Welcome to the FAFSA journey! It sounds like you're well-prepared now. One quick tip I wish I'd known earlier - when you're gathering those school codes for the FAFSA, double-check them on the Federal School Code Search tool on the FSA website. Some schools have multiple codes depending on the campus or program, and using the wrong one can delay your aid processing. Also, keep a list of which schools you included on your original FAFSA submission - it'll be handy if you need to make changes later. Good luck with the October 1st filing!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works in financial aid - you're absolutely doing the right thing by planning ahead! One thing I always tell parents is to also check if any of the schools your son is considering require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. Some private colleges and universities use this for institutional aid, and it often has earlier deadlines than FAFSA. The CSS Profile opens around the same time as FAFSA (October 1st) but some schools want it submitted by November 1st or 15th. It's worth checking each school's financial aid website now so you can plan accordingly. Also, don't stress too much about getting everything perfect on the first try - you can make corrections after submission if needed!

Yes, that's a key change in the FAFSA Simplification Act. They reduced the number of financial questions by about 60% and eliminated many of the detailed asset questions. They now focus primarily on AGI from tax returns and basic cash/savings balances rather than the detailed investment breakdown from previous years. This should make your completion process faster once you get past the technical issues!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this discussion! I'm dealing with the exact same FAFSA parent contributor issue right now - my daughter sent me the invitation yesterday and I'm getting taken straight to the signature page too. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. I'm going to try having her delete and resend the invitation first, and if that doesn't work, I might look into that Claimyr service that @Jade Lopez mentioned. It's reassuring to know this is a known system glitch and not something I'm doing wrong. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

UPDATE: Success! After several more failed attempts, I followed the advice here about calling FSA directly using that Claimyr service. Actually got through to a real person who fixed the issue on their end! Turns out my account was flagged for "suspicious activity" (probably because I tried so many times from different devices). The agent removed the flag and sent a new verification code while I was on the phone. Finally completed my FSA ID and just submitted my FAFSA application! Thank you everyone for your help!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Been trying for 4 days now and absolutely nothing comes through. I've tried everything - different browsers, different devices, even had my friend try from their computer with my info. The system keeps saying "verification code sent" but my inbox stays empty. It's so frustrating because I can see other people are getting through somehow, but I'm completely stuck. Has anyone found a pattern with which email providers are working better? I'm using Gmail currently but willing to try anything at this point. My priority deadline is next Friday and I'm starting to panic!

Congratulations on getting that resolved! What a relief that must be. Since you have some time to prepare now, I'd also recommend having your daughter take a full-length practice test under timed conditions to get a baseline score. This will help identify which areas need the most focus. The official College Board practice tests are free and the closest thing to the actual test format. Also, make sure she gets a good night's sleep before the test - I've seen too many students sabotage themselves by staying up late cramming the night before. Best of luck to her!

So glad you got this sorted out! As someone who went through the National Merit process with my daughter a few years ago, I just wanted to add that prep really does make a difference. Beyond the practice tests everyone mentioned, consider having her focus on vocabulary - the reading section can trip up even strong students with unfamiliar words. Also, if she's aiming for National Merit, she'll need to score in roughly the top 1% for your state (the cutoff varies by state each year). Don't stress too much about the exact number though - just have her do her best! The experience of taking the PSAT will also help her when she takes the actual SAT later.

For anyone dealing with these kinds of special circumstances, documenting the "unusual nature" of the situation is critical. Financial aid officers have told me they look for: 1. Evidence of abandonment/neglect by biological parents 2. Impossibility (not just difficulty) in obtaining parental information 3. Evidence the student is self-supporting or supported by someone else 4. Letters from professionals (not family friends) who can verify the situation Also, very important: dependency overrides must be renewed EACH YEAR. Don't assume it carries over automatically.

Just wanted to add that you might also want to contact the colleges directly to ask about their specific dependency override policies. Some schools are much more generous with these than others, and it could factor into her final college decision. I've heard that some private schools with large endowments are particularly flexible with special circumstances like this. Also, make sure to ask each financial aid office about their timeline - some process these overrides much faster than others, which could be important given those early priority deadlines you mentioned. Good luck!