I'm new to this community and currently going through my first FAFSA experience for my daughter's 2025-2026 application. This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I was in complete panic mode when I couldn't find anywhere to report our $8,300 in savings - I even cleared my browser cache thinking it was a technical issue. Reading through everyone's experiences with the FAFSA Simplification Act has been such a relief. It's amazing how many parents went through this exact same confusion! The fact that so many of you successfully submitted without asset information and received positive outcomes gives me the confidence to move forward. It really seems like the new system is working as intended, even though it feels counterintuitive not to report savings we've always had to include before. Thank you to this entire community for sharing your knowledge and experiences - it's made navigating this process so much less stressful for newcomers like me!

I'm a newcomer to this community and just started filling out my son's FAFSA for 2025-2026. This entire discussion has been incredibly helpful! I was having the exact same panic about not finding where to enter our savings account information - we have about $7,800 that I was certain needed to be reported based on everything I'd read online about previous FAFSA requirements. I actually spent over an hour going through every single page multiple times thinking I was missing something obvious. Reading through all these experiences with the FAFSA Simplification Act changes has been such a huge relief. It's amazing to see how many families went through this identical confusion and came out with successful outcomes. The fact that the new system focuses on tax data instead of assets makes sense once you understand it, but they really should have done a better job explaining these major changes upfront. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and knowledge - it's given me the confidence to submit our application today!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! We had the same confusion about FSA IDs when our second child started college. What helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track who had which FSA ID - it sounds silly but with all the financial aid deadlines and forms, it's easy to get mixed up. Also, since you mentioned you'll have two in college simultaneously, make sure to submit both FAFSA applications around the same time if possible. Some schools have limited aid budgets and it's first-come-first-served, so getting both kids' applications in early can be crucial even though the multi-student discount is gone. Good luck with the process - it's definitely overwhelming but you've got this!

As someone who works in financial aid at a state university, I can confirm everything that's been shared here about FSA IDs - one per person for life, tied to your SSN. But I wanted to add something important that hasn't been mentioned yet: when you're completing the FAFSA for your second child, make sure to double-check that all your tax and asset information is consistent between both applications. The Department of Education does cross-reference data between family members' applications, and any discrepancies can trigger verification requests or delays in processing. Also, even though the federal multi-student benefit is gone, don't forget to check if your state has any grant programs that still consider multiple students - some states haven't updated their formulas yet. Finally, if either child is considering a gap year or changing enrollment status, that could affect the other's aid eligibility, so plan carefully!

Good news that you've confirmed receipt with two schools already! That suggests the FAFSA data was indeed transmitted successfully. The other schools have likely received it as well. One thing to note: colleges won't begin creating financial aid packages until a student has been accepted, so if your daughters are still waiting on admission decisions from some schools, those financial aid offices might not actively acknowledge FAFSA receipt until after acceptance. I've seen this process work smoothly hundreds of times even without confirmation emails, so try not to worry too much. The system is working as designed (if not as well communicated as we'd all like).

I went through this exact same situation with my daughter last year! The lack of confirmation emails is definitely nerve-wracking, but it sounds like you're on the right track. Since two schools have already confirmed receipt, that's a great sign that the system worked properly. One tip that helped us - we created a simple spreadsheet tracking each school's FAFSA receipt status and financial aid package timeline. It helped us stay organized and know exactly which schools we still needed to follow up with. Most schools we contacted were really helpful and could confirm receipt immediately over the phone. The waiting game is the worst part of this whole process, but it sounds like your twins are in good shape! Keep us posted on how it goes.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who's been through this process multiple times with rental properties. One thing that really helped us was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all our rental property info year over year - property address, acquisition date, current market value estimate, outstanding mortgage balance, and net equity. This makes filling out the FAFSA much faster each year and helps ensure consistency. Also, if you're using online valuation tools like Zillow or Redfin, I'd recommend taking the average of 2-3 different estimates rather than relying on just one, as they can vary quite a bit. The financial aid offices seem to appreciate when families show they've done their homework on property valuations rather than just picking a random number.

Just want to add a quick note about timing - make sure you're using the property values and mortgage balances as of the date you file your FAFSA, not necessarily what they were at the end of the tax year. Property values can change significantly, and if you've made mortgage payments throughout the year, your equity will be different. I learned this the hard way when our property value dropped between tax filing and FAFSA submission, and I had to go back and correct our original submission. It's a small detail but can make a difference in your calculated asset value. Also, if you're refinancing or doing a cash-out refi during the FAFSA year, that can complicate things too, so plan accordingly!

Congrats on getting it fixed! This is really helpful to know about the duplicate application issue. I've been having the same error for over a week now and I think I might have the same problem - I started filling it out on my phone at school, then tried to continue on my laptop at home. Going to try that Claimyr service too since the regular FAFSA phone line is absolutely useless. Thanks for updating us with what actually worked!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and seeing all these error messages is honestly terrifying me! I haven't even started my application yet because I keep hearing about all these technical issues. Should I wait until they fix these problems or just dive in and hope for the best? My parents are freaking out about deadlines too. Is there anything I should do differently when starting fresh to avoid the duplicate application issue that seems to be causing problems for so many people?