Interesting timing on this question - I attended a financial aid workshop yesterday where they specifically addressed this! The Federal Student Aid office has simplified many aspects of the FAFSA, including requiring only one parent/contributor signature even for married filing jointly households. They're trying to reduce barriers to completion. As long as your FAFSA shows as processed, you're good to go. The system won't allow processing if required signatures are missing.

This is exactly what I needed to hear! I'm a freshman and this is my first time dealing with FAFSA, so when only my mom got the signature invitation and not my dad, I was convinced we'd messed something up. It's reassuring to know this is actually the new normal and not an error. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know other families went through the same confusion. Now I can stop worrying and just wait for my aid packages!

Thank you everyone for clearing up my confusion! I'm definitely going to complete both FAFSA and CSS Profile now. It sounds like with our family income around $52k, we might qualify for the CSS Profile fee waiver automatically. I'll be applying to some state schools with just FAFSA and some private schools with both forms. Really appreciate all the helpful information!

Great advice from everyone here! Just wanted to add that if you're using the CSS Profile, make sure you have all your financial documents ready beforehand - tax returns, bank statements, investment accounts, etc. The CSS Profile asks for way more detail than FAFSA and you can't save your progress indefinitely like you can with FAFSA. I learned this the hard way and had to scramble to gather everything when my session was about to time out. Also, some schools have their CSS Profile deadlines earlier than their admissions deadlines, so double-check those dates!

Great to hear you're feeling more confident about everything! Just wanted to add one more tip - when you go to that work-study job fair, bring a few copies of your resume and dress nicely (business casual is fine). Some departments will do mini-interviews on the spot. Also, if you don't find something at the fair, keep checking the student employment portal throughout the semester - new positions open up as students graduate or leave their jobs. Good luck with everything!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through this process! One thing I didn't see mentioned is that you can also check if your school has any emergency aid or short-term loan programs if you're in a pinch before your work-study income starts coming in. Many schools have small emergency grants ($200-500) that can help cover immediate expenses while you get everything sorted out. Also, regarding work-study timing - don't stress too much about the tuition payment deadline. Most work-study jobs don't start paying out until after you've actually worked a few weeks, so it won't help with immediate tuition anyway. The work-study money is better thought of as helping with ongoing expenses like textbooks, meals, and living costs throughout the semester. You're asking all the right questions though - shows you're being really thoughtful about your financial decisions!

Hey Paolo! I completely understand your frustration with unreliable internet - been there! Just wanted to share another angle that might help: if you decide to go the library route (which I'd also recommend), consider bringing a USB drive or having your email ready to save copies of everything. Some libraries have time limits on computer use, so having your documents organized and maybe even pre-typed in a Word doc can speed things up. Also, I noticed you mentioned state grant deadlines - make sure to check if your state has its own FAFSA deadline that's earlier than the federal one. Some states have priority deadlines in February or March for their grant programs. The mobile app suggestion from Rita is solid too - I used it to double-check my info after submitting. You've got this!

Hey Paolo! Just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through FAFSA hell myself. Since you're worried about your internet cutting out, here's what saved me: I actually started filling out the FAFSA on my phone using mobile data while sitting in my car outside a Starbucks with free wifi as backup 😅 That way if my data got spotty, I could quickly connect to their wifi without losing progress. The mobile app really is solid like Rita mentioned. Also, pro tip - screenshot each page after you fill it out, just in case something goes wrong. I know it sounds paranoid but it gave me peace of mind! And definitely check your state's specific deadline - mine was a full month earlier than the federal deadline and I almost missed it. You've got tons of good options here, don't stress too much about the mailing delays!

I'm going through something similar right now! I submitted my FAFSA last week and then realized I forgot to include some of my mom's 1099 income. Reading through all these responses is so reassuring - I had no idea you could make corrections instead of starting over. Going to log in and fix mine today. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it really helps to know we're not alone in making these mistakes!

Just wanted to add that I went through this exact same situation two years ago! Made corrections to my FAFSA after realizing I reported my work-study earnings incorrectly, and it actually ended up INCREASING my aid eligibility. The schools I applied to were totally understanding when I called to let them know about the correction - most of them said it happens all the time. One financial aid counselor even told me that catching and correcting errors early shows you're being responsible about the process. Don't beat yourself up about it - you caught the mistake and you're fixing it, which is exactly what you should do!