have u tried getting thru to the fafsa ppl directly? i had a similar issue last yr and i finally got help after i used that claimyr service (claimyr.com) to get past the hold times at FSA. they have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ basically they wait on hold for you and then call you when a real person picks up. i was able to get someone at FSA who explained all my options and even sent an official letter i could take to my financial aid office that helped with my situation. definitely worth trying since it's so hard to get answers about special cases!

I just went through this last semester with my FAFSA application! If your cousin is paying all her own bills and truly self-supporting, she should gather evidence of this - rent receipts, utility bills in her name, proof she's not claimed as a dependent on her parents' taxes (if possible). I brought all this documentation to my financial aid counselor and wrote a detailed letter explaining my situation. They initially said no to a dependency override, but when I asked for a Professional Judgment review instead and showed all my documentation of self-sufficiency, they were able to adjust my aid package. It didn't get me grants, but they found some institutional scholarships I qualified for that helped almost as much. Tell her not to give up after the first no!

Also important for the 2025-2026 FAFSA: you need to make sure you're using the right tax year information. They're looking for 2023 tax data, so make sure that's what you're accessing through the IRS tool. I've seen people accidentally try to pull the wrong year's data and get confused when it fails.

omg i had this same problem!!! what fixed it for me was using my EIN instead of SSN. im self employed and didnt realize that made a difference until someone at my school's financial aid office told me

While searching is absolutely helpful, I also want to point out that the FAFSA has undergone significant changes for the 2025-2026 application cycle. The SAI calculation methodology has several key differences from previous years, particularly regarding how business income, multiple students, and divorced parent contributions are assessed. Make sure you're looking at posts from this current application cycle, as advice from even last year might be outdated. For example, the multiple children in college benefit was reduced, and the small business protection threshold changed from $175,000 to $240,000. There's also more emphasis on actual cash income rather than adjusted gross income in some calculations. So while search is valuable, verify information is current!

I think this thread is a perfect example of why the search function AND new posts both have value! We've gone from a simple tip about searching to a discussion about the new FAFSA changes that might not have happened otherwise. This is super helpful information.

u shud see if ur school has emergency grants!! my school had covid money left over and was giving students like $1500 for emergency expenses last trimester. worth asking!

As a follow-up on your options: with an SAI of 8700, you're probably right that you won't qualify for Pell Grants in the 2024-2025 award year. However, I'd recommend these steps: 1. Schedule a budget counseling session with your financial aid office 2. Ask specifically about supplemental loans (like the PLUS loan for graduate students if applicable) 3. Check whether your school offers any income-share agreements as alternatives to private loans 4. Look into any department-specific scholarships in your major 5. Consider whether adding a part-time campus job could help bridge the gap Many schools have resources they don't widely advertise, so being persistent with your financial aid office can sometimes uncover additional options.

I spent HOURS trying to figure this out last month! Called the FAFSA helpline three times and got disconnected each time. Finally figured out my daughter needed to do the final submission from HER account. But honestly, why don't they make this clearer?! The confirmation email you get after signing makes it sound like everything is done!

Update us when your son logs in and checks - I'm curious if this solved your issue. The final submit button should be at the very bottom of the review page in his account, and it's a distinctly different color than the rest of the page elements.