Yes! They gave me a case number and also sent an email confirmation of the changes. The financial aid officer at my daughter's school said these pension calculation errors are happening a lot this year, so they're processing adjustments pretty quickly once the corrected SAI comes through.

So glad you got it resolved, Liam! This gives me hope for my own situation. I'm dealing with a similar issue where FAFSA counted my husband's entire IRA balance as income instead of just the required minimum distribution we actually took. Did you have to provide any specific documentation beyond your 1099-R, or was the phone conversation enough to get the correction started? I'm preparing to call them next week and want to make sure I have everything ready.

Thank you all for the helpful advice. We're going to gather all the documentation (death certificate, guardianship papers, statement about absent father) and have it ready for verification. We'll also consider using that Claimyr service to speak directly with FSA before submitting. It's a relief to know he should qualify as independent - that will really help with his college options. We appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge!

I'm a financial aid counselor and want to emphasize something important that hasn't been mentioned yet - when your grandson files as independent, he'll need to report HIS income and assets on the FAFSA, not yours as guardians. This is often overlooked but crucial. If he has savings accounts, investment accounts, or significant income from work, these will still impact his aid eligibility. However, since he's likely a typical high school student with minimal assets, his Expected Family Contribution should still be very low. Also, make sure he understands that independent status means HE is responsible for the FAFSA renewal each year - not you as guardians. Many families don't realize this transition of responsibility.

One more thing to consider - the 2025-2026 FAFSA will require you to report real estate and business assets differently than previous years under the redesigned SAI formula. If you own property beyond your primary residence or have business interests, start gathering that documentation now. The calculations for the Student Aid Index now weigh these assets differently. December 1st is a good filing date though - not too early but well ahead of many school priority deadlines.

As someone who just went through this process last year, I'd definitely recommend creating your FSA IDs now! I was nervous about the same thing but it worked out perfectly. One tip that saved me - when you create the accounts, immediately log out and then log back in to make sure everything works. I also took screenshots of the confirmation pages just in case. The verification usually happens instantly if your info matches Social Security records, but sometimes it can take a few days if there are any discrepancies. Having everything set up early gave me peace of mind and made the actual FAFSA filing on December 1st much less stressful. Good luck with your first time - you've got this!

Update: I finally got through to someone at Federal Student Aid this morning. They confirmed that our application IS flagged for reprocessing because of how we reported my husband's retirement distribution. They said we should receive the updated SAI within 7-10 business days and that we don't need to take any action. I also spoke with my daughter's school, and they said they'll review her package once the new SAI comes in. Thank you all for your help! I would never have known to call and check without your advice.

For anyone still trying to figure out if they're affected - I was in the same boat last week! Here's what finally worked for me: I logged into my studentaid.gov account and looked under "My Activity" where it actually showed a new entry dated this month even though my FAFSA status still said "processed." That was the first clue something was happening with our application. Then I got the official email two days later confirming reprocessing. So definitely check that activity log section, not just the main status page. Also, if you reported ANY untaxed income (retirement distributions, unemployment benefits, child support, etc.), you're very likely in the reprocessing group. Hope this helps someone avoid the phone hold nightmare!

Just checking back - were you able to get this resolved? The birthdate issue is critical because it affects her SAI calculation and potentially her eligibility for age-specific grants like some state programs for first-time college students under 19.

So glad to hear you got it resolved! This thread is going to be super helpful for other families dealing with the same issue. The tip about calling right when they open and asking specifically for a "tier 2 specialist for birthdate corrections" is gold - I'm bookmarking this whole conversation. The FAFSA system really needs better error messaging to guide people through these correction processes instead of just saying "Unable to Complete This Action." Thanks for sharing your update!