To summarize for anyone with a similar situation: 1. For FAFSA purposes, the parent who should complete the form is determined by where the student lived most during the past 12 months 2. If the student lived more than 50% with one parent, that parent completes the FAFSA 3. The other parent's income is irrelevant if they don't live in the same household 4. Who claims the student on taxes doesn't affect which parent completes the FAFSA 5. Having documentation ready (school records, medical records showing address) is wise in case of verification 6. For the new 2024-2025 FAFSA, you'll be determining the "contributor" parent using these same residency rules

Just wanted to add one more reassuring point - I work at a college financial aid office and see this exact situation frequently. When a student has lived primarily with one parent for years (like your daughter has with you), it's actually one of the clearest FAFSA scenarios we deal with. You're absolutely doing the right thing by using your information as the contributor parent. One tip: when you complete the FAFSA, there's a section where you can provide additional context about your family's circumstances. Consider briefly noting that your daughter's other parent is not involved in her education or living situation. This can be helpful context if your application gets selected for verification. Also, make sure your daughter applies to schools that meet full demonstrated need if possible - with your income level, she could qualify for significant need-based aid at many institutions.

I'm so grateful to have found this discussion! My family is dealing with the exact same IRS processing nightmare - we filed our taxes in January and it's now been over 4 months of "still processing" with zero communication from the IRS. I was absolutely panicking that this would somehow disqualify us from financial aid or cause major delays for my son's college applications. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. The consistent message seems to be: don't let IRS delays derail your FAFSA timeline. I'm particularly grateful for the professional insight from those who work in financial aid offices - knowing that this situation is routine and that there are established procedures to handle it makes me feel so much better. I'm going to follow the advice here and attempt the IRS Data Retrieval Tool tomorrow, with manual entry as backup if needed. It's clear that meeting financial aid deadlines is far more important than waiting for the IRS to get their act together. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping anxious parents like me navigate this stressful process!

Welcome to everyone who's dealing with this frustrating IRS processing delay! I'm new to this community but unfortunately not new to this exact problem. We filed our 2023 taxes in late February and have been stuck in processing limbo ever since - no letters, no explanations, just the dreaded "still processing" message every time we check. Reading through this entire discussion has been incredibly eye-opening and honestly such a relief! I had no idea how common this issue was or that the FAFSA system was designed to handle these delays. I was genuinely worried that somehow our delayed return would make us look unreliable to financial aid offices or cause problems with my daughter's aid package. The professional insights from those working in financial aid offices have been particularly valuable - knowing that they see this situation constantly and have established procedures to deal with it takes so much pressure off. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here: try the IRS Data Retrieval Tool first thing Monday morning, then manual entry if needed, and focus on meeting our financial aid deadlines rather than waiting for the IRS to catch up. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and advice. It's amazing how much stress this community has helped alleviate for families like ours who are navigating this process for the first time!

Just went through this process with my oldest last year! One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - keep digital copies of ALL your tax documents and financial records organized by year. When you're filling out the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll need your 2023 tax info (they use prior-prior year taxes), and having everything organized makes the process SO much faster. Also, if your family's financial situation changes significantly (job loss, medical expenses, etc.) after submitting the FAFSA, contact your son's financial aid office directly about "professional judgment" or special circumstances appeals. Many schools can adjust aid packages based on changed circumstances that the FAFSA doesn't capture. Good luck with your first college journey - it gets easier once you know the routine!

As someone who just went through this with my daughter, I can confirm everything others have said - you absolutely need to file a new FAFSA every single year! The confusion is totally understandable though, especially with all the changes they made to the system this year. One thing I'd add is to make sure you understand your son's school's specific summer policy BEFORE he registers for summer classes. Some schools treat summer as part of the previous academic year's aid, others count it toward the next year. This can really impact his aid eligibility and loan limits, so definitely get this clarified with his financial aid office before making summer plans. Also, start gathering your 2023 tax documents now if you haven't already - you'll need them for the 2025-2026 FAFSA when it opens in October. Having everything ready to go makes the process much smoother! The first year is definitely the hardest because everything is new. By next year you'll feel like a pro at this! Hang in there!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that some schools also have their own pre-submission FAFSA review services! I'm a first-gen college student and was totally overwhelmed by the whole process, but my school's financial aid office offered to do a "FAFSA check" appointment before I submitted. They caught two mistakes I would have never noticed - I had my work-study earnings in the wrong income category and didn't realize my 529 plan needed to be reported as a parent asset, not student asset. The appointment was free and only took about 30 minutes. Definitely worth asking your school if they offer something similar, especially if you're feeling unsure about any of your answers!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who's about to submit my first FAFSA, I was really stressed about making errors that would delay my financial aid. Reading everyone's experiences and tips has given me a much clearer picture of what to expect from the error detection system and how to minimize mistakes. I'm definitely going to: - Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool - Carefully review the Preview PDF before submitting - Double-check my dependency status answers - Contact my school's financial aid office to see if they offer pre-submission reviews like Dylan mentioned One quick follow-up question - for those who've been through verification, roughly how long did the whole process take from when you were first notified to when everything was resolved? I want to make sure I leave enough time before school starts in case I get selected. Thanks again everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

I'm going through the same thing right now with my son's FAFSA! I was so worried when it skipped the bank account questions because I kept second-guessing myself. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - especially learning about the income thresholds and how the new SAI system works. I'm definitely going to contact his college's financial aid office to see if they need any additional documentation beyond what FAFSA collected. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm a parent going through this process for the first time with my daughter's FAFSA, and I had the exact same panic when those bank account questions never showed up. I kept refreshing the page thinking it was a technical error! It's really reassuring to see that this is actually part of the new streamlined system and not something we messed up. The explanations about the income thresholds and SAI changes are super clear - I wish FAFSA had better communication about these changes upfront so parents wouldn't worry. Definitely going to follow the advice here and check with her school's financial aid office to see what additional documentation they might need beyond the federal form.