Thank you all SO much for this detailed advice! This is exactly what I needed to hear. I'm feeling much more prepared now. I'll definitely: 1. Mark December 1st on my calendar and plan to submit FAFSA that first day 2. Start gathering our 2023 tax documents now 3. Create FSA IDs for both me and my husband in November 4. Research which of her target schools require CSS Profile 5. Make a list of each school's priority financial aid deadlines One follow-up question - should I also be looking into private scholarships now, or wait until after we see what financial aid packages look like? I don't want to overwhelm myself but also don't want to miss opportunities. Really appreciate this community - you've all been incredibly helpful! 🙏

As someone who just went through this process with my oldest, I can't stress enough how important it is to get organized early! One thing I'd add to all the great advice here - consider opening a dedicated email folder or using a spreadsheet to track all your financial aid deadlines and requirements for each school. Each college can have different deadlines, different required forms (some want CSS Profile, some don't), and different verification requirements. Also, don't forget about your state's financial aid programs! Many states have their own grant programs with earlier deadlines than federal aid. In my state, we had to submit by February 15th for the state grant, which was actually a significant amount of money. The process feels overwhelming at first, but once you break it down into steps like you've done, it becomes much more manageable. Your daughter is lucky to have a parent who's planning ahead like this! Best of luck with everything!

also tell him to apply for as many scholarships as possible!!! i found some weird ones that hardly anyone applies for - like one for students who like gardening and another for people who write essays about climate change. every little bit helps when fafsa is being difficult

I went through a similar dependency override situation a few years ago and want to share some practical tips that helped me get approved. Beyond the documentation everyone mentioned, here are some things that made a difference: 1. Get a letter from a school counselor, teacher, or coach who knows your grandson's situation - they carry more weight than family friends 2. Keep detailed records of any attempts to contact his parents (save voicemails, screenshots of unanswered texts) 3. If possible, get documentation from any social services or counseling agencies that have been involved 4. Write a clear timeline of events showing when parental support ended Also, make sure he applies for the dependency override BEFORE the financial aid deadline if possible. Some schools will give provisional aid pending the decision, but others won't process anything until it's resolved. Time is really critical here - I'd recommend calling the financial aid office tomorrow morning to get the process started immediately.

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!

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!