Hey I just remembered something important!! Make sure your daughter applies for scholarships TOO not just FAFSA!! My son got a $5,000 scholarship just for writing a 500-word essay about why he wants to be an engineer!! Lots of free $$$ out there if you look for it!!

One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - make sure to keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit! When my older kid went through this process, we had to resubmit documents multiple times because things got "lost" in the system. I created a dedicated folder (both digital and physical) with copies of all tax documents, W-2s, bank statements, and screenshots of every FAFSA submission confirmation. Also, if your daughter ends up getting selected for verification (which is pretty common), having everything organized will save you weeks of scrambling to find documents later. Trust me on this one!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare! My daughter's FAFSA was rejected last week with that same useless "could not be processed" message. We're on our third attempt now and I'm losing my mind. What's really frustrating is that I called three different colleges she applied to and they all said they're seeing this constantly - some schools are getting 40-50% more calls about FAFSA issues than normal. One admissions counselor told me they're basically expecting most families to have problems this year. I'm going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get through to an actual human at Federal Student Aid. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get answers before her college decision deadline next month!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue! My FAFSA was rejected yesterday with that completely unhelpful "could not be processed" message. After reading through all these comments, I'm realizing this is way more widespread than I thought. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here - double-checking all personal info for typos, making sure FSA IDs are correct, and maybe trying a different browser. The fact that so many families are experiencing identical problems really does seem to point to major systemic issues with the new FAFSA rollout. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions. It's frustrating but at least we know we're not alone in this mess!

This is such a relief to read! I'm a high school senior going through FAFSA applications right now and this thread is giving me major anxiety about what might happen next year. The fact that the system assumes ALL students filed taxes regardless of age or income is absolutely bonkers. Thank you Ana for sharing your solution step-by-step - I'm bookmarking this thread in case I run into the same nightmare. It's crazy that parents have to become experts in tax law and government bureaucracy just to help their kids apply for college aid. The whole system needs a complete overhaul!

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with the exact same issue! My daughter is 17 and didn't file taxes in 2022 (she was 15 and only earned about $800 babysitting). Her FAFSA got rejected for the same reason yesterday. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the signed statement option or services like Claimyr to get through to FSA. Ana, thank you so much for posting your successful resolution steps! I'm going to try your approach with uploading the parent statement first, then using Claimyr to reach an agent. It's absolutely ridiculous that this is even an issue - the system should recognize that minors with minimal income don't file taxes. Fingers crossed I can get this sorted out as quickly as you did. This community has been a lifesaver!

I had a similar situation with my son's father who makes well over 200k but hasn't contributed since my son was 4. For the CSS Profile, get letters from people who know your situation - I got ones from our pastor, my son's high school counselor, and my parents confirming the father's absence. The schools actually accepted these as part of our documentation package along with court records.

I went through almost the exact same situation with my daughter 3 years ago! Her father makes over $400K but abandoned us when she was 6 and never paid a dime in support despite court orders. The medical school FAFSA was actually the easiest part since she was automatically independent - no parent info needed at all. For the CSS Profile waivers, I recommend being very thorough with your documentation. Beyond the court orders, I included: bank records showing I was the only one making deposits for her expenses, school records showing I was the only parent contact, medical records with only my name as guardian, and even screenshots of blocked phone calls when she tried to reach him. Most importantly - start early! Some schools took 6-8 weeks to process the waiver requests. My daughter got approved for waivers at 4 out of 5 schools she applied to. The one that denied it actually reversed their decision after we provided additional documentation and had a phone meeting with their financial aid director. Don't lose hope! The system recognizes these situations exist, even if the process is frustrating. Your daughter's hard work getting into med school shows she's resilient - you'll both get through this financial aid maze too.

One more option to consider - if your son is close to being financially independent, you might want to look into the criteria for filing as an independent student. If he meets any of these conditions, he could file FAFSA without including any parent information: - 24 years old or older - Married - Graduate/professional student - Veteran/active duty military - Has legal dependents he supports - Orphan/ward of court/in foster care after age 13 - Emancipated minor or in legal guardianship - Determined to be an unaccompanied youth who is homeless It's a strict list, but worth checking if any might apply.

I'm new to this community and going through a similar situation right now. My stepdaughter is applying for college next year and I'm realizing my income will be counted even though her bio mom and I agreed I wouldn't be responsible for college costs. Reading through all these responses is really eye-opening - I had no idea the FAFSA rules were so strict about this. It sounds like the key takeaway is that federal aid calculations will always include the stepparent's income if you're married and living together, but individual colleges might be more flexible with their own aid programs. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice I needed to hear!