The birthday field issue is actually a known bug in the current FAFSA system that the Department of Education is working to fix. It typically happens when a parent's profile was created before the October 2023 FAFSA simplification changes were implemented. For anyone else experiencing this issue, here's the workaround: 1. Log out completely from studentaid.gov 2. Clear your browser cache and cookies 3. Log back in, but use the "Edit FAFSA" option rather than continuing a saved form 4. Go directly to the personal information section and update the birthday 5. Complete the remaining sections without closing the browser 6. At the sign and submit page, verify the birthday is correct before proceeding The system occasionally displays the correct information on screen but sends incorrect cached data during submission. When calling the FSA helpline, ask specifically for a "data field verification check" on your parent information section.

Wow, what a relief that must be! I'm dealing with a similar nightmare right now - my daughter's FAFSA has been stuck in "review" status for 6 weeks and every time we try to make any updates, it kicks us back to the beginning. The birthday field issue you described sounds exactly like what we experienced with her SSN - it would show correctly on every page but then revert to some random number at submission. We've tried everything short of sacrificing a goat to the FAFSA gods! 😅 Going to try calling at 8:01am like your husband did. Fingers crossed we can get through to someone who actually knows what they're doing. Thanks for sharing your success story - it gives me hope that there's light at the end of this bureaucratic tunnel!

Just wanted to add that if you do get selected for verification, don't panic! I went through this with my son two years ago (similar divorced parent situation). The school's financial aid office was actually really helpful once I explained our custody arrangement. They just needed to see our divorce decree and a simple signed statement about where he lived most of the time. The whole process took about 2 weeks once I submitted the documents. The key is responding quickly to any verification requests - delays happen when families don't provide the requested documentation promptly.

As someone who works in financial aid administration, I can confirm that while FAFSA and tax dependency are separate systems, mismatches can sometimes trigger verification requests. The good news is that this is completely manageable! The key documents you should have ready are: 1) Your divorce decree showing custody arrangements, 2) Documentation proving where your daughter lived more than 50% of the time (school enrollment records, medical records, etc.), and 3) A simple written explanation of your custody situation. Most schools understand that divorced families often have different arrangements for tax purposes vs. FAFSA purposes. The important thing is that your ex-husband accurately completes the FAFSA based on his financial information, and you both can document the living arrangement if asked. Don't stress too much about it - verification is routine and the financial aid office deals with these situations regularly.

Just to add one more important point: when you complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll be reporting income information from your 2023 tax return. If your child support situation has changed since then (or will change before your daughter starts college), this is exactly the kind of circumstance financial aid offices are prepared to handle through their professional judgment process. Make sure to document everything clearly - when support began, payment amounts, when it will end, and any provisions in your court order. Having organized documentation makes a huge difference in how quickly and favorably your case is reviewed.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! It's so frustrating because the child support barely covers my kids' basic needs - groceries, clothes, school supplies. It's not like I'm living it up with extra money. I've been doing some research and found that some schools are more flexible than others when it comes to special circumstances appeals. Has anyone had success appealing their aid package after explaining how their child support is actually used? I'm wondering if it's worth the effort to document every expense the support goes toward.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been stuck on SSA verification for 16 days after submitting on July 8th. The whole "3 business days" thing is clearly not accurate at all. What's been driving me nuts is that I keep seeing conflicting advice online - some people say to call every day, others say that just clogs up the system. I've been trying to be patient but it's hard when you see posts about people waiting 5+ weeks! One thing that's been somewhat helpful is keeping a log of when I call and what each agent tells me. So far I've gotten three different explanations for the delay, which makes me think they honestly don't know what's causing it either. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been more informative than any of my phone calls to FSA. Really hoping that system update @Alberto Souchard mentioned comes through soon - crossing my fingers we're all part of that batch that gets cleared in the next week or two!

I'm going through the exact same thing and it's such a relief to find this thread! I submitted my FAFSA on June 30th and have been stuck on SSA verification for 17 days now. Like everyone else, I was told "3 business days" but clearly that's not happening. What's been most frustrating for me is that my college's financial aid office keeps asking for updates, but I literally have nothing new to tell them - the status just never changes! I've called the FSA helpline 6 times so far and gotten the usual "just wait longer" response each time. One agent did mention that they're seeing "higher than normal volume" for SSA verifications this year, which at least explains why it's taking so long. Reading through everyone's experiences here gives me hope that it will eventually go through, even if it takes another week or two. @Alberto Souchard - really hoping that system update you mentioned comes through soon! And @Hailey O'Leary - I might look into that Claimyr service if I'm still stuck after the 7-10 day window Alberto mentioned. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories - makes me feel way less alone in this mess!

I'm a veteran who just went through this exact process last month and wanted to share what I learned. The new FAFSA system is definitely confusing, but the VA disability exclusion process does work once you know where to find it. Here's what I wish someone had told me upfront: the automatic data retrieval is designed to pull ALL income first, then you correct it afterward. It's not a bug - it's how they built the system. The VA disability exclusion happens in the "Special Circumstances" section that only becomes available after your initial submission is processed. One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is timing - don't panic if it takes 3-5 business days for your corrections to show up in the system. I kept checking every few hours thinking something went wrong, but it just takes time for the recalculation to process. Also, if you have multiple kids going to college, you'll need to make this correction on each separate FAFSA - the system doesn't automatically apply it across applications. The good news is that once you do it for one kid, you'll know exactly where everything is for future years. Just make sure to keep your VA award letter handy because you'll need to re-upload documentation each year. Hope this helps ease some stress for fellow veterans navigating this new system!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences with VA disability and the new FAFSA system. My husband is a veteran receiving disability compensation, and I've been completely overwhelmed trying to figure out how this new automatic system works compared to what I've heard about previous years. Reading through all these detailed step-by-step instructions has been incredibly reassuring. The "submit first, correct later" approach definitely feels backwards to me, but now I understand that's just how the system is designed. I'm particularly grateful for the specific details like where to find the "Special Circumstances" section (apparently it's easy to miss at the bottom!), what documentation to have ready (VA award letter), and realistic expectations about processing times (3-5 business days). This is our first time doing FAFSA for our daughter, and I was honestly panicking that we might mess up her financial aid eligibility. But seeing how many other families have successfully navigated this VA disability exclusion process gives me confidence that we can figure it out too. The community support here is amazing - thank you all for taking the time to help newcomers like me!