Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation two years ago! The advice from A Man D Mortal is spot on - I did exactly what they recommended (married on student section, mom selected separated on parent section since I lived with her) and had zero issues. One thing I'd add is to make sure you have documentation ready showing your living situation - utility bills, lease agreements, etc. I wasn't selected for verification, but my friend was and having those documents made the process smooth. Also, don't stress too much about the "inconsistency" between sections - the FAFSA system knows about this quirk and it's totally normal. Good luck with your application! You're asking all the right questions and getting great advice here.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone currently dealing with this exact situation, I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences and advice. The distinction between what to put on the student vs parent sections was really confusing me too. Just to summarize what I'm understanding: put "married" on the student section (since that's their legal status), have the custodial parent put "separated" on their section, only include the custodial parent's financial info, and keep documentation ready in case of verification. One quick follow-up question - for those who've been through this, did your financial aid packages end up being processed on the normal timeline, or did the separated parent situation cause any delays even without verification? I'm trying to plan ahead for potential timing issues.

UPDATE: I finally got my FAFSA submitted correctly! For anyone who finds this thread later, here's what I learned: 1. As a married student, I used our full joint AGI 2. I entered my W-2 income in the student section and my husband's in the spouse section 3. I reported all our assets regardless of whose name they're in 4. Being secondary on the tax return didn't matter at all 5. Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool auto-filled most of the tax information correctly Thank you to everyone who helped! The SAI calculation now shows on my dashboard and I can see what aid I might qualify for.

Congrats on getting it sorted out! This thread is going to be SO helpful for other married students dealing with the same confusion. I'm bookmarking it because I know I'll probably run into similar issues when I apply for grad school next year. The FAFSA really needs better instructions for married applicants - it shouldn't be this hard to figure out something so basic!

As someone who just went through this exact same confusion last month, I can totally relate! The FAFSA system's messaging is so misleading for parents. I also thought I needed to start my own application when I saw that "good to begin" message. What saved me was calling my daughter's high school guidance counselor who explained that the student ALWAYS initiates the process. The key thing to remember is that verification of your FSA ID and receiving the invitation are two completely separate things. Your verification can still be "in progress" and you'll still be able to complete your portion once your son sends the invite. Just make sure he knows to start his application soon since you've already got your contributor account ready to go. The whole family will feel much better once you're actually working through it together rather than stressing about the confusing setup process!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in almost the exact same situation - my daughter created her FSA ID months ago but we just set up our contributor accounts last week. I was also completely confused by that "good to begin" message and was about to start what I thought was my own FAFSA application. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful, especially learning that we need to wait for our kids to start the process and send us the invitation. It's frustrating how unclear the system's messaging is for parents - they really need to fix that wording! Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and advice. I'm going to have my daughter start her application this weekend so we can get the ball rolling properly.

One important note for the original poster: Since you mentioned filing in January 2025, be aware that some colleges have priority financial aid deadlines as early as February 1st. The FAFSA processing time has been taking 3-4 weeks with the new system, so filing in early January is a good plan to ensure you meet those priority deadlines. Also, when using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, make sure the names and addresses match EXACTLY between your tax return and FAFSA. Even minor differences (like using "Street" vs "St") can cause the system to fail to match your records.

Just wanted to add one more helpful tip for your January FAFSA session! Since you mentioned having a specific time window when your schedules align, I'd recommend creating your FSA IDs ahead of time if you haven't already. Both you and your husband will need separate FSA IDs, and the verification process can take a few days. You can create them at studentaid.gov well before your January filing date. This way when you sit down to actually complete the FAFSA, you won't waste any of your precious time together waiting for account verification emails or dealing with ID setup issues. The last thing you want is to finally have that dedicated time blocked out only to get stuck on account setup! Also, if your daughter doesn't have her FSA ID yet, she'll need one too (even though you'll be filling it out as her parent, she still needs her own ID for the process).

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter last year, I wanted to add a few things that really helped us: 1. Don't overlook your state's 529 plan tax benefits if you have one - we were able to redirect some savings and got a state tax deduction that helped offset costs. 2. Ask UCI about payment plans! Many schools offer interest-free payment plans that let you spread the semester costs over 10-12 months instead of paying lump sums. This can help with cash flow while you figure out financing. 3. Have your daughter check if UCI has any work-study programs specifically for biology majors - lab assistant positions, tutoring, etc. These often pay better than regular campus jobs and give relevant experience. 4. Consider having her take a gap year to work and reapply with better financial circumstances if the professional judgment doesn't work out. I know it's not ideal, but sometimes the extra year of income documentation can completely change your aid package. The fact that you're thinking this through carefully instead of just signing loan papers shows you're being responsible. Too many families get trapped in debt they can't handle. Your daughter will appreciate having parents who helped her avoid that trap, even if it means adjusting expectations initially.

I'm in a very similar situation with my son who got into UCSD - almost identical aid package with just the unsubsidized loan. One thing that's helped us is reaching out to UCI's biology department directly (not just financial aid). I called the undergraduate advisor and explained our situation, and they connected us with a professor who mentioned some research opportunities that come with small stipends. It's not huge money, but every bit helps. Also, I've been using a spreadsheet to calculate the true cost of each financing option over 10+ years. The Parent PLUS loans look manageable monthly, but when you factor in that 8% interest compounding over a decade, it's honestly terrifying. A $35k annual loan becomes over $200k in total payments by the time it's paid off. Have you looked into whether your employer offers any education assistance programs? Mine has a small grant program I didn't even know existed until I asked HR directly. Sometimes companies have funds they don't advertise widely. The hardest part is watching our kids' dreams potentially get crushed by financial reality, but I keep reminding myself that there are multiple paths to success in biology. The school name matters less than the opportunities your daughter creates for herself.