


Ask the community...
Yes, it got fixed eventually but it took WEEKS of back and forth. We had to provide bank statements showing both names on the accounts, then a signed statement explaining how we divided everything. One school wanted copies of our divorce decree even though we explained multiple times we were still married, just filing separately! The whole system is designed for the simplest family situation and falls apart for anything complicated.
UPDATE: I went ahead and submitted my FAFSA after reading everyone's advice. Just got the confirmation email that it was received! I'll check back in a few days to make sure the tax data transferred correctly. Thanks everyone for your help!
smart move!!! now you can relax a bit. just remember to actually check back in to make sure everything processed right. my roomate didn't and ended up with a verification flag that delayed her aid package
When my daughter applied back in January we had this exact same question. I called the Federal Student Aid info line every day for a week and couldn't get through to anyone. The wait times were ridiculous and I kept getting disconnected. I was at my wit's end until I found out about Claimyr. Got through to an FSA agent in under 30 minutes who confirmed that only one parent needs to sign for joint filers. My daughter's financial aid is all processed now without any issues.
Update: I just got off the phone with my daughter's school financial aid office (not the person from the info session). They confirmed that our FAFSA is complete and correctly submitted! The advisor I spoke with said they've been seeing confusion about this exact issue and reassured me that only one parent needs to sign for joint filers under the new simplified FAFSA. She said they're planning to correct this misinformation at future info sessions. Thank you all for your help - I feel so much better now!
Great news! Glad you got official confirmation. This is a perfect example of why it's always good to double-check directly with the financial aid office when you receive conflicting information. The FAFSA simplification was meant to make things easier, but the transition period has created some confusion among advisors. Your daughter's aid processing should proceed normally now.
my sons at college now we just ended up doing parent plus for the gap after his stafford loans. not ideal but what can you do. we figure we'll help him pay them for a few years after graduation. had same issue with fafsa saying we could afford waaaaay more than we actually could.
Update on our appeal process - we just heard back from two schools. Both adjusted our EFC after reviewing our medical documentation, and one offered an additional $7,500 in institutional grants! It's still not enough to cover everything, but it makes a huge difference. The most helpful thing was actually speaking directly with a financial aid counselor rather than just submitting forms. Using Claimyr to get through on the phone made a huge difference in getting actual answers instead of automated responses.
This is so encouraging! I've got appointments set up with two of her top schools next week. Did they ask for specific documentation about your medical expenses? I have folders of EOBs and bills but wasn't sure how far back they want records.
Darcy Moore
DONT WASTE UR TIME WITH EMAILS!!! they NEVER respond!!! phone is the ONLY way
0 coins
Amun-Ra Azra
•I'm definitely giving up on the email approach - 15 messages and not a single response. Phone it is!
0 coins
Summer Green
my friend had this problem n she went to the library n used their computer n it worked??? idk why but maybe try different browser or computer???
0 coins
Dana Doyle
•Unfortunately, this specific issue (SSN accidentally used in the wrong person's profile) isn't a browser or computer problem - it's a database issue on the FAFSA side. It requires a customer service representative to submit a backend fix.
0 coins