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.

I'm so glad you found this thread! I'm going through the exact same process with my son right now and was equally confused about the lack of communication from FAFSA directly. Reading through everyone's responses here has been incredibly helpful. One thing I learned from our school's financial aid office is that you can also request a "cost of attendance breakdown" from each school, which shows exactly how they calculated your total need and how the aid package fits into that. This really helped us understand why the loan amounts were what they were. Don't feel bad about being confused - this process is NOT intuitive at all, and even the school counselors admit the system could be way clearer!

This whole thread has been so reassuring! I'm dealing with the exact same situation with my daughter - we got the "completed" status weeks ago but heard nothing until she randomly checked her college portal yesterday. I was starting to panic that we'd done something wrong or missed a deadline. It's crazy how the FAFSA system just leaves you hanging without any explanation of what happens next. Reading everyone's experiences here has been more helpful than any of the official resources I've found online. I especially appreciate the tip about checking studentaid.gov for the SAR report - I had no idea that existed! Now I feel much more confident about understanding her aid package and what steps to take next. Thank you all for sharing your stories and making the rest of us feel less alone in this confusing process!

Just want to add one more important point - the 24/25 FAFSA also considers contributions from non-custodial parents differently than before. They eliminated the question about which parent the student lived with more and now ONLY care about financial support. Also, remember the federal student aid amounts are the same regardless of which college your daughter attends. It's the institutional aid (from the college itself) that might vary based on her SAI score. Some colleges ask for the CSS Profile too, which asks for BOTH parents' information even if separated.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation last year. The new FAFSA rules definitely focus on financial support rather than custody, which was confusing at first but actually worked out better for us. One thing I learned the hard way - make sure you're consistent about who files the FAFSA each year. If you file this year because you provide more support, you'll likely need to file again next year unless your financial situation changes significantly. The colleges expect consistency. Also, don't stress too much about calculating the exact percentages down to the dollar. As long as you can reasonably justify that you provide more than 50% support (which it sounds like you clearly do), you should be fine. The key is being honest and having documentation if needed. Your daughter is lucky to have a parent who's taking the time to figure this out properly!

To summarize the correct 2025-2026 FAFSA process: 1. Student creates FSA ID (if they don't already have one) 2. Student begins FAFSA application using their FSA ID 3. Student completes their portion and reaches the parent information section 4. Parent creates their own FSA ID (if they don't already have one) 5. Parent completes their portion of the student's FAFSA 6. Student signs the FAFSA first 7. Parent signs the FAFSA second Both FSA IDs must be verified before signing. If you're having trouble, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.

As someone who just went through this process successfully for 2025-2026, I can confirm that following PrinceJoe's step-by-step guide worked perfectly for us! The key thing I learned is that it's really important to wait for FSA ID verification to complete before attempting to sign - we made the mistake of rushing this step initially and had to start over. Also, double-check that your information matches your Social Security records EXACTLY (including middle initials, spaces, etc.). The new FAFSA system seems much more strict about this than previous years. Good luck to everyone still working through this!

Update on my situation: After waiting 4 weeks with no update, I finally received our SAI this morning. The processing time seems to be pretty consistent with what others are reporting. Now I'm just waiting for the colleges to receive the information and prepare aid packages.

I'm in a very similar situation - submitted my FAFSA about 3 weeks ago and still waiting. My daughter also has a May 1st decision deadline between two schools, and one would require significant loans if we don't get enough aid. Based on what everyone is sharing here, it sounds like I should definitely contact both financial aid offices this week to explain the situation and ask for either preliminary estimates or deadline extensions. It's frustrating that we're all dealing with these delays when the timing is so critical for college decisions. Has anyone had success getting schools to provide rough estimates based on tax information while waiting for the official SAI?