As a newcomer to this community, I can't thank everyone enough for this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion! I'm currently filling out my first FAFSA for my daughter and facing almost the exact same situation with 90 acres that we lease out for hay production. Like so many others here, I was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out whether to classify this as farm business or investment property, especially since we also file Schedule F with the IRS. Reading through all these real-world experiences has been such a game-changer. The material participation test that everyone keeps referencing finally made everything click for me - it's not about what tax forms you file, but about whether you're actually involved in the day-to-day farming operations. Since we just collect lease payments while our tenant handles all the cutting, baling, and equipment decisions, we're clearly not materially participating regardless of our Schedule F filing. The explanation from the financial aid professional about tax classification versus FAFSA classification serving different purposes was particularly eye-opening. It completely explains why the IRS treatment doesn't automatically determine the FAFSA classification. What really gives me confidence is seeing how consistent the advice has been from multiple families who've successfully navigated this process, plus hearing from someone who actually works in financial aid. When everyone points to the same material participation standard, you know you're getting solid guidance. Thank you all for creating such an invaluable resource for families trying to decode these complex FAFSA rules. This discussion has definitely convinced me that investment property classification is the right approach for our situation, and I'm so grateful to have found this supportive community during what felt like an impossible decision!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this incredibly helpful discussion! I'm currently working on my son's FAFSA and dealing with almost the exact same situation - we own about 120 acres that we lease out to a local farmer for wheat and hay production. Like so many others here, I was completely confused about whether to classify this as farm business or investment property, especially since we file Schedule F but aren't actively involved in farming operations. The material participation test that everyone keeps mentioning has been the key insight for me. Since we simply collect lease payments while our tenant farmer makes all the decisions about planting, harvesting, equipment, and field management, we clearly don't meet the material participation threshold regardless of our tax filings. The distinction between tax classification and FAFSA classification serving different purposes finally makes sense - filing Schedule F doesn't automatically make it a farm business for financial aid purposes when you're not actually running the farming operation. What gives me the most confidence is seeing how consistent the advice has been throughout this thread from multiple families who've successfully navigated this process, plus hearing from the financial aid professional who confirmed the same approach. When everyone points to the same material participation standard, you know you're getting reliable guidance. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such an invaluable resource for families trying to understand these complex FAFSA rules. This discussion has convinced me that investment property classification is definitely the right approach for our situation!

This entire thread is gold! As someone who works in a high school guidance office, I see this DRT issue constantly during FAFSA season. I'm definitely going to compile these troubleshooting steps into a handout for our students. The incognito browser trick, clearing cache/cookies, checking parent FSA ID login status, and that Claimyr service for getting through to FSA - these are all solutions I wish I had known about sooner. It's ridiculous that the official FAFSA help resources don't clearly outline these common fixes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - you're helping way more students than you probably realize!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently a college freshman and went through this exact same nightmare last year. The FAFSA system really needs better error messaging - it's crazy that students have to play detective just to figure out why a basic feature isn't working. I ended up having to manually enter everything because I couldn't get the DRT to work no matter what I tried. One thing I'd add for future students reading this - if you do have to enter tax info manually, triple check every number because any mistakes can delay your aid processing for weeks. Also, keep copies of all the tax documents you reference so if you get selected for verification later, you have everything ready. The whole process is stressful enough without these technical glitches making it worse!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to chime in with some encouragement! Your daughter's stats sound very strong for Zell Miller eligibility. I just went through this process with my son last year, and while the waiting period is definitely anxiety-inducing, everything worked out smoothly once we got organized. One tip I didn't see mentioned yet - if you're like me and tend to worry about paperwork getting lost, you can request email confirmations from both GSFC and UGA when they receive documents. This was a lifesaver for my peace of mind! Also, keep copies of everything in a dedicated folder (physical or digital) - you'd be surprised how often you might need to reference submission dates or confirmation numbers. The fact that you're being so proactive and asking all the right questions tells me your daughter is in great hands. The Georgia scholarship system really is designed to reward students like her who've worked hard academically. Best of luck with the process!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I wanted to share something that might help ease your anxiety about the timing. My daughter just finished her freshman year at UGA with Zell Miller, and I remember being in your exact position last spring - constantly checking emails and worrying about deadlines! One thing that really helped us was understanding that even if there are any hiccups with the initial notification, Zell Miller awards can be processed retroactively. So if for some reason there's a delay in March/April, it won't affect her actual enrollment or ability to register for classes. UGA's billing system is set up to handle scholarship adjustments even after the semester starts. Also, since your daughter is planning to attend UGA, I'd recommend joining the UGA Parents Facebook group if you haven't already - there's a wealth of real-time information from other parents going through the exact same processes. The Georgia scholarship system can seem complicated from the outside, but it really is designed to work in favor of students who meet the qualifications like your daughter clearly does. Hang in there - you're doing everything right!

As someone who works in financial aid at a community college, I can confirm what others have said - your son definitely needs to add you as a contributor in his FAFSA application. This is probably the most common issue we see with new FAFSA applications. Here's exactly what he needs to do: Log into studentaid.gov with his FSA ID, find his 2025-26 FAFSA, and look for the "Contributors" section. He'll need to enter your full name, date of birth, Social Security number, and email address. Once he saves that information, you should receive an invitation email within a few hours. One quick tip - make sure he uses an email address you check regularly and that won't block government emails. Sometimes parents give their work email and those systems filter out the FSA emails. Also, don't panic about timing yet - you're still well ahead of most deadlines, but do get this sorted within the next week or two to stay on track for priority consideration at his schools.

Hey! I just went through this exact same thing with my daughter last month. The key thing is that your son needs to actively add you as a contributor - it doesn't happen automatically when he submits his portion. Have him log back into his FAFSA at studentaid.gov, go to the Contributors section, and make sure he's entered your email address correctly. One thing I learned the hard way - double check that he's entering your email exactly right, including any dots or underscores. My daughter had a typo in my email and I was waiting for days wondering why I never got the invitation! Once she fixed it, I got the email within a couple hours. Also, while you're waiting, go ahead and create your FSA ID if you don't already have one - you'll need it to complete your portion anyway and it can take a day or two to get verified. Don't stress too much about timing yet, you still have plenty of time to get this sorted out!

This is such an important thread - thank you for sharing your experience so thoroughly! As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I'm honestly shocked that three different college financial aid advisors could all give the same incorrect information about something so critical. Your clear explanation of the custody vs guardianship distinction is incredibly helpful and probably just saved countless families from making this same costly mistake. What's particularly frustrating is how the system penalizes families like yours who are actually stepping up to provide care and support, yet forces involvement from someone who contributes nothing financially just because of legal terminology. The fact that you caught this early and got it corrected so quickly gives me hope, though I imagine the stress was intense. I'm definitely bookmarking this post and will make sure to verify everything directly with Federal Student Aid rather than relying solely on college advisors. Really hoping your Professional Judgment review works out - it sounds like you have a strong case given the actual vs documented financial support situation. Thanks for taking the time to educate the rest of us navigating these complex family situations!

This is such an eye-opening post! As someone new to this community and just starting to navigate the FAFSA process for my younger sister, I had absolutely no idea there was such a critical difference between custody and guardianship. The fact that three different trained financial aid advisors all gave you the same wrong information is honestly terrifying - it makes me wonder how many families are out there right now with incorrectly filed FAFSAs because of this widespread confusion. Your detailed explanation of how custody refers to where the student lives while guardianship involves court-appointed legal decision-making authority is incredibly helpful. It's so frustrating that the system forces families like yours to involve someone who provides zero financial support just because of specific legal terminology, especially when you're clearly the ones actually caring for your great-niece. I'm definitely going to verify everything directly with Federal Student Aid before we submit my sister's FAFSA rather than relying solely on college advisors. Really hoping your Professional Judgment review works out - from everything I'm reading here, it sounds like you have a strong case given the disconnect between the legal requirements and your actual financial situation. Thank you for sharing this experience so thoroughly - posts like this are exactly why I joined this community!