Hey Elijah! I know you've gotten tons of great advice already, but I wanted to share something that really helped me when I was in a similar situation. Since your mom lost her job after filing FAFSA, you're definitely a good candidate for that professional judgment review everyone's mentioned. But here's something I wish someone had told me - when you submit your documentation, also ask specifically about your school's "special circumstances" or "dependency override" policies. Some schools have additional emergency grants or institutional aid that they don't advertise widely but can award when families experience sudden income changes. Also, while you're waiting for that review process, look into whether your state has any additional need-based grants. I found out about a state grant program that I qualified for but had never heard of - it was an extra $1,200 for the year! The application was super simple too. Your state's higher education website usually has a list of all available programs. Sometimes these smaller state grants have later deadlines than federal aid, so you might still have time to apply even if you missed earlier deadlines. Hang in there - navigating financial aid is frustrating but you're asking all the right questions!

Hey Elijah! I just wanted to jump in as someone who's been through this exact situation recently. Everyone's already confirmed that your $4,000 Pell Grant is for the entire academic year (so $2,000 per semester), but I wanted to add a couple things that helped me when I was struggling with the same budgeting concerns. First, check if your school participates in the Federal Work-Study program - even if it wasn't in your original aid package, sometimes spots open up after other students decline. The pay isn't huge, but having that steady income throughout the semester really helped with day-to-day expenses that my grants didn't cover. Also, since you mentioned your mom's job loss, definitely start that professional judgment review process ASAP, but while you're waiting for that to process, look into local community organizations and churches that offer educational grants. I found a local rotary club that gave me a $500 scholarship just for being a first-generation college student - had no idea it existed until my academic advisor mentioned it! Many of these smaller scholarships have rolling deadlines and way fewer applicants than the big national ones. The financial aid maze is super frustrating, but don't give up! You're already being proactive by asking the right questions.

Thanks for all the helpful responses! Just to confirm what I'm understanding: neither my 401k loan nor my Roth IRA withdrawal (since it was just contributions) need to be reported as income on the FAFSA since neither showed up as taxable income on my tax return. I'll keep documentation ready in case we get selected for verification, but it sounds like I've been worrying unnecessarily. This definitely helps me feel more confident about completing my daughter's FAFSA application correctly!

That's exactly right! You've got a good understanding of the rules now. Since neither transaction appears as taxable income on your tax return, you don't need to report them on FAFSA. One small tip for peace of mind: when you submit your FAFSA, make a note in your records about these transactions and keep your documentation handy (401k loan agreement, Roth IRA statements showing contribution history). That way if you do get selected for verification, you'll have everything ready to go and can quickly resolve any questions. Good luck with your daughter's financial aid application! The new FAFSA system can definitely be confusing, but you're handling it correctly.

This thread is so helpful! I'm a junior just starting to research financial aid and had no clue about any of these potential FAFSA issues. Reading through everyone's experiences is eye-opening - especially the name matching problem that seems to trip up so many students. I'm definitely going to make sure I enter my name exactly as it appears on my Social Security card when I apply next year. And I'm saving the Claimyr recommendation too since it sounds like getting through to FSA support is nearly impossible otherwise. Thanks Isabella for sharing your solution and everyone else for the detailed advice!

Wow, this entire thread is exactly what I needed to see! I'm a senior dealing with a similar FAFSA nightmare right now - my application has been stuck in "processing" for over 2 weeks and I can't figure out why. After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm pretty sure it might be a name matching issue too since I used a shortened version of my legal name. The fact that Isabella got it resolved so quickly with Claimyr gives me hope! I'm definitely calling FSA tomorrow using that service. It's honestly ridiculous that the FAFSA system is this broken, but at least this community is sharing actual solutions. Thank you all for being so detailed about the troubleshooting steps - this is way more helpful than any official FAFSA help page I've found!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact situation with my son last year! The address difference really is not an issue at all - I was so worried about it initially but it turned out to be completely unnecessary stress. The FAFSA only cares about who provides more financial support, not where your child physically lives. Since you mentioned covering health insurance, car insurance, phone, clothing, and college savings, you're definitely the right parent to file. I kept detailed records of all my payments (insurance premiums, phone bills, etc.) and when we got selected for verification, it was super straightforward to prove I was the supporting parent. One thing that really helped me was setting up a dedicated folder on my phone for screenshots of payments - made it so easy to track everything! The whole process went much smoother than expected once I stopped worrying about the living situation. You've got this!

I'm new here but wanted to jump in since I'm literally going through this exact same situation right now! My daughter has been living with her mom since our separation but I'm the one who handles all her major expenses - health insurance, car payment, college prep courses, etc. I was so stressed about the address difference until I found this thread. Reading everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring. It sounds like the FAFSA system is actually pretty well set up to handle these divorced parent situations where physical custody and financial support don't align. I love all the practical tips about keeping digital records and creating spreadsheets to track expenses. One question for those who've been through verification - about how long did that process take once you submitted your documentation? I'm trying to plan out timing for when my daughter needs to submit her college enrollment deposits. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this community is amazing!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this process successfully! My dad is from the Philippines and we had the same nightmare trying to get him added as a contributor. The key things that worked for us: 1) Use that Claimyr service to actually reach FSA without waiting hours, 2) Specifically ask for "International Parent Override" and "Advanced Processing Unit" - don't let them transfer you to regular customer service, and 3) Have your parent's foreign tax documents ready to upload once they get the special login. The whole process took about 3 weeks for us once we got the override, but my FAFSA was processed correctly and I got my full Pell Grant amount. Don't give up - the system is broken but there IS a way through it!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My mom is from Ecuador and we've been stuck in this verification loop for over a month. Reading through all these responses is so helpful - I had no idea about the International Parent Override or the Advanced Processing Unit. I've been calling the regular FSA number and getting nowhere. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: my high school counselor mentioned that some community colleges have FAFSA completion workshops where they actually have staff who know how to handle these international parent cases. Even if you're not applying to community college, they might be able to help you navigate the process or at least give you better guidance than the FSA phone reps. @Liam Murphy - so glad you got your override processed! Please definitely update us on how your mom's part of the process goes. And @Chloe Taylor - thank you for the detailed breakdown, I'm going to try that Claimyr service today and ask for exactly those things you mentioned.