GUYS I JUST FOUND IT! After you submit the FAFSA, go back in through the "Make FAFSA Corrections" link, then go to Student Financial Information (or Parent Financial Information depending on whose VA benefits they are). There's a little link at the bottom that says "Special Circumstances" that I completely missed before. Click that, then select "Income Type Exclusion" and THAT'S where you can enter VA disability to be excluded. Hope this helps someone else!

Just wanted to add my experience as another data point - I'm a veteran receiving VA disability compensation and just went through this process successfully. The key thing that helped me was understanding that the new FAFSA system is designed to be "submit first, correct later" rather than the old "get it perfect before submitting" approach. After following the steps others outlined here (submit → corrections → special circumstances → income exclusion), my son's SAI dropped significantly once the VA disability was properly excluded. The whole process took about 20 minutes once I knew where to look, but finding that information was the hard part! One tip: when you're in the Special Circumstances section, make sure to be very specific in your description. I wrote "VA Service-Connected Disability Compensation - Non-taxable per 38 USC 5301" and included both my award letter and the relevant pages from my tax return showing the difference between adjusted gross income and taxable income. Better to over-document than under-document with financial aid.

This is such exciting news for you! I went through a similar situation with my ITT Tech loans getting discharged about 2 years ago. A few things I learned that might help: 1. **Timeline expectations**: The system updates can be slow - mine took about 6-8 weeks to fully reflect in all databases. Don't panic if studentaid.gov still shows old info for another month or so. 2. **FAFSA prep**: Start gathering your tax documents now for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. You'll want to apply as soon as your eligibility is confirmed in the system, especially if you're planning to start community college in fall 2025. 3. **Credit monitoring**: Keep an eye on your credit reports over the next few months. The positive changes should start showing up, but sometimes you need to dispute lingering negative marks if they don't automatically clear. 4. **Documentation**: Like others mentioned, keep copies of EVERYTHING. I also recommend taking screenshots of your studentaid.gov account once it shows the loans as discharged - just in case there are any system glitches later. You're finally free to pursue your education goals! Community college is a great fresh start. Wishing you all the best! 🎉

This is such wonderful news - congratulations on finally getting justice after all these years! 🎉 I went through something similar with my Art Institute loans that got discharged last year, and I can tell you that getting your FAFSA eligibility back is truly life-changing. A few things from my experience that might help: **System timing**: Like others mentioned, there can be delays between your discharge letter and the systems updating. Mine took about 5 weeks to show properly on studentaid.gov, but don't worry if it takes a bit longer. **PELL Grant restoration**: Since you mentioned PELL grants in your follow-up comment - those should be automatically restored to your lifetime eligibility when the discharge processes. You won't need to do anything special on the FAFSA application for that. **Community college tip**: When you're ready to apply, reach out to the financial aid office at your community college directly. Many of them have experience helping students with restored eligibility and can guide you through any quirks in the application process. **Credit score**: In my case, my score jumped about 85 points over 3 months as the negative marks were removed. It was incredible to see! You've been through so much - you deserve this fresh start. Community college is perfect for getting back into the swing of things academically, and with your FAFSA eligibility restored, you'll actually be able to afford it. Wishing you all the best on this new chapter! 📚✨

Awesome! So glad you got it fixed. The exact same relief I felt when we fixed my son's form last year. Now you won't have an artificially high SAI calculation that would have reduced her aid eligibility!

Great job getting that fixed! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this thread - if you're in a similar situation, don't panic. This is actually one of the most common FAFSA mistakes, especially with the new system. The key is catching it early like Ethan did. I've helped several families through this exact issue and it's totally fixable. One tip: if you're married filing separately, always double-check the "Contributors" section shows both parents before submitting. The system should auto-prompt for both, but it doesn't always work perfectly. Thanks for sharing your experience - it'll help other parents who run into the same thing!

I still think it's RIDICULOUS that they make this so confusing!!! Why can't they just have CLEAR instructions on the form itself?? And if you try calling the helpline, good luck getting consistent information. This is why so many families miss out on aid they deserve!!!

As someone who just went through this process with my own kid, I can confirm what others have said - Roth IRAs are definitely NOT counted as assets on the FAFSA. The 2024-25 FAFSA treats all qualified retirement accounts the same way, so you're good there. But I wanted to add one more thing that might help: if you're unsure about ANY part of your FAFSA, most colleges have financial aid offices that will review your application before you submit it. I called my daughter's school and they walked me through the asset reporting section over the phone. Way better than trying to decipher the government instructions! Also, keep records of what you reported in case you need to reference it later.

Another thing to consider: the $20k SAI doesn't necessarily mean you need to come up with $20k in cash. It means the financial aid formula thinks your family can contribute that much through a combination of: 1. Current income (about 22-47% of your available income) 2. Student's income (50% above a protection allowance) 3. Parent assets (up to 5.64% of non-retirement assets) 4. Student assets (20% of assets in student's name) Many families use a combination of current income, savings, PLUS loans, and payment plans to cover their SAI. The financial aid office can help you develop a 4-year plan that might make this more manageable.

You're definitely not failing her - navigating college financing is overwhelming for almost every family! One thing that helped us was creating a spreadsheet to map out all four years. We included potential salary increases, the younger sibling starting college (which will lower your SAI significantly), and different loan scenarios. Also, don't forget about tax benefits! The American Opportunity Tax Credit can give you up to $2,500 back per year for qualified education expenses, which effectively reduces your out-of-pocket costs. Since you're waiting on scholarships until June, use this time to research everything mentioned here - the Professional Judgment Request, nursing-specific aid programs, and maybe even reach out to Northeastern's financial aid office to discuss payment plans. Many schools will work with families, especially when the student is in a high-demand field like nursing. You've got options, and it sounds like your daughter chose a program with great career prospects. Take it one step at a time!