UPDATE: Finally resolved this! My daughter had indeed accidentally checked a box indicating she was independent (the one about having children she supports - she definitely doesn't!). We had to call FSA to have them unlock that section. Used the Claimyr service someone mentioned above and got through within 20 minutes. The agent was able to reset her application status to allow for editing the dependency questions and adding me as a contributor. My section is now completed and the application is truly submitted. Thanks everyone for your help!

That's fantastic news! So glad you got it resolved quickly. This is such a helpful example for others who might run into the same issue. It's crazy how easy it is to accidentally check the wrong dependency box on the new FAFSA - they really need to make those questions clearer. The Claimyr service sounds like a game-changer for actually getting through to FSA without losing your mind on hold. Thanks for updating us with the solution!

Thank you all SO much for these helpful responses! I feel much clearer now on who needs to file (just me as the custodial parent) and what needs to be reported. I'll definitely look into whether any of her potential schools require that CSS Profile too.\n\nOne last question - when is the earliest I can submit the FAFSA for the 2025-2026 school year? I've heard there can be advantages to submitting early.

The 2025-2026 FAFSA opens on October 1, 2024! You can submit it as early as that date using your 2023 tax information (since FAFSA uses "prior-prior year" tax data). There are definitely advantages to submitting early: 1. Some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis 2. State aid deadlines can be as early as February or March 3. It gives you more time to resolve any issues that come up Pro tip: Even if you haven't finished all your college applications yet, you can still submit the FAFSA early. Just make sure to add any additional schools to your FAFSA later if needed (you can list up to 10 schools). You've got this! The fact that you're planning ahead and asking the right questions puts you way ahead of the game. 😊

One clarification on Professional Judgment appeals that might help: There are actually two separate processes happening with the new FAFSA: 1. Schools receiving your FAFSA data and calculating initial aid packages 2. The ability to make PJ adjustments to your SAI in the system Many students haven't even received their initial aid packages yet due to the FAFSA rollout delays. Schools are generally processing initial aid packages first, then will handle PJ appeals. If you've already received an initial aid offer and are waiting on PJ processing, you're actually ahead of many students in the pipeline. Based on recent Department of Education communications, we expect most schools will be able to process PJ adjustments in the system starting in mid-to-late April, though this timeline could still shift.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation! Filed my PJ appeal 2 weeks ago after my dad's hours got cut at work (our income dropped about 30%). My school's financial aid office gave me the runaround too - first they said "we'll get back to you in a few days" then when I called back they switched to "the system isn't ready for PJ appeals yet." It's so frustrating because I need to know my real aid package to make my college decision! Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful though - sounds like most schools are in the same boat and it's not just mine being unhelpful. I'm definitely going to call back and ask if they're at least tracking my appeal in a spreadsheet like @Ayla Kumar mentioned. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

For anyone facing similar issues, here's a technical explanation of what's happening: The FAFSA has distinct correction pathways for student information vs. parent information. The parent dashboard only allows corrections to parent demographic data, household size, number in college, and financial information. Student academic information (like grade level) can only be edited through the student's FSA ID login. For the original poster: If you haven't submitted any changes in the parent portal, you can safely exit. Then have your daughter log in with her FSA ID, select 'Make FAFSA Correction,' navigate to the Student Demographics section, and update her grade level. The correction will take 3-5 days to process and update her SAI calculation and loan eligibility.

Just went through this exact situation with my daughter's FAFSA! The key thing to remember is that grade level affects your loan limits - sophomores get lower annual loan limits than juniors. So definitely worth fixing! When we made the correction through her student portal, it only took about 4 days to reprocess and her school received the updated info automatically. Don't stress too much about the timing - schools are used to dealing with FAFSA corrections and it shouldn't delay her aid package significantly.

After both parents sign, processing is taking about 2-3 days for the initial SAI calculation to appear. Then colleges typically need 1-2 weeks to integrate the information into their systems and prepare aid packages. Make sure your daughter has also added all her potential colleges to her FAFSA before you both sign - adding schools later requires both parents to re-sign!

As a parent who just went through this process successfully, I can confirm what others have said - both married parents absolutely need separate FSA IDs! I made the mistake of thinking we could share one account since we file jointly, and it delayed our son's application by almost two weeks. Here's what I learned: even though you file taxes together, the FAFSA system treats each parent as an individual contributor for security and verification purposes. The good news is that once you both have your FSA IDs set up, the actual process is pretty straightforward. Just make sure to create the accounts on different days (24-48 hours apart) to avoid any system glitches, and designate one person as the primary contributor to avoid confusion. Don't stress too much about the complexity - thousands of families are figuring this out right now, and the colleges understand there's a learning curve with the new system!