I appreciate all the feedback! Sounds like aiming for October/November is the safest bet, then following up with schools to make sure they actually received everything. I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service if we run into problems - spent way too much time on hold last year when helping my nephew with his application.

As a newcomer here, I'm finding this thread incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar boat with my son starting college in fall 2025. One thing I'm confused about - when you all mention "starting in October," does that mean October 2024 for the 2025-26 academic year? I want to make sure I understand the timeline correctly. Also, should I be gathering tax documents now, or do I need to wait for 2024 tax returns to be completed first? Sorry for the basic questions, but last year's chaos has me wanting to be extra prepared this time around!

when i was filling out my fafsa a couple weeks ago the instruction said to report the parent who i lived with more during the past 12 months. so if thats your mom, just report her? the system seems pretty straight forward unless im missing something

I went through this exact situation two years ago! The key thing to understand is that the new FAFSA rules prioritize which parent provides MORE financial support, not just custody arrangements. Since your mom provides 100% of your support and your dad contributes nothing, you should only report your mom's income initially. However, I'd recommend being proactive - start gathering documentation NOW showing your mom's sole financial support (her tax returns claiming you as dependent, receipts for major expenses like medical/school costs, etc.) in case you need to file a special circumstances appeal later. Also, reach out to the financial aid offices at your target schools early to explain your situation - many are familiar with divorced parent issues and can walk you through their specific process. Don't let your dad's income on paper destroy your aid eligibility when he's not actually contributing!

Update: Just heard from my daughter's financial aid office that they're now expecting to have aid packages out for returning students by June 10th at the latest, and they've adjusted their Parent PLUS processing timeline to ensure everything is completed before August billing. Thought this might help others here make their plans!

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with the exact same situation! My daughter will be a returning sophomore and I'm completely overwhelmed by all these FAFSA delays. Reading through everyone's responses has been incredibly helpful - especially hearing from the financial aid professionals about waiting for the official aid package before applying for Parent PLUS. One question I haven't seen addressed: for those who've done this before, is there typically a big difference in the loan amount needed from year to year? I'm trying to mentally prepare for what we might be looking at compared to last year's costs. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this community is a lifesaver during these stressful times!

That's awesome! So glad it worked out for you. Sometimes these FAFSA glitches make me think they're intentionally making it difficult so people give up on getting financial aid!

As someone who just went through the 2025-2026 FAFSA cycle, I can totally relate to your frustration! The new system definitely has some quirks. I had a similar issue where I couldn't update my college list properly. What ended up working for me was a combination of the suggestions already mentioned here - clearing cache, using incognito mode, AND most importantly, doing it during off-peak hours like Grace mentioned. The timing really does matter with this new system. Also make sure you're not trying to add and remove colleges in the same session - do one action, save, log out completely, then come back later for the next change. The system seems to handle individual changes better than bulk updates. Hope this helps and glad to see you got it sorted out!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I think I'll take a combined approach: 1. Contact financial aid offices at my top 3-4 schools to ask about their specific procedures 2. Be honest but brief about parent employment in Common App 3. Submit FAFSA/CSS with 2023 data when it opens 4. Follow up with each school's financial aid office immediately with formal special circumstances requests 5. Make sure to ask about both college-specific adjustments AND the federal SAI adjustment process I really appreciate all the different perspectives!

As a financial aid counselor, I want to emphasize something that hasn't been mentioned yet - timing matters A LOT for documentation. Start gathering your paperwork NOW, not later. You'll need: - Official termination/layoff letter from your dad's employer - Unemployment benefit award letter (if applicable) - Bank statements showing reduced income deposits - Any severance documentation - Updated tax projections for 2024 (even if estimated) Many families wait until they're asked for documentation and then scramble to get everything together. Having this ready before you even contact schools will speed up the entire process significantly. Also, some schools have earlier deadlines for special circumstances reviews than their regular financial aid deadlines, so don't assume you have until spring to handle this. One more tip: if your dad is actively job searching, keep records of that too (applications submitted, interviews, etc.) as some schools factor job search efforts into their professional judgment decisions.