As someone who just went through this process with my daughter (she's now a freshman at a private university), I want to echo what everyone else is saying - absolutely complete the FAFSA! We were in a similar income bracket and almost skipped it, but I'm so grateful we didn't. Here's what happened: even though we didn't qualify for traditional need-based aid, her school used the FAFSA data to automatically consider her for several institutional scholarships we didn't even know existed. She ended up receiving a $12,000/year "leadership scholarship" that required FAFSA completion even though the selection criteria were entirely merit-based. The other game-changer was the unsubsidized federal loans. We took out the maximum $5,500 her freshman year not because we needed it immediately, but because the interest rate (currently around 5.5%) was so much better than any private loan options, and it gave us flexibility with cash flow. One tip: start gathering your financial documents now (tax returns, bank statements, investment accounts). The actual FAFSA form is much more streamlined than it used to be, but having all your paperwork organized beforehand makes the process much smoother. The bottom line is that completing the FAFSA keeps doors open that you might not even realize exist. For less than an hour of work, it's absolutely worth it!

As a newcomer to this community and the college financial aid process, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed and helpful experiences! This thread has completely changed my perspective on the FAFSA. I'm in a very similar situation - household income around $320k, daughter looking at competitive private schools, and I was initially planning to skip the FAFSA because I assumed we wouldn't qualify for anything. But after reading through all these responses, especially the specific examples from @Dmitry Popov, @Freya Thomsen, and @Liam O'Donnell about receiving unexpected institutional aid, I'm convinced it's worth doing. The point that really resonates with me is what @Dylan Wright mentioned about keeping options open in case circumstances change unexpectedly during the college years. None of us can predict what might happen with jobs, health, or market conditions over the next four years. I also had no idea that federal unsubsidized loans require FAFSA completion and offer significantly better terms than private loans. That alone seems to justify the time investment, even if we don't end up needing the funds immediately. One quick question for the group: For those who've completed the new FAFSA recently, do you recommend doing it as early as possible in the cycle, or does timing not matter much for families in higher income brackets? I want to make sure I don't miss any institutional aid deadlines while still allowing time to gather all the necessary documents properly. Thanks again for such a welcoming and informative community!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! My daughter and I are currently working on her 2025-2026 FAFSA, and I was completely unaware that there was a specific submission order required. I actually assumed that since I'm providing all the financial information as the parent contributor, I should submit first - this thread potentially saved us from a major mistake! The technical explanation about the primary record creation really helps me understand why this isn't just bureaucratic red tape but actually serves an important database function. It's disappointing that the FSA website doesn't make this clearer, but I'm so grateful for experienced community members who share their knowledge. We'll definitely make sure my daughter signs and submits first before I complete my portion. Thank you everyone for taking the time to help newcomers like me navigate this confusing process!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I can't express how grateful I am for finding this thread! My son and I are just starting his 2025-2026 FAFSA application, and like so many others here, I was completely unaware of the student-first submission requirement. I naturally assumed that since I'm handling all the complex financial information as the parent contributor, I should submit my portion first. This discussion has been a real eye-opener - especially the technical explanations about primary record creation and database architecture. It's incredibly frustrating that such a critical detail isn't clearly highlighted on the FSA website, but it's amazing how this community fills that knowledge gap. Reading through everyone's experiences, both successful submissions and cautionary tales, has given me so much confidence going into this process. We'll definitely ensure my son signs and submits first before I complete my parent contributor section. Thank you to all the experienced parents, financial aid professionals, and community members who take the time to share their knowledge and help newcomers like me avoid costly mistakes!

As someone who just went through the FAFSA renewal process for the second time, I can confirm it's definitely less painful than the initial application! The system saved most of my basic info, but I still had to update all the financial stuff. One thing I learned the hard way: even though the renewal is easier, don't wait until the last minute to gather your documents. I thought "oh it'll be quick since it's just a renewal" and then scrambled when I realized my parents had moved their tax documents to a different folder and couldn't find them. Still took me almost 2 hours just tracking everything down. Also, keep an eye on your state's deadline too! Some states have earlier deadlines than the federal one, and you definitely don't want to miss out on state grant money. I almost lost my state grant my sophomore year because I assumed all deadlines were the same. The good news is that once you get into a rhythm with it, it really does become routine. Just another annoying thing we have to do each year, like renewing car registration! 😅

As someone who's currently a freshman and dreading having to do this process again next year, this thread has been both reassuring and terrifying! 😅 The consensus seems clear that yes, we're stuck doing this annually, but at least it gets faster. I'm definitely implementing the FAFSA folder system that @Reginald suggested - that's such a smart way to stay organized. My parents and I were scrambling to find documents scattered across emails, their accountant's office, and random desk drawers this year. Never again! One question for the veterans here: has anyone noticed their aid getting better or worse at the same school over time (aside from income changes)? I'm worried about that "front-loading" thing @Honorah mentioned. My aid package this year was pretty generous and I'm hoping it stays consistent if our family finances don't change much. Also, setting that October 1st reminder right now! Thanks everyone for all the practical tips - this community is a lifesaver for navigating all this financial aid confusion! 🙏

I'm so glad you found this community! Your situation sounds incredibly stressful but you're taking all the right steps. Reading through everyone's advice here, I wanted to add that some schools also have hardship withdrawal policies that might be worth asking about - not that you'd want to use them, but knowing they exist can sometimes make financial aid officers more willing to work with you upfront rather than risk losing a student later. Also, if your husband's condition qualifies him for any disability benefits or if there are condition-specific foundations that offer family support, those resources might help offset some costs and free up more money for college. The medical expense appeals really can work - I've seen families get significant adjustments - but having multiple financial strategies in place gives you more security. You're being such a great advocate for your daughter!

I'm so sorry your family is dealing with such overwhelming medical expenses on top of college costs. As someone who recently went through a similar appeal process, I wanted to emphasize something others have touched on but is really crucial: make sure you frame this as an ongoing financial hardship, not just current expenses. When I submitted our appeal, I included a projection showing how these medical costs would continue throughout all four years of college, which helped the financial aid office understand this wasn't a temporary situation. Also, if your husband's medical condition has impacted his work schedule or earning capacity at all (even if he's still employed), make sure to document that too. Sometimes the indirect financial impacts can be just as important as the direct medical bills. The fact that you're spending 40% of your gross income on medical care is absolutely grounds for an appeal - that's an enormous burden that should definitely be considered. Don't get discouraged if one school is less responsive than the other; every institution handles these differently and you might be surprised which one comes through for you!

I'm experiencing this exact same issue right now! Been trying since yesterday afternoon with absolutely no luck - no verification codes coming through to either my phone or email despite multiple attempts. This is so incredibly stressful with priority deadlines looming. Reading through all the success stories here, I'm definitely going to try switching to my .edu email address since that seems to be the breakthrough solution for so many people. Will also try the early morning approach (5-6 AM) when the system traffic is lighter, and make sure to completely clear my browser cache first. Already have screenshots of all my failed attempts documented just in case I need to provide evidence to my financial aid office. Thank you to everyone sharing what's actually working - this thread is honestly keeping me sane during this nightmare! Will report back if the .edu email switch works for me too.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue! Been trying to get verification codes since early this morning with zero success - nothing to my phone or email despite checking spam folders and verifying my contact info multiple times. This is incredibly frustrating with my school's priority deadline today. Reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely going to try the .edu email trick that Aisha mentioned since that seems to be working for so many people. Will also attempt during those early morning hours (5-6 AM) when there's less traffic on the system. Already taking screenshots of all my failed attempts in case I need to document this for my financial aid office. It's honestly insane that we have to troubleshoot basic system functionality during such critical deadlines, but I'm grateful for this community sharing actual solutions. The official FAFSA support has been completely useless. Thanks to everyone for keeping each other updated and sharing what works!