Just to clarify for everyone: For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, the parent who should complete the form is determined by these factors in order: 1. If parents live together (regardless of marital status): both parents report information 2. If parents don't live together: the parent who provided more financial support in the last 12 months 3. If equal support: the parent the student lived with more 4. If equal time with both: the parent who provided more financial support Tax dependency status is NOT a factor in determining which parent completes the FAFSA.

Just wanted to add my experience here - I went through this exact same situation two years ago with my son. I was panicking thinking the FAFSA would get rejected because his dad claimed him on taxes even though my son lived with me all year. Turns out it was completely fine! The financial aid office at his college told me this happens all the time with divorced/separated parents. The key thing is being honest about who actually provides the most support and where your daughter lives most of the time. Since you're clearly the custodial parent based on what you described, you're doing everything right by completing the FAFSA. Don't let the tax dependency thing stress you out - they're totally separate systems!

One thing I want to clarify since there's confusion on this thread: Professional Judgment (PJ) and the ability to adjust a student's SAI are two different (but related) functionalities in the new FAFSA system. Schools have been able to make SAI adjustments for several weeks now, but the official PJ flags and documentation workflow in the system were only activated recently. This is why some schools have been able to process appeals while others say they're waiting. I'd recommend asking your financial aid office specifically what aspect of the process they're waiting on.

This whole situation is so stressful! I'm dealing with something similar - my family's income changed significantly after we filed our taxes, and I've been waiting weeks for my school to process my appeal. Reading through all these responses is really helpful though. I had no idea about the distinction between SAI adjustments and the official Professional Judgment workflow in the new system. I'm going to try calling my financial aid office tomorrow and specifically ask for a "preliminary professional judgment decision letter" like Diego suggested. It's such a relief to know that other people are going through this too and that there are actually people getting their appeals processed now. Fingers crossed we can all get this sorted out before the May 1st deadline!

One more crucial point: make sure you verify which school will disburse your financial aid. Typically, only your home institution (where you're seeking your degree) can disburse your Pell Grant. The consortium agreement allows your home school to count the credits from both institutions, but you'll likely still need to pay the community college directly, then use your refund from your home school to cover those costs. This timing can be tricky!

That's awesome news! Glad both schools have the consortium agreement process in place. Ten business days should work out fine for your timeline. Just a heads up - once everything's processed, double-check your enrollment status shows as full-time (6+ credits for summer) in your student portal at University B. Sometimes there's a delay in the system updating even after the consortium agreement is approved. Also keep all your paperwork and confirmation emails - you might need them if there are any hiccups with your aid disbursement later. Good luck with your summer classes!

Good news - I've worked with several students this year who had automatic SAI corrections, and in every case, their scholarships were adjusted when they provided the updated information. Just make sure you follow up persistently. Email the scholarship coordinator weekly until you get confirmation they've received and processed your updated SAI. The most important thing is to make sure your school's financial aid office has the correct number. If they've already packaged your aid with the old SAI, ask them specifically to repackage based on the new SAI. Get the name of everyone you speak with and follow up with emails summarizing your conversations.

I'm a current college junior who went through this exact situation last year! The automatic corrections are definitely nerve-wracking, but here's what I learned: the Department of Ed is actually doing you a favor by catching discrepancies early rather than flagging you for verification later. A $3,200 SAI drop is significant and will likely increase your Pell Grant eligibility and other need-based aid. For scholarships, I had success by creating a simple one-page document with before/after screenshots of my SAI, the correction dates, and a brief explanation. I attached this to emails to every scholarship committee I'd applied to. Most were very understanding - they deal with FAFSA chaos every year. The key is being proactive and professional about it. Also, don't just email your financial aid office - go in person if possible! They can pull up your account in real-time and confirm they're using the most recent SAI for your aid package. I discovered my school was still showing my old SAI even though studentaid.gov had been updated for weeks.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been having the exact same problem for the past two weeks trying to get help with my daughter's FAFSA application. The constant disconnections are absolutely infuriating, especially when you're dealing with time-sensitive financial aid deadlines. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has been incredibly helpful - it's both frustrating and reassuring to know this is a widespread issue and not just bad luck on my end. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service and the Tuesday/Wednesday afternoon calling strategy that several people have recommended. Thank you all for sharing your real-world solutions and experiences. It's communities like this that make navigating these bureaucratic nightmares a little more bearable!

I'm so relieved to find this thread! I've been experiencing the exact same disconnection nightmare while trying to reach FAFSA about my son's application. After reading through all these helpful suggestions, I'm planning to try the Claimyr service first since multiple people have confirmed it works, and then use the Tuesday/Wednesday afternoon calling strategy as a backup. It's incredibly frustrating that we need these workarounds just to access basic customer service from a government agency, but I'm grateful this community exists to share real solutions. Thanks to everyone who took the time to document what actually worked for them - it gives me hope that I'll finally be able to get the help we need!