As a newcomer to FAFSA, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly helpful discussion! I'm in a similar situation preparing for my daughter's Fall 2025 applications, and the clarity about using 2023 tax information is exactly what I needed. The information about Professional Judgment reviews is particularly valuable - I had no idea this was even an option. It sounds like the key is to be proactive and organized with documentation. For those of us dealing with income changes, it seems like having 2024 tax returns ready early and contacting each school's financial aid office immediately after FAFSA submission could make a real difference. One quick question: For families who experienced income changes due to retirement or career transitions (not job loss), would the Professional Judgment process work the same way? My spouse retired in early 2024, so our 2024 income is significantly different from 2023.

As someone new to this community and the FAFSA process, I'm amazed by how helpful everyone has been in this thread! I'm also preparing for Fall 2025 applications and had the same confusion about tax years. Reading through all these responses, it's clear that while the system uses 2023 tax information, there's real hope for families with income changes through the Professional Judgment process. What strikes me most is how much the process varies by school - it sounds like applying to a mix of schools and being prepared with documentation could really pay off. I'm curious - for those who have been through this process, what was the most important piece of documentation that helped your case? I'm trying to get organized early and want to make sure I'm focusing on the right paperwork when the time comes to submit those special circumstances forms. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community is incredibly valuable for navigating such a complex process!

Based on your original question and follow-ups, here's a summary of what you should do: 1. Skip the 2025-2026 FAFSA since your daughter is taking a gap year 2. Create FSA IDs now for both of you at studentaid.gov 3. Mark your calendar for December 2025 when the 2026-2027 FAFSA opens 4. File that FAFSA as early as possible (ideally December/January) for her Fall 2026 enrollment 5. Check community college-specific deadlines for priority aid consideration During the gap year, having her save money from working can help with expenses, and researching scholarship opportunities specific to the community college she's considering would be worthwhile.

As someone who works in financial aid at a community college, I can confirm what others have said - you absolutely do not need to file FAFSA during your daughter's senior year if she's taking a gap year. We see this situation frequently, and students who file "just in case" often end up confused when their aid doesn't carry over. One thing I'd add is that community colleges typically have very generous filing deadlines compared to 4-year schools, so even if she decides in summer 2026 that she wants to start that fall, you'll likely still have time to complete the FAFSA and receive aid. Most of our students qualify for significant Pell Grant funding, and community college tuition is low enough that aid often covers most or all costs. The FSA ID suggestion is spot-on though - definitely get those set up now while you're thinking about it!

UPDATE: You guys were totally right! I went through the correction process and found TWO major mistakes I made. I had included my retirement account as an asset AND counted my contributions as untaxed income, plus I had accidentally included the value of my car (which isn't supposed to be reported). After fixing those and a couple other small things, my SAI dropped from $42,800 to $18,200! That's still higher than I expected but WAY more reasonable. Thanks everyone for your help!

Amazing update! So glad you got it sorted out. Those are exactly the kinds of mistakes that trip up so many people - the retirement account double-counting is probably the most common error I see. Your new SAI of $18,200 should definitely open up more aid opportunities, especially for federal grants and subsidized loans. Make sure to keep checking your student aid report over the next few days to confirm everything processed correctly. You should be in much better shape for your financial aid package now!

One more important thing to know: the FAFSA typically gives priority to students whose applications are submitted earlier. Even though they have official deadlines, aid can be first-come, first-served at many schools. Since you'll have two students applying for 2025-2026, I'd recommend completing both FAFSAs as soon as the application opens in December 2024. Also, check if either of your children's schools require the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. That's a separate financial aid application required by some private colleges, and it has a different set of rules and deadlines.

Just wanted to add that when you're filling out both FAFSAs, make sure you're consistent with the financial information you enter for each child. Since you'll be using the same parent tax/income data for both applications, any discrepancies could cause processing delays or verification requests from the schools. Also, keep copies of everything! With two students, you'll have twice the documentation to track. I learned this the hard way when my daughter's school requested additional paperwork and I had mixed up which documents went with which kid's application. Having everything organized by student from the start will save you headaches later.

That's such a relief to hear! I'm in a similar situation - submitted my FAFSA in early March and still waiting for my disclosure statement. The waiting is so stressful when you see all these college deadlines approaching. It's good to know that most schools are being understanding about the delays this year. I think I'll follow your lead and call my school's financial aid office tomorrow just to give them a heads up about the delay and see if they have any updates on their end. Thanks for sharing your update - it definitely helps ease some of the anxiety!

I'm in the exact same situation! Submitted my FAFSA about 2.5 weeks ago and still showing "processing" with no disclosure statement yet. This is my first time too and I was getting really worried seeing all these deadlines coming up. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really reassuring - sounds like the delays are pretty normal this year with the new system. I'm definitely going to call my school's financial aid office this week to let them know about the delay and make sure I'm not missing anything on my end. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and tips, especially about checking email preferences and the possibility of hidden verification issues!