated so many dual enrollment credits that she'll technically be a senior next year even though this is only her second year of college. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially the advice about making sure the FAFSA grade level matches what the school has on file. I had no idea that grade level "jumps" were so common with dual enrollment students. It's reassuring to know that financial aid offices are used to handling these situations now. I'm definitely going to confirm her official classification with the registrar before submitting our FAFSA. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is exactly what I needed to feel more confident about navigating this process!

As a parent who just completed this process for my third child last fall, I can absolutely confirm - you use the SAME FSA ID for all your children! Don't create multiple parent accounts as this will cause major headaches with verification and processing. Here's what worked smoothly for me: Have your daughter create her own FSA ID first (using her own unique email address), then she'll invite you as a contributor when she starts her FAFSA. You'll get an email notification and can log in with your existing FSA ID to complete the parent portion. A few practical tips from my experience: 1) Test your FSA ID login NOW before FAFSA season gets crazy busy, 2) Update any outdated personal info (address, phone, email) in your account, and 3) Have your tax documents ready since you'll need to re-enter that information fresh for each child - it doesn't transfer automatically between applications. The second time really is much easier since you know what to expect! The system is designed to handle multiple children per parent account, so don't worry about "messing anything up" - you've got this!

As a newcomer to this whole FAFSA process, this thread has been incredibly helpful! My oldest is just starting high school but I'm already trying to understand how this all works for when we have multiple kids in college. One question I haven't seen addressed - if I'm using the same FSA ID for multiple children, does that mean all their financial aid information gets grouped together in my parent account dashboard? Or do I see separate sections/applications for each child? I'm wondering how organized the parent view is when you're managing FAFSA applications for multiple students. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't find on the official websites!

Congratulations on getting through the verification process! As someone new to this community, I'm so relieved to see this had a positive outcome. I'm actually going through something similar right now - my son just started his FAFSA and I'm dreading the FSA ID verification wait. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful. It's reassuring to know that the 1-3 day delay is normal and that schools are generally understanding about these system delays. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and advice - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these stressful financial aid processes!

Welcome to the community! This thread is such a perfect example of how helpful this group can be during stressful times. I'm actually in the exact same boat - just submitted my FSA ID application yesterday and now playing the waiting game while my daughter's college deadline looms. Reading Jason's update that his verification came through in exactly 2 business days gives me so much hope! The advice about having students email their financial aid offices with documentation is brilliant - I'm definitely bookmarking that strategy. It's amazing how much clearer this whole process becomes when you have people who've actually been through it sharing their real experiences.