One additional important point: make sure you understand the difference between who completes the FAFSA (based on where student lives most) versus who claims the student as a tax dependent (which can be either parent regardless of custody, based on your divorce agreement and who provides more than 50% of total support). These are separate determinations and often confuse divorced parents. Your ex could claim your son as a tax dependent based on the substantial college expenses she's paying, while you would still be the appropriate FAFSA contributor based on physical custody. Just make sure you're both clear on this distinction to avoid complications.

As someone who just went through this exact situation with my daughter, I can confirm what others are saying - the key is physical custody, not who pays tuition. My ex-husband pays about 75% of her college costs but she lives with me during all breaks and summers, so I continue to complete the FAFSA. One tip that helped us: we documented this arrangement in writing (just an email between us) before her freshman year so there wouldn't be any confusion later. It clearly states that while he's contributing significantly to educational expenses, she maintains primary residence with me for FAFSA purposes. This has prevented any arguments over the years and kept her aid consistent. Your son is lucky to have parents who can work together on this - just make sure you both understand the rules so you don't accidentally jeopardize his grants!

Another thing to consider: apply to MORE schools than you think you should! I only applied to 3 and regret it. My friend applied to 12 and ended up at her 10th choice because they gave her a $21k/year merit scholarship that made it cheaper than her state school! Schools compete for good students, especially if your stats are above their averages.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who was in almost the exact same situation last year - parents made $140k, 3.8 GPA, 1380 SAT. I was SO hesitant to fill out FAFSA because everyone kept telling me it was pointless. I'm so glad I did it anyway! Here's what happened: - Got $0 in federal grants (as expected) - BUT qualified for subsidized federal loans (interest doesn't accrue while in school) - My state university gave me a $6k/year merit scholarship that required FAFSA completion - Another school offered me $12k/year in institutional aid after seeing my FAFSA The key thing I learned is that schools often use FAFSA data to determine if you qualify for their own need-based aid programs, which can have different income cutoffs than federal programs. Some schools have specific aid pools for families earning $100-180k who don't qualify for federal grants but still need help. Also pro tip: if your parents have any unusual financial circumstances (medical bills, job loss, caring for elderly parents, etc.), you can appeal your aid package with documentation. Schools have professional judgment authority to adjust your SAI. Definitely fill it out - worst case scenario you're in the same position you'd be in without it, best case you get unexpected aid!

The birthday field issue is actually a known bug in the current FAFSA system that the Department of Education is working to fix. It typically happens when a parent's profile was created before the October 2023 FAFSA simplification changes were implemented. For anyone else experiencing this issue, here's the workaround: 1. Log out completely from studentaid.gov 2. Clear your browser cache and cookies 3. Log back in, but use the "Edit FAFSA" option rather than continuing a saved form 4. Go directly to the personal information section and update the birthday 5. Complete the remaining sections without closing the browser 6. At the sign and submit page, verify the birthday is correct before proceeding The system occasionally displays the correct information on screen but sends incorrect cached data during submission. When calling the FSA helpline, ask specifically for a "data field verification check" on your parent information section.

Wow, what a relief that must be! I'm dealing with a similar nightmare right now - my daughter's FAFSA has been stuck in "review" status for 6 weeks and every time we try to make any updates, it kicks us back to the beginning. The birthday field issue you described sounds exactly like what we experienced with her SSN - it would show correctly on every page but then revert to some random number at submission. We've tried everything short of sacrificing a goat to the FAFSA gods! 😅 Going to try calling at 8:01am like your husband did. Fingers crossed we can get through to someone who actually knows what they're doing. Thanks for sharing your success story - it gives me hope that there's light at the end of this bureaucratic tunnel!

Is anyone else completely DONE with the new FAFSA system?? It's filled with glitches, the help line is impossible to reach, and families are missing out on thousands in aid because of stupid technical errors like this! My daughter missed priority deadline at her top school because of similar contributor issues. When I finally got through to someone, they just said "we're aware of these issues" with NO solution. The whole system needs to be thrown out and rebuilt!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say thank you all for sharing these detailed solutions! I'm dealing with a similar contributor invite issue with my spouse's account, and reading through this thread has given me a clear action plan. The name matching issue especially makes so much sense - I bet that's exactly what's happening with our situation too. It's frustrating that such small details can cause such big problems, but at least now I know what to look for. Really appreciate how helpful everyone has been in working through these FAFSA glitches together!

Just wanted to add that some schools have what's called "Satisfactory Academic Progress" (SAP) appeals or emergency financial aid funds that can help bridge the gap while you're waiting for your FAFSA to process. When you call Monday, specifically ask if they have any emergency or short-term aid programs available for students in your exact situation - starting classes while waiting for federal aid processing. Also, if you're eligible for Pell Grant based on your family's income, that money is typically guaranteed even if you apply late, so don't lose hope! The key is just getting that FAFSA submitted (which you did!) and staying in communication with your school. You've got this!

Don't panic - you're not the first student to be in this situation! I work in higher ed and see this more often than you'd think. Here's what I'd recommend in addition to what others have said: 1. Check if your school has a "priority registration hold" they can place on your account - this prevents you from being dropped while aid processes 2. Look into whether your state has any emergency grant programs (many do, especially post-COVID) 3. If you're working, some employers have tuition assistance programs that can help cover costs temporarily Also, when you call Monday, ask to speak with a financial aid counselor, not just the front desk. They have more authority to explore options and may know about institutional funds that aren't widely advertised. Some schools keep small emergency funds specifically for situations like yours. The fact that you submitted your FAFSA is the biggest hurdle - everything else is just logistics now. You've got this! 💪