One last bit of advice: when you fill out your FAFSA, use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool if prompted, but since you haven't filed US taxes yet, you'll need to select the option that indicates you haven't filed and will manually enter your financial information. Then provide as accurate information as possible about your current assets and income. Also, be sure to check the "eligible noncitizen" box and provide your A-Number correctly. Many first-time applicants make mistakes there that delay processing.

Hey Connor! Welcome to the US! 🇺🇸 I went through something similar when I moved here from Canada a few years ago. Just wanted to add that you should also look into your state's specific financial aid programs - many states have grants and scholarships specifically for community college students that are separate from federal aid. Also, don't forget to apply for institutional aid directly through your community college. They often have emergency grants, textbook vouchers, and other support programs for new students that can really help with the transition. Some even have specific funds for immigrant students. The financial aid office at your school will be your best friend - they're usually super helpful and understand the unique challenges new residents face. Good luck with everything!

Update: I finally got both twins to add me as a contributor, and I can now see both applications on my dashboard! You were all right - each student has to initiate their own FAFSA and add me, rather than me adding them. The process is working much more smoothly now. Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm going through the exact same process with my daughter and son (they're a year apart but both applying for 2025-2026). One thing I learned the hard way - make sure both twins complete their student portions of the FAFSA BEFORE the priority deadlines for their schools! Even though you'll fill out your contributor section for both, each student needs to submit their individual application by their school's deadline. Some schools have early priority dates in February/March, so don't wait too long for the second twin to get their application started. Also, double-check that both applications show "Submitted" status - I almost missed that my son's was still sitting in "In Progress" even after I completed my contributor portion.

Don't panic about the "processed" status - it's actually a good sign that your initial submission went through without any major errors! I went through this same anxiety last year. Here's what I learned: "processed" means the Department of Education has reviewed your basic information and calculated your SAI, but you're not necessarily done yet. Keep checking your studentaid.gov account and email regularly for the next few weeks. If you get selected for verification (about 1 in 3 chance), you'll get an email and see it in your account. The key is to respond quickly if they ask for additional documents. Also, make sure to check with each of your schools about their specific deadlines and whether they need any additional forms like the CSS Profile. Your SAI of 8750 actually puts you in a decent position for aid - you'll likely qualify for subsidized loans and potentially some grant money depending on the schools you're applying to. Just stay on top of checking your accounts and you'll be fine!

Ruby, I totally get your anxiety about this! I just went through the exact same thing last month. When my FAFSA showed "processed" I thought I was done, but then about 2 weeks later I got hit with verification. Honestly, the "processed" status is kind of misleading because it really just means they've done the initial data entry and calculated your SAI - but there are still several things that could happen. Your SAI of 8750 is actually not bad at all! I had a similar number and ended up getting a partial Pell Grant plus subsidized loans. The verification process was annoying but not terrible - just had to submit tax transcripts and fill out a worksheet. My biggest advice is to set up email notifications on studentaid.gov and check your account at least twice a week. Also, definitely look into whether your schools need CSS Profile because that caught me off guard. The whole system is designed to be confusing but you've got this! Keep us updated on how it goes.

Hi Marcelle! Welcome to the community! I just went through this exact situation last year when my mom remarried right before I started college. The anxiety about double-counting is so real - I remember losing sleep over it! Just want to add one thing that really helped us: when you're gathering all the asset information to report, make sure you have the account balances as of the same date for both you and your husband. The FAFSA asks for assets "as of the date you submit the application," but sometimes people pull account statements from different dates which can cause confusion during verification. Also, if your daughter's schools use CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, be prepared - they handle stepparent income differently and you might need to provide even more detailed explanations about the remarriage timing there. The good news is that financial aid officers really do understand these situations since remarriage during the college years is super common. Most of them have standard procedures for handling it. You're being so proactive by asking these questions early - that's going to make the whole process smoother!

Hi Marcelle! Welcome to the community! I'm new here too and just went through a very similar situation with my remarriage in early 2023. Reading your post brought back all the anxiety I felt about the FAFSA process! I wanted to share something that might help ease your worries - when I called the FSA helpline (eventually got through using one of those callback services someone mentioned), the representative actually walked me through exactly how the contributor system works. She explained that the system has built-in safeguards to prevent double-counting because it links all the FSA IDs in a household together. So when your husband creates his FSA ID and signs as a contributor, the system already knows he's your spouse and won't ask him to re-enter asset information. One thing that helped me was keeping a simple log of every step in the process - when I submitted the FAFSA, when my husband got his FSA ID, when verification was completed, etc. It made me feel more in control of what felt like a really overwhelming process. The remarriage timing issue is definitely frustrating (why should his 2022 income count when he wasn't even part of our family then?), but I was pleasantly surprised that 4 out of 5 schools my daughter applied to were willing to do professional judgment reviews. The appeals really can make a significant difference in your aid package. You're asking all the right questions and being so thoughtful about the process. Hang in there - it's stressful now but it does get resolved!

I'm in a similar situation - SAI of 21,450 with parents making about $80k. What really helped me was creating a spreadsheet to track all my aid offers as they came in. Don't just look at the total aid amount, but break down grants vs loans vs work-study. Some schools that seemed expensive initially ended up being more affordable after aid. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you've applied to your state's grant programs - many have deadlines separate from FAFSA and can provide additional funding even with higher SAI scores. The CSS Profile schools might also offer more institutional aid if you're applying to any of those.

Hey! I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and your situation sounds really similar to mine. My SAI came back at 22,315 and I was also panicking thinking I wouldn't get any aid at all. Reading through these responses has been super helpful though - it sounds like there's still hope for some grants and definitely loans/work-study options. The thing about having a sibling in college at the same time is really reassuring too since my sister will be starting her sophomore year when I'm a freshman. Did you end up getting your 1099 income situation sorted out? I'm wondering if my family might have a similar issue since my mom does some freelance work on the side.