Update: I took everyone's advice and reported only my income from my W-2. I also prepared a folder with my divorce decree, 2022 tax return, and W-2s in case of verification. Got notification that I was selected for verification (not surprised based on everyone's comments), and I've already submitted all the documentation to my daughter's school. The financial aid counselor said this happens all the time with divorce situations and they should be able to process everything within 2 weeks. Thanks for all your help!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone going through a similar situation (divorced in late 2023), I was completely lost on how to handle the income reporting. The advice about only reporting your own W-2 income and being prepared for verification with organized documentation is exactly what I needed to hear. It's reassuring to know this is a common situation and that financial aid offices are familiar with handling it. I'm going to start gathering my documents now - divorce decree, 2022 tax return, and W-2s - so I'm ready when verification comes. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Thank you so much for this detailed advice! I've contacted three schools so far today, and they've all been understanding about the situation. Two have already confirmed in writing that they'll still consider him for full institutional aid despite the delay. One even mentioned they've pushed their internal deadline back to May 1st because of all the FAFSA issues. Such a relief!

That's fantastic news that the schools are being understanding! It really helps to hear some positive outcomes from this whole FAFSA mess. I'm a newcomer here but have been following all the FAFSA delay stories with growing anxiety about my own daughter's application. She submitted in January and we're still waiting for processing. Hearing that you got confirmation in writing from the schools gives me hope that when her FAFSA finally processes, we won't be completely shut out of aid opportunities. Thanks for sharing your experience and congrats on getting through this stressful process!

One more thing to keep in mind: When you submit your FAFSA this way, your calculated SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) will be based primarily on your dad's income since your mom had none. This is exactly how the system is designed to work, so don't worry that you're doing anything wrong. The main thing is to be truthful about your current family situation (parents are married) and the 2022 financial information (only dad filed taxes, mom had no income).

I just went through something very similar! My parents got married in late 2022, but my mom hadn't worked or filed taxes that year either. What really helped me was keeping all the documentation organized from the start. Make sure you save screenshots of each page as you complete the FAFSA showing your mom's "Will not file" status and $0 income entries. Also, if your dad's tax return shows your mom as a dependent, keep a copy of that handy too - it actually supports your story if questions come up later. The whole process felt overwhelming at first, but once I submitted it, everything went smoothly. Your school's financial aid office can also be super helpful if you run into any roadblocks - they deal with these situations all the time!

Thank you all for your helpful responses! I feel much clearer now about how to approach this. I'll follow the advice to: 1. File the FAFSA listing myself as the custodial grandparent 2. Include the 2023 Social Security benefits as required 3. After acceptances, contact each financial aid office about a professional judgment review 4. Provide documentation of both the legal custody arrangement and the June 2025 end date for benefits 5. Look into scholarships specifically for students who've lost a parent I really appreciate everyone taking time to explain this complicated situation. It's frustrating that the system makes it so difficult to navigate these non-traditional family situations, but at least we have a clear path forward now.

I'm glad you found all the advice helpful! One additional tip - when you contact the financial aid offices after acceptances, ask specifically about their "Special Circumstances" or "Professional Judgment" process. Some schools have specific forms for this, while others just want a letter and documentation. Getting on their radar early in the process (like January/February) can really help since these reviews take time. Also, don't be discouraged if you have to explain the situation multiple times to different people at each school. Unfortunately, these cases are complex and not every staff member will be familiar with the nuances between custody and guardianship. The key is persistence and good documentation. Your granddaughter is lucky to have you advocating for her through this process!

One more thing to be aware of - your SAI may change slightly next year when you renew FAFSA. Ohio has stricter requirements than some states about maintaining aid eligibility. Make sure you: 1. Complete at least 24 credit hours per academic year 2. Maintain at least a 2.0 GPA 3. File your renewal FAFSA by February 1st for priority consideration Even small changes to your SAI can affect your state aid eligibility.

As a newcomer here, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with a negative SAI and was feeling overwhelmed trying to understand all the different aid options. A few quick questions for anyone who's been through this process: 1. Should I be proactively contacting my school's financial aid office about OCOG, or will it automatically show up in my aid package? 2. For those who mentioned county grants - is there a central database to search what's available by county, or do I need to call my county directly? 3. Has anyone had success appealing their initial financial aid package if it seemed lower than expected given their negative SAI? Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - it's really helping me feel more confident about navigating this process!