As someone new to navigating FAFSA, this thread is incredibly helpful! I'm planning to fill out my son's application next week and now I know to try Firefox if I run into any citizenship verification issues. It's reassuring to see that these errors are system glitches rather than actual problems with our kids' citizenship status. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

This is such a valuable thread for FAFSA newcomers! I'm about to start my daughter's application and had no idea about the browser compatibility issues or name formatting requirements. Reading through everyone's troubleshooting steps gives me a good roadmap if I hit similar problems. It's also reassuring to know that even if you get stuck with verification issues, you can still submit and resolve it later without losing your place in line for aid. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is so helpful!

I just joined this community after discovering this thread while desperately searching for solutions to the exact same FAFSA assets page nightmare! My son's application has been stuck in this endless loop for 6 days now and I was starting to panic about missing deadlines. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has been incredibly helpful - it's such a relief to know this is a widespread technical issue and not something we're doing wrong. I'm planning to try the combination approach that worked for QuantumQuasar tonight: late night timing + Edge incognito + whole numbers only + double-save. I'm also really intrigued by Victoria's mobile Safari approach and the 10-second wait technique. If the desktop methods don't work, I'll definitely try that as a backup plan. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive community around these frustrating FAFSA technical issues. It's amazing how much more helpful this discussion has been than hours of calls to official support! Will definitely update with results after trying these solutions.

I just joined this community after finding this incredibly helpful thread! We've been battling the exact same FAFSA assets page loop for my daughter's application for over a week now. Every time we enter her savings account balance ($2,180) and CD investment ($4,500), it saves temporarily but then dumps us right back to a blank assets page when we try to move forward. It's been absolutely maddening! What's given me the most hope is seeing QuantumQuasar's success with the combination approach and all the other solutions people have shared here. I'm planning to try tonight: late night (around midnight) + Microsoft Edge incognito + whole numbers only + the double-save technique before hitting next. If that doesn't work, I'll try Victoria's mobile Safari method with the 10-second wait. I also really appreciate Marcus's point about documenting everything - I've started keeping a detailed log of each attempt with timestamps and browser info, which I wish I'd thought of earlier. After days of getting nowhere with official support channels, finding this community with real working solutions and people who actually understand this specific glitch has been such a relief. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - will definitely update once I try these approaches!

As someone who recently went through this process with my daughter, I can't stress enough how important it is to have your documentation tell a cohesive story. All the advice here about professional letters, timelines, and the "financial estrangement" concept is spot-on. One thing that really helped us was creating a simple one-page summary sheet that we included with every waiver application. It outlined: - Timeline of no contact (7 years) - Recent therapeutic contact details (when it started, frequency, purpose) - List of educational milestones missed by non-custodial parent - Clear statement about why requesting financial info would harm therapeutic progress This summary helped financial aid officers quickly understand our situation before diving into the detailed supporting documents. Several schools mentioned that having everything clearly organized made their review process much smoother. Also, don't be discouraged if you get initial questions or requests for clarification - that's actually pretty normal and doesn't mean denial. We had two schools ask for additional details about the therapeutic contact, which gave us the opportunity to provide even stronger documentation from the therapist. The hardest part is writing about painful family situations, but remember that financial aid officers deal with these cases regularly and genuinely want to help qualified students access education. Stay factual, stay organized, and trust that your daughter's situation will speak for itself with proper documentation. You've got this!

I'm a financial aid counselor and have helped hundreds of families navigate CSS Profile non-custodial parent waivers over the past decade. Your situation is actually quite manageable with the right approach, and the advice in this thread has been excellent. A few additional points that might help: 1. **Documentation timing matters**: Since your daughter's therapeutic contact only began 3 months ago, make sure the therapist's letter includes specific dates and emphasizes that this recent, supervised contact represents the beginning of a healing process, not an established relationship where financial discussions would be appropriate. 2. **The child support payments**: Don't let these worry you too much. I've seen many successful waivers where court-ordered support continued. The key is documenting that legal financial obligation ≠ voluntary educational involvement or access to current financial information. 3. **Professional letter language**: Ask your therapist to include something like: "Any request for financial disclosure at this time would be counterproductive to the therapeutic process and could cause significant psychological harm to the patient." 4. **School counselor focus**: Have them emphasize how the father's absence has affected her academically/emotionally over the years, and how his sudden involvement in financial matters would be disruptive to her senior year focus. The fact that you're being proactive and gathering proper documentation puts you in a strong position. Most schools understand these complex family dynamics better than you might expect.

This has been such an incredibly comprehensive and helpful discussion! As someone new to this community who's facing a very similar situation, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing such detailed experiences and practical advice. I'm particularly grateful for the real-world impact numbers shared - understanding that the expected family contribution could potentially drop from $15K+ to under $3K really puts the financial implications into perspective. The step-by-step advice about documentation, legal separation timelines, and working proactively with financial aid offices has given me a clear action plan. What strikes me most is how this thread demonstrates that while the FAFSA system is complex, it's absolutely navigable with proper planning and organization. The advice about starting a "FAFSA folder," understanding state-specific legal requirements, and building relationships early with school counselors and financial aid offices seems invaluable. For other parents in similar situations who might be reading this, I think the key takeaways are: start planning early, keep meticulous documentation, don't be afraid to ask questions of professionals (financial aid counselors, attorneys, tax preparers), and remember that these situations are more common than you might think - the system has processes in place to handle them fairly. Thanks again to everyone who contributed their experiences and expertise. This community is truly a valuable resource for families navigating these challenging but important financial decisions!

This thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you to everyone who shared such detailed and helpful experiences! As someone new to this community dealing with a very similar situation (separated for about 6 months, significant income difference, daughter starting senior year), I've learned so much from reading through all these responses. The practical advice about creating a "FAFSA folder" and working backwards from filing deadlines really resonates with me. I'm also realizing I need to get much more proactive about understanding my state's legal separation process and timeline. The real-world numbers shared here (potentially going from $15K+ to under $3K expected contribution) really drive home how significant this decision could be for my daughter's college affordability. One thing I'm taking away is the importance of transparency and organization throughout this process. It sounds like financial aid offices are generally understanding and helpful when families communicate openly about their situations, rather than trying to navigate everything in isolation. I'm planning to start implementing the advice here immediately - organizing documentation, consulting with a family law attorney about separation timelines, and reaching out to financial aid offices at my daughter's target schools. This community has made what felt like an overwhelming situation feel much more manageable. Thank you all for being so generous with your time and experiences!

Welcome to the confusing world of FAFSA! I went through this exact same thing last year with my son. The "processed" status is just the beginning - think of it like submitting a job application. Getting processed doesn't mean you got the job (financial aid), it just means your application was received and is valid. Here's what I wish someone had told me: download the FAFSA mobile app! It actually shows a bit more detail than the website sometimes. Also, make sure your daughter checks her email AND spam folders daily - some schools send financial aid notifications that can get filtered out. One tip that saved us: create a spreadsheet tracking each school's financial aid timeline and requirements. Some schools we thought would be generous ended up being stingy, while others surprised us with amazing packages. The waiting game is brutal but you'll get through it!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now with my twin daughters! Their FAFSA shows "processed" as of last week but we're still waiting on financial aid packages from most schools. Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - I had no idea that the SAI was available on the Student Aid Report. Just checked and found it for both girls. One thing I'll add that our high school counselor mentioned: if you're comparing aid packages from different schools, make sure you're looking at the NET PRICE (total cost minus grants/scholarships) rather than just the total aid amount. Some schools inflate their "aid" by including parent PLUS loans which you have to pay back with interest. Also, if anyone is still waiting on aid packages and has compelling circumstances (job loss, medical bills, etc.), don't hesitate to contact the financial aid offices directly. They can sometimes provide preliminary estimates even before the official packages are released. Hang in there - this process is stressful but you'll get the information you need!