That's exactly what happened with my daughter too. Her

As someone who just went through this process with my twin daughters last year, I want to emphasize something that hasn't been mentioned yet - keep detailed records of EVERYTHING! I created a spreadsheet tracking each school's requirements, deadlines, contact information, and who we spoke with (including names and dates). This saved us so much headache when schools claimed they never received documents or when we needed to follow up on conversations. Also, don't be afraid to ask for supervisors if you're not getting helpful responses from the first person you speak with. Some financial aid staff are overwhelmed and may give you generic answers, but their supervisors often have more authority to actually help with specific situations. One more tip: if a school offers a "financial aid workshop" or information session, GO! We learned about several scholarship opportunities that weren't widely advertised just by attending these sessions.

Great update! I'm so glad you got this resolved. This is exactly why I always tell students to contact their financial aid office directly when they're worried about deadlines - most schools are very understanding about FAFSA processing delays since they know it's completely out of the student's control. Your experience will definitely help other students who find themselves in the same situation. Thanks for sharing the outcome!

As someone who just went through this exact same stress last year, I can't emphasize enough how normal this is! The "processing" status had me checking my account obsessively for days. What I learned is that the FAFSA system is honestly just inconsistent with who gets instant estimates vs who has to wait for full processing. It has nothing to do with whether you did something wrong - it's usually just based on the complexity of your financial situation or random system factors. The most important thing is that you submitted before your school's deadline, which it sounds like you did. Your official SAI will come through soon, and in the meantime, that confirmation email is your golden ticket to prove you met all the requirements!

I'm also new to this community and going through something similar with my niece. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the distinction between conservatorship and guardianship for FAFSA purposes. The suggestion about exploring the "at risk of homelessness" category is particularly intriguing since it might be a more direct path to independence status. I'm curious though - for those who have successfully gone through the dependency override process, approximately how long did it take from when you submitted all the documentation to when you got a decision? We're trying to plan our timeline since my niece is also a senior this year, and I want to make sure we're not scrambling at the last minute if we need to pursue multiple options simultaneously.

I'm new to this community but wanted to jump in since I recently went through a very similar situation with my younger sister. The conservatorship vs. guardianship distinction is incredibly frustrating - it feels like the system penalizes families who are trying to do the right thing legally. One thing that helped us was creating a comprehensive timeline document showing when the conservatorship was established, what circumstances led to it, and all the ways I've been financially responsible for my sister since then. This included things like health insurance coverage, school enrollment documentation, and even receipts for major expenses like clothing, medical care, etc. When we met with financial aid counselors, having this clear timeline really helped them understand our situation quickly. Several schools told us that while conservatorship doesn't automatically qualify for independence, our documentation made a strong case for the dependency override. Also, don't overlook the possibility that your family member might qualify for other independence criteria - I was surprised to learn how many different pathways there are. The key is being thorough and starting early, which it sounds like you're already doing!

ok so im gonna go against wht everyone else said... keep the money where it is!!! colleges look at ur kids combined profiles and if u start moving money around they notice. my sister tried moving stuff to 529s and the financial aid office literally asked for 3 years of bank statements during verification!!! they saw all the transfers and counted it anyway. waste of time.

This is such a timely question! I'm dealing with something similar with my kids who are 3 years apart. One thing I learned from our financial advisor is to also consider the timing of when you make these changes. Since your younger child is still in 7th grade, you have several years before their assets would impact your older child's aid eligibility. The 529 strategy mentioned by Diego is solid, but also remember that FAFSA looks at assets as of the date you file, not when you earned or saved the money. So if you do move to a parent-owned 529, you might want to time it strategically around when you'll be filing your older child's FAFSA renewals. Also worth noting - some states offer tax deductions for 529 contributions, which could provide an additional benefit beyond just the FAFSA treatment. Definitely check what your state offers since that could make the decision even more worthwhile. Has your older child's school been helpful with explaining their specific aid policies? Some schools are more generous with aid renewals than others, which might influence how aggressively you want to pursue these strategies.

Quick follow-up question - does anyone know if I need to complete the CSS Profile for NJ schools as well? I'm applying to Princeton (longshot, I know) along with Rutgers and Rowan.

Just wanted to add that if you're planning to transfer between NJ schools later, you'll need to update your NJFAMS account with your new school information. I transferred from community college to a 4-year school mid-year and almost lost my TAG because I forgot to update my enrollment status in NJFAMS. The system doesn't automatically sync with your school changes like federal aid does. Also, keep your NJFAMS login info safe - I've seen people get locked out right before deadlines and it's a nightmare to recover your account during peak season!