This is such a stressful situation! I'm dealing with something similar - my FAFSA shows as processed but my school's financial aid office acts like it doesn't exist. The timing pressure with summer deadlines makes it even worse. From what I'm seeing in these responses, it sounds like going in person with your SAR printout is the most effective approach. The technical delays with the new FAFSA system seem to be affecting tons of students this year, so at least we know we're not alone in this mess. Have you tried checking if your school has any emergency aid or deadline extension policies for students affected by the FAFSA delays? Some schools are being more flexible this year given all the technical issues everyone's experiencing.

I'm in a similar boat and it's absolutely maddening! My FAFSA has been showing as processed for 2 weeks but when I called my school yesterday, they said they have no record of receiving it. What's really frustrating is that I can see my SAI on the federal site clear as day, but somehow that information isn't making it to my financial aid office. I've been reading through all these responses and it sounds like the in-person approach with printed SAR might be my best bet too. The technical issues with this new FAFSA system are clearly widespread - I've seen so many posts about this exact problem across different forums. It's reassuring to know it's not just me, but also terrifying that so many of us are dealing with summer deadline pressure while the system is basically broken. Has anyone had success getting their school to acknowledge the systemic issues and maybe extend internal deadlines? I'm wondering if financial aid offices are getting guidance from higher up about how to handle all these delays.

Just went through this exact same situation with my daughter's FAFSA last month! The wording is definitely confusing. Like everyone else has confirmed, "student tax filing status" means YOUR DAUGHTER specifically, not you as parents. Since she made $3,500 (well under the $12,950 threshold), select "Will not file" for her tax status. The FAFSA will ask for her income separately later in the student section - just enter that $3,500 from her W-2. Your parent tax info gets entered in a completely different section. One tip: print out or screenshot each section as you complete it. The new FAFSA sometimes kicks you out and it's helpful to have a record of what you've already entered. Good luck with the rest of the application!

I just finished my daughter's FAFSA last week and had this exact same confusion! The "student tax filing status" question definitely refers to YOUR DAUGHTER only, not you as the parent. Since your daughter made less than the $12,950 filing threshold, you should select "Will not file" for her tax status. Don't worry - the FAFSA will still ask you to report her $3,500 summer job income in the student income section later on. They separate student and parent financial information into different sections of the application. One thing that helped me was to think of it this way: anywhere it says "student" it means your child, anywhere it says "parent" it means you. The application keeps these completely separate. Your parent tax information and income will be requested in the parent section (Section 4 I believe). Hope this helps clear up the confusion - the wording really could be better!

Regarding scholarship displacement that someone mentioned - that's generally only true if you're already receiving 100% of your demonstrated need. With your SAI and the cost of attendance, you'll likely have unmet need at most institutions, meaning outside scholarships would actually reduce your out-of-pocket costs rather than displacing institutional aid. It's still very much worth pursuing outside scholarships in your situation.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also look at the Common Data Set (Section H) for each school your daughter is considering. This publicly available document shows exactly what percentage of need each college typically meets and what percentage of aid is grants vs. loans. For example, you can see if School A meets 85% of need with 70% grants/30% loans, while School B meets 95% of need with 90% grants/10% loans. This data can help you predict which schools are more likely to give you a better aid package with your $36,600 SAI. You can usually find these by googling "[School Name] Common Data Set 2023" - it's been a game-changer for our family's college planning!

just remember 2 submit by the deadline! my buddy missed it last year n got zero aid even tho his fam is broke

One more thing to keep in mind - since your dad just retired and is now on Medicare, make sure you understand how his health insurance premiums are handled. Medicare premiums that are deducted from his Social Security checks don't get reported separately on the FAFSA, but if he pays any supplemental insurance premiums out of pocket, those aren't deductible on the FAFSA either. Just wanted to mention this since I see a lot of confusion about health insurance costs for retirees. The main thing is getting his income and assets reported correctly, which it sounds like you've got figured out now thanks to everyone's help!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this detailed discussion! My daughter is also a high school junior, and like many of you, she's been diligently saving money from her part-time job at a local tutoring center. She has about $6,800 saved up, and I was completely unaware of how this could impact her financial aid eligibility. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly enlightening. The 20% assessment rate on student assets versus the much lower rate on parent assets seems so counterintuitive when we're trying to teach our kids good financial habits! I'm definitely interested in exploring the Roth IRA strategy that several people have mentioned. It seems like such a smart approach - helping with FAFSA planning while also giving her a fantastic head start on retirement savings. She definitely has enough earned income from her tutoring job to support contributions. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who have successfully used the Roth IRA approach, did you move all of your child's savings into the IRA, or did you keep some in regular accounts for more immediate college-related expenses? I'm trying to balance the FAFSA benefits with making sure she still has some accessible money for things like college application fees, senior year expenses, etc. Thank you all for sharing such practical, real-world advice. This kind of strategic planning is exactly what I needed to learn about but had no idea where to start!

Welcome to the community! I'm in a very similar situation with my junior who has saved about $7,200 from her job at a local coffee shop. This thread has been a goldmine of information - I had absolutely no clue about the 20% assessment rate on student assets! The Roth IRA strategy seems brilliant, but I'm curious about the mechanics of actually setting one up for a teenager. Do most banks and investment firms allow minors to open Roth IRAs on their own, or do parents need to be involved as custodians? Also, are there any specific investment options that work better for teens who might want to keep things simple while they're learning? I love how this approach teaches financial responsibility while actually helping with college costs - it seems like the one strategy that doesn't penalize kids for being savers. My daughter has been so proud of building up her savings, and I was heartbroken thinking it might hurt her aid chances. This gives us a much better path forward! Has anyone found good resources for explaining to teenagers why moving money to a Roth IRA is beneficial? I want to make sure my daughter understands this isn't just a FAFSA trick, but actually a smart long-term financial move that will benefit her for decades.