Following up on your situation - did you manage to get this resolved? If you're still having issues, contact your son's school financial aid office immediately. They deal with FAFSA problems constantly and often have direct channels to resolve these issues. Also, while you're working on this, make sure your son continues completing the rest of his FAFSA (income information, school selections, etc.). The birth year issue won't prevent him from completing the application, even though it needs to be fixed. This way, once the birth year is corrected, everything else will already be in place, and you won't miss the priority deadline.

That's such great news that you got it resolved! I'm dealing with a similar issue right now where my daughter accidentally entered her middle initial in the wrong field and now can't update her name. Reading through all these responses has been really helpful - I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service and also reach out to her school's financial aid office. It's reassuring to know that FSA agents can manually fix these verification issues once you actually get through to them. Thanks for updating us on how it worked out!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue! Just got notified by my daughter's school that our FAFSA shows $0 AGI when we filed our taxes in early February. It's so frustrating because everything looked fine on our end. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - I had no idea this was affecting so many families. Going to start contacting all the schools on her list today and get our tax transcripts ready to send. It's reassuring to know the schools are aware of this problem and have processes to fix it manually. Fingers crossed we can get this sorted out before decision deadlines!

Just joining this thread as someone who's been lurking and dealing with the same nightmare! My son's FAFSA is also showing $0 AGI when we filed taxes in January. I had no idea this was such a widespread issue until I found this discussion. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both validating and helpful - at least now I know we're not alone and there are actual solutions. Planning to contact his schools tomorrow with our tax documents. Thanks to everyone who shared their advice, especially the financial aid professionals who explained what's happening behind the scenes. It's frustrating that families have to deal with this on top of all the other college decision stress, but it's reassuring to know the schools are aware and working with families to fix it!

Glad to hear you got it resolved! For anyone else reading this in the future, I'd recommend following these steps before starting your FAFSA: 1. Create FSA IDs for student and parent(s) at least 3 days before starting application 2. Verify both email AND phone for each FSA ID 3. Use exactly the same name/SSN formatting on both FSA ID and FAFSA 4. Use Microsoft Edge with no extensions or Chrome in incognito mode 5. Complete the application during weekday business hours if possible Following these steps prevents most of the common submission problems.

As someone who just went through this nightmare with my own kid's FAFSA, I feel your pain! One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - sometimes clearing your browser cache isn't enough. You might need to delete all stored FAFSA data and start the session fresh. Go to your browser settings and specifically delete cookies and site data for studentaid.gov. Then log back in and try the signature step again. Also, make sure you're not switching between browsers mid-application - the site sometimes gets confused about which session is active. The whole process is ridiculously buggy but once you figure out the right combination of settings it usually works. Hang in there!

One final tip - once she decides on a program and completes her FAFSA, she should immediately contact the financial aid office at that school. Graduate departments and financial aid offices don't always communicate well, and you want to ensure all possible funding sources are considered. Also, the financial aid package initially offered isn't always final. There's often room for negotiation, especially if she receives better offers from competing programs. This is particularly true for highly sought-after students or those with unique qualifications. Good luck to your daughter in her graduate studies!

As someone who recently went through the grad school FAFSA process, I can confirm it's much simpler than undergrad! Your daughter will definitely need to complete it for federal loans, but the independent status makes it so much easier - no parent financial info needed. One thing I wish I had known earlier: even if she doesn't think she'll need the full $20,500 in unsubsidized loans, it's worth completing the FAFSA anyway. Many universities use FAFSA completion as a requirement for consideration for their own institutional grants and merit-based aid, even if you don't qualify for federal grants. Also, timing matters more than I expected. While the FAFSA deadline might be later, many grad programs have much earlier priority deadlines for their best funding packages. I'd recommend she complete it as soon as the 2025-26 form opens in December, especially if she's applying to competitive programs.

One more piece of advice: BYU-Idaho likely has additional scholarship opportunities specifically for non-traditional or adult students returning to education. Once you complete your FAFSA, reach out to their financial aid office directly to ask about any institutional aid you might qualify for. Many schools have funds set aside specifically for students in your situation that aren't part of the federal aid system. Also, be prepared to provide documentation of your lack of income. Sometimes the financial aid office may request verification, which could include a simple statement explaining your financial situation since you haven't been employed.

Tami, you're going to do great! As someone who works in financial aid, I can confirm everything others have said - you're in an excellent position as an independent student with no income. One thing I'd add is to keep all your documentation organized in a folder (digital or physical) because you might need to reference it later during verification or when applying for aid renewal each year. Also, don't forget about work-study opportunities if you're interested! Even online students can sometimes find remote work-study positions that can provide some extra income while you're in school. BYU-Idaho should be able to tell you what's available for Pathways students. The fact that you're taking this step at 54 is inspiring - education is never too late and you'll bring such valuable life experience to your studies!