Quick update on verification timing - most schools process verification documents within 2-3 weeks, but it can take longer during peak periods (which we're in right now). Call your school's financial aid office and explain your situation with the tuition deadline. Most schools have a process to place a temporary hold on your account while verification is being processed. They don't want to lose students over processing delays, so they're usually willing to work with you on this.

So glad to hear you got it sorted out with your school! This is exactly why communication is key during the verification process. For anyone else reading this thread who might face similar issues - don't wait until the last minute to contact your school's financial aid office. Most schools are very understanding about verification delays, especially during peak processing times, and they have procedures in place to help students avoid losing their enrollment or going to collections. Keep copies of all your submitted documents and follow up regularly until you get confirmation that everything has been processed. The stress is real, but there are usually solutions available if you advocate for yourself!

DONT FORGET about work study!!! My daughter does work study at the dental clinic at her school and it DOESNT count against FAFSA eligibility the same way regular income does!! Plus it looks good on resume!!!

As someone new to navigating FAFSA for healthcare programs, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about the special considerations for former foster youth or that work-study income is treated differently. For anyone else in similar situations, it might be worth creating a spreadsheet to track all these different factors - the prior-prior year income timeline, LEU percentage for Pell limits, potential Professional Judgment scenarios, and application deadlines for those healthcare-specific scholarships mentioned. The dental hygiene field seems to have great support systems in place! One question I'm curious about - do other healthcare programs (like nursing or respiratory therapy) have similar industry scholarship opportunities, or is dental hygiene particularly well-supported in this regard?

Update: We finally got it to work! The button was indeed labeled "Link to IRS" like someone mentioned. We had to switch from Safari to Chrome and make sure we entered our address EXACTLY as it appeared on our tax return (including abbreviations). The best part is that it pulled in everything automatically - our AGI, taxes paid, schedules, everything! Thank you all for your help, this saved us so much time and stress.

So glad to see this thread helped you get it working! For anyone else reading this later - the key tips that seem to work consistently are: 1) Use Chrome or Edge browser, 2) Look for "Link to IRS" button (not the old "Transfer" wording), 3) Enter your address EXACTLY as it appears on your tax return including all abbreviations, and 4) Make sure you filed your taxes at least 3 weeks ago. The DRT really does save tons of time once you get past the initial setup hurdles!

Thank you all for the detailed responses! This has been incredibly helpful. I feel much more prepared now knowing that we have to go through the invitation process again, but at least I have a better understanding of what to expect. I'll make sure to update our browsers, have our tax documents ready, double-check email addresses, and save PDFs of everything. It's frustrating that the system is still so problematic, but I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and tips. Fingers crossed the second time goes more smoothly than the first!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who works with families on financial aid applications - the invitation process really is required every year, but here's something that might help with timing: Try to start the process early in the morning (around 7-8 AM EST) when the servers are less busy. The system tends to be more stable then compared to evenings when everyone is trying to access it. Also, make sure both you and your daughter clear your browser cache before starting, especially if you used the same computer for last year's FAFSA. Sometimes old cached data can cause weird errors or prevent the invitation emails from being sent properly. I've seen this trip up several families during renewal season. One last thing - if you run into technical issues, try switching to an incognito/private browser window. It sounds simple, but it resolves a surprising number of login and navigation problems with the studentaid.gov portal.

My roomate got her SUNY Oneonta package today!! So they are definitely sending them out now

Hey everyone! First-time poster here but I've been lurking and reading all your comments - you guys have been so helpful! I'm in a similar situation with SUNY schools (applied to Geneseo, Cortland, and Plattsburgh) and submitted my FAFSA in early February. Just wanted to share that I called SUNY Geneseo yesterday using that Claimyr service someone mentioned and actually got through! The financial aid advisor told me they're running about 3-4 weeks behind schedule this year due to the new FAFSA system, but she said my application was "in queue for review" which sounds more promising than just "processing." She also mentioned that they're trying to get all packages out by mid-April at the latest. Hang in there everyone - sounds like we should be hearing something soon! Also @Ellie Lopez - CS is definitely considered a priority major at most SUNY schools so you might hear back sooner than expected!