@OP I fixed the same mistake on my FAFSA last year! If you submit and realize you accidentally included grandma's SSI, you can make a correction afterward. Just log back into studentaid.gov, go to your FAFSA, and click "Make FAFSA Corrections." But doing it right the first time is wayyy easier!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I wanted to add that it's really important to keep documentation of everything! I saved screenshots of the official FAFSA instructions about SSI exclusions, and when my school's financial aid office questioned some of my info, having those references made the conversation go much smoother. Also, if your grandmother does help with any of your educational expenses directly (like paying for textbooks or tuition), make sure to track those amounts separately since they might need to be reported differently than her general household contributions. The key is being able to show exactly where every dollar came from if asked!

I'm a high school counselor and I've been helping families navigate this exact issue all month! The family size field glitch is unfortunately very common with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. What's happening is the system sometimes fails to save that specific field even when everything else processes correctly. Here's what I always tell families: Don't panic, but do act quickly. The correction process is straightforward and schools are very familiar with this issue. I'd also recommend screenshotting your current FAFSA summary page (with the blank family size) before making the correction - just as documentation that this was a system error, not user error. One tip I haven't seen mentioned yet: when you make the correction, double-check that your dependency status didn't change as well. Sometimes the system glitches affect multiple fields in the household section. Also, make sure all your contributors (if any) are still showing as complete. You're catching this at a good time - most schools haven't finalized their aid packages yet, so the correction shouldn't cause any major delays. Just be sure to monitor your student aid report after the reprocessing to confirm everything looks correct!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just checked my daughter's FAFSA last night and the family size field is completely blank even though I'm 100% sure I filled it out. It's honestly a relief to see so many other people dealing with this - I was starting to think I was losing my mind! Reading through all these responses has been super helpful. I'm planning to make the correction this weekend following Danielle's step-by-step instructions, and I'll definitely reach out to the schools proactively like Simon suggested. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is amazing for navigating all these FAFSA headaches!

UPDATE: Thank you all for the advice! I ended up using my phone's data connection to complete the online FAFSA. It took about an hour but I got it done and received my confirmation email right away. My SAI calculation came through two days later. So glad I didn't attempt the paper version after hearing all your experiences!

That's awesome that you got it sorted out! The mobile FAFSA experience has really improved over the last couple years. For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues - Harold's solution of using mobile data is probably the easiest workaround. Also wanted to mention that many libraries have dedicated FAFSA help sessions during peak filing season if you need in-person assistance with the online version. Way better than dealing with paper forms!

I procrastinated on my FAFSA last year too and it turned out fine! Just submitted late and still got my full Pell Grant and everything. Don't listen to the people saying you've missed out on all the money - that's not how federal aid works. Just get it done now and you'll be fine. Good luck!

Hey Anastasia! Fellow procrastinator here and I totally get the overwhelm. I just submitted mine last week after putting it off for months too 😅 Here's what actually helped me get through it: 1. Don't try to be perfect on the first go - you can always make corrections later if needed 2. The "Save" button is your friend - use it every few questions so you don't lose progress 3. If you get stuck on a question, there are little "?" help icons next to most fields that actually explain things pretty clearly 4. For the stepdad question you asked earlier - yes, you'll need his info too since your mom is married to him now (learned this the hard way!) The thing that really got me moving was realizing that even if I missed some state deadlines, federal aid is still available and many schools have rolling admissions for institutional aid. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good - just get it submitted! You've got this! And honestly, once you start clicking through it's way less scary than it seems in your head. The anticipation is always worse than the actual thing.

@original poster - You mentioned this is your first time applying on your own. Here's a timeline to help you understand what happens after your FAFSA shows "PROCESSED": 1. FAFSA processing complete (where you are now) 2. Data sent to schools you listed on your FAFSA 3. Schools determine if they need verification documents 4. Schools calculate your financial aid package 5. Aid offers sent out (usually March-April for most schools) From this point forward, most of your communications will come directly from schools, not from studentaid.gov. Each school has its own timeline and communication methods.

Just wanted to add one more tip for anyone in a similar situation - if you're really anxious about whether everything is correct, you can also check with your high school guidance counselor if you're still a senior. Even though you're doing this on your own now, most counselors are happy to do a quick review of your FAFSA status and help you understand what to look for. They see this stuff all the time and can often spot issues you might miss. My counselor caught a mistake in my parent tax info that I totally overlooked, even after I thought everything was perfect!