UPDATE: Success! I tried the suggestion to clear my cache, log out, and start over. When I got back to the ITIN/SSN field, I entered the number without any dashes and it worked! Thanks everyone for your help. For anyone else having this issue, seems like it's a combination of browser cache issues and formatting preferences in the FAFSA system.

Glad you got it sorted out! This is such a common issue this year. For future reference, I've found that using incognito/private browsing mode also helps avoid these cache-related problems with the FAFSA system. The new portal seems to have a lot of session management bugs that cause validation errors. Definitely save your progress frequently as you work through the rest of the application - I've heard horror stories about people losing hours of work due to system timeouts.

Going back to your original question - another option is to have your son request his aid summary directly from Federal Student Aid and share it with you. He can download a PDF from his account that shows all federal loans and grants. This way, you don't need his login information, and you'll have documentation you can keep for your records. Much easier than trying to remember multiple logins!

Just wanted to add - if you're planning to help with loan management after graduation, consider having your son set up a third-party authorization with his loan servicer now while he's still in school. This lets you access payment info and make payments on his behalf without needing his login credentials. Each servicer has their own process, but it's much easier to set up before the loans go into repayment. Learned this with my older daughter and it saved so much hassle later!

That's great news about the institutional methodology! Many private colleges use the CSS Profile which takes more factors into consideration than FAFSA alone. Definitely follow through with that Professional Judgment review at each school - it makes a huge difference when done properly. Good luck to you and your daughter!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My son is a junior in high school and I'm already stressed about what our SAI might look like next year. We're in a similar income range as the OP but with two kids who will be in college at the same time. Does having multiple children in college still help with the SAI calculation under the new formula? I've heard conflicting information about whether the "sibling discount" still exists.

dont 4get both parents need to sign the FAFSA if they both contribute even if divorced!! my brother didnt do this and they rejected the whole application

Another resource that might help is the Federal Student Aid's FAFSA Completion Guide - it's a step-by-step walkthrough that shows screenshots of each section. You can find it on their website under "Complete the FAFSA Form." It's more detailed than just the PDF and includes explanations of what each question is asking for. Since you mentioned having a complicated family situation, this guide specifically addresses different family scenarios including divorced parents. It also explains which parent should be the "contributor" based on where your son lives most of the time and who provides more financial support.

Just wanted to add that you should also check if your state has its own financial aid deadlines! Some states have much earlier deadlines than the federal FAFSA deadline, and you could miss out on state grants if you're not careful. For example, some states require the FAFSA to be submitted by March 1st for priority consideration. I'd recommend checking your state's higher education website or contacting your daughter's school counselor to find out the specific deadlines for your state.

Hi Effie! I'm new to this whole FAFSA process too and this thread has been incredibly helpful. Just wanted to add one more resource that might be useful - the Federal Student Aid website has a FAFSA completion guide that walks you through each section step by step. It's at https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/topic/completing-fafsa. I found it really helpful for understanding what documents I'd need and how to answer some of the trickier questions. Also, if your daughter is planning to apply to any schools that require the CSS Profile (which several people mentioned), I'd recommend checking which schools on her list require it sooner rather than later. The CSS Profile has its own set of required documents and can take longer to complete than the FAFSA, so it's good to know early if you'll need to tackle both forms. Hang in there - it seems overwhelming at first but everyone here has shown it's definitely manageable with the right preparation!