Welcome to the community, @Evelyn Martinez! International tax situations with FAFSA can definitely feel overwhelming at first, but you're smart to research early. Since your dad works for a multinational company, you might also want to check if he has any foreign tax credits or exclusions on his US return - those can affect how you report income on FAFSA too. The key thing I've learned from threads like this is to be proactive about documenting your situation and don't be afraid to reach out for official guidance when the standard form doesn't fit. You've got this! 💪

As someone who just went through this exact nightmare last year, I wanted to jump in with some additional tips! The "Married Filing Separately" approach that @Freya Pedersen got confirmed is definitely the right call. One thing I learned the hard way - make sure you're consistent across ALL parts of the FAFSA. When it asks about your parents' marital status, select "married" even though only one filed a return. The key is that their legal marital status is separate from their tax filing situation. Also, if you do get selected for verification (which happened to me), having a letter from the foreign country's tax authority or embassy stating the filing requirements can be super helpful. It took forever to get, but it made the verification process much smoother. Hang in there - these international situations are confusing but totally solvable with the right documentation!

I'm new to this whole private loan process and feeling a bit overwhelmed, but this thread has been incredibly helpful! Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like I should definitely shop around with multiple lenders and not just go with the first offer. One question I have - for those who've been through this, how long did it typically take from application to getting the funds disbursed to the school? I want to make sure we start the process with enough time before the semester begins. Also, did any of you run into issues with the school's financial aid office when coordinating the private loan disbursement with the rest of your aid package? I'm leaning towards starting with Earnest, CommonBond, and maybe our local credit union based on the recommendations here. The spreadsheet idea is brilliant - definitely going to set that up to compare everything side by side. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

As someone who just went through this exact situation with my daughter last year, I'd strongly recommend checking out Citizens Bank in addition to the others mentioned here. They ended up giving us the best rate at 6.2% fixed with our similar credit score, and their application process was surprisingly smooth. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - definitely apply for pre-qualification with multiple lenders first before doing the full applications. Most do soft credit pulls for pre-qual that won't hurt your score, and you can see your potential rates without committing. We ended up saving almost 2% by shopping around this way. Also, don't forget to factor in your state's tax deductions for student loan interest when comparing options. In some states, you can deduct the interest payments which effectively lowers your cost. With $14K in loans, that could add up to meaningful savings over the repayment period. Good luck with your search - sounds like you're being smart about researching thoroughly before jumping in!

This is such a valuable discussion! I'm a sophomore and just realized I should probably check on this before my junior year aid package comes out. After reading through everyone's experiences, it seems like the main takeaway is that while federal law only requires entrance counseling once per loan type, schools can definitely add their own requirements on top of that. I'm curious - for those whose schools require annual counseling, do they make you go through the full federal entrance counseling module again, or do they have their own shortened version? I'm wondering if it's the same 20-30 minute process each time or if schools create their own streamlined versions for returning borrowers.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a transfer student starting my senior year and was completely confused about whether I needed to redo entrance counseling since I completed it at my previous school three years ago. Reading through everyone's experiences really drives home the point that you have to check with your specific school rather than just relying on federal guidelines. It's frustrating that there isn't more standardization across institutions, but I guess it makes sense that schools with higher default rates would want additional safeguards. I'm definitely going to call my new school's financial aid office this week to get clarity on their policies before my aid disburses. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't find in official FAQs!

Just wanted to add that if you're using the new contributor system, make sure to save your FSA ID login info somewhere safe! I made the mistake of forgetting mine halfway through the process and had to go through the whole identity verification again. Also, a heads up - the system sometimes takes 24-48 hours to process contributor invitations, so don't panic if your kids can't immediately access your information after you submit it. Plan for a little buffer time before their deadlines just in case there are any technical hiccups.

As someone who's been helping families navigate FAFSA for years, I just want to emphasize something that's gotten lost in all the discussion about timing - make sure you're consistent not just with income figures, but also with asset reporting! I've seen families get flagged because they reported different bank account balances or investment values between siblings' applications. The snapshot date for assets should be the same for both kids, typically the date you first submit a FAFSA. Also, if you have a 529 plan that benefits both children, make sure you're reporting it consistently on both applications. The new contributor system helps a lot, but asset consistency is still something you need to watch manually.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful for this incredibly detailed discussion! This situation perfectly illustrates how complex FAFSA planning can be, and I'm learning so much from everyone's experiences and expertise. Emily's insight about the prior-prior year timing seems like it could be the most crucial factor here - if the 2025 income won't impact FAFSA until 2027-2028, that's a completely different timeline than what initially seemed like immediate consequences. That gives Shelby's family nearly two full years to prepare financially rather than scrambling for next semester. However, I'd echo the advice about verifying this with the financial aid office, particularly regarding: 1) Any institutional scholarships that might have different income assessment timelines 2) Whether maintaining full-time student status is feasible with a full-time job 3) Getting actual projections on the financial impact for when it does hit The 50% student income assessment rate is definitely steep, but with proper planning time, the long-term career benefits of a $42k opportunity might well outweigh the temporary aid reduction. Plus, if he can save aggressively during those two years of higher earnings, they might be able to partially offset the future aid loss. One additional thought - has anyone explored whether there are any work-study programs at his school that might offer similar income potential but with better FAFSA treatment? It's a long shot, but worth investigating all options before making the final decision.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really impressed by the depth and quality of advice shared here! This discussion has been incredibly enlightening, especially Emily's crucial point about the prior-prior year timing that seems to have been overlooked initially. If I'm understanding correctly, the 2025 income won't actually impact his FAFSA until the 2027-2028 academic year (junior year), which completely changes the urgency of this decision. That gives Shelby's family almost two full years to prepare financially rather than facing immediate consequences. A few additional considerations I haven't seen mentioned: 1) **Tax withholdings strategy**: If he does take the job, he might want to adjust his tax withholdings to have more taken out upfront, creating a larger refund that could be saved specifically for future college costs. 2) **529 plan contributions**: If the family has a 529 education savings account, some of his earnings could potentially be contributed there (depending on state tax benefits and family dynamics), which might help offset future aid reductions. 3) **Gap year consideration**: With this income timeline, he could even consider taking a gap year after sophomore year to work full-time and build substantial savings before the FAFSA impact hits in junior year. The key seems to be treating this as a longer-term strategic decision rather than an immediate crisis. The career opportunity and networking benefits of starting early in his field could be invaluable for his post-graduation prospects. Definitely echo everyone's advice to get concrete numbers from the financial aid office - but this timing insight makes the decision much less stressful!