Thanks for all the helpful responses! Just to confirm what I'm understanding: neither my 401k loan nor my Roth IRA withdrawal (since it was just contributions) need to be reported as income on the FAFSA since neither showed up as taxable income on my tax return. I'll keep documentation ready in case we get selected for verification, but it sounds like I've been worrying unnecessarily. This definitely helps me feel more confident about completing my daughter's FAFSA application correctly!

That's exactly right! You've got a good understanding of the rules now. Since neither transaction appears as taxable income on your tax return, you don't need to report them on FAFSA. One small tip for peace of mind: when you submit your FAFSA, make a note in your records about these transactions and keep your documentation handy (401k loan agreement, Roth IRA statements showing contribution history). That way if you do get selected for verification, you'll have everything ready to go and can quickly resolve any questions. Good luck with your daughter's financial aid application! The new FAFSA system can definitely be confusing, but you're handling it correctly.

Hey Isabella! I'm so glad this thread has been helpful for you - it's been incredible for me too! I'm in almost the exact same situation (psych degree, working in mental health, looking at CS for better financial stability) and reading everyone's experiences has been so reassuring. Regarding your question about UX/HCI programs with strong industry connections - I've been researching this too! From what I've found, schools like University of Washington, Carnegie Mellon, and Georgia Tech have particularly strong HCI programs with excellent industry partnerships. Even some state schools like UC San Diego and University of Michigan have great UX research tracks within their CS programs. The key seems to be looking for programs that specifically mention "human-computer interaction" or "user experience" in their course catalogs. As for imposter syndrome - I totally get that worry! But what's been so encouraging from this thread is hearing from people like @Debra Bai who are now working successfully in tech and finding their psych background to be a huge advantage. The research methods training we have is apparently exactly what companies need for UX research, product management, and even AI ethics roles. I've actually started doing some free coding tutorials on Codecademy to build confidence before applying to programs. It's helping me realize that the analytical thinking skills from psychology research actually translate really well to programming logic. Have you looked into any specific programs yet? I'd love to compare notes on what we're finding! This community has been such a game-changer for understanding that this transition is not only possible but really well-supported.

I'm in almost the exact same situation as you! Psychology degree from 2019 and about $25k in existing federal loans. I've been researching this extensively and can confirm what others have said - you CAN get federal loans for a second bachelor's degree up to your aggregate limits. The key things I've learned: - As an independent student, your lifetime limit is $57,500, so with $28k already used, you should have around $29k remaining - You'll need to select "1st Bachelor's Degree" on FAFSA (counterintuitive but correct) - Look for schools with dedicated post-baccalaureate advisors who understand second-degree students - Your psychology background is actually HUGE in tech right now - UX research, product management, and data analytics all value our research methods and human behavior expertise I just got accepted to a CS program and qualified for about $12k/year in federal loans. The financial aid office was super helpful once I got past the general advisors and spoke directly to someone who handles career changers regularly. Don't let the community college advisor's confusion discourage you - many schools actively recruit psychology majors for CS programs because we bring exactly the interdisciplinary perspective tech companies need. The transition from psychology to CS is way more common and supported than I initially realized!

As someone who just went through this nightmare myself, I can confirm the agent was completely wrong about device compatibility! I had the exact same freezing issue at the tax section on my MacBook Air, and it had nothing to do with Apple vs PC. After reading through all these responses, I tried the incognito mode trick in Safari and it worked perfectly. The real problem seems to be browser cache conflicts with their new system. Don't waste time borrowing someone else's computer - just try a different browser or incognito mode first. Also, if you're still stuck, manually entering the tax info instead of using the IRS retrieval tool is a solid backup plan. Good luck with your deadline!

Just want to chime in as another data point - I successfully completed my FAFSA on a Lenovo ThinkPad last month with zero issues! That agent definitely gave you wrong information. The problems you're experiencing are almost certainly related to the website's technical issues, not your device brand. I've also helped friends complete theirs on various devices (MacBook, Surface Pro, even an old Dell from 2018) and device brand was never a factor. The key things that actually matter are having an updated browser, stable internet connection, and sometimes just trying at different times of day when their servers aren't overloaded. Don't stress about needing to borrow a different computer - focus on the browser troubleshooting tips others have shared here!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm a first-generation college student going through this process and honestly had no idea how any of it worked. My parents and I were also waiting for some official notification from FAFSA and kept checking our email obsessively. It's such a relief to know that the "completed" status really does mean everything went through properly and that we're supposed to hear from the colleges directly. I wish they made this clearer on the FAFSA website - maybe just a simple message like "Your information has been sent to your schools. Check with each school's financial aid office for your aid package." Would save so much confusion! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

This whole thread has been so reassuring! I'm dealing with the exact same situation with my daughter - we got the "completed" status weeks ago but heard nothing until she randomly checked her college portal yesterday. I was starting to panic that we'd done something wrong or missed a deadline. It's crazy how the FAFSA system just leaves you hanging without any explanation of what happens next. Reading everyone's experiences here has been more helpful than any of the official resources I've found online. I especially appreciate the tip about checking studentaid.gov for the SAR report - I had no idea that existed! Now I feel much more confident about understanding her aid package and what steps to take next. Thank you all for sharing your stories and making the rest of us feel less alone in this confusing process!

Welcome to the nightmare club, Natasha! Your septic system failure sounds absolutely horrific - not being able to use toilets or run water with young kids is definitely a health emergency that required immediate action. That $9k withdrawal being counted as regular income combined with the gutted multiple-student benefit under the new formula perfectly explains your SAI doubling. Septic emergencies are typically very well-received by financial aid offices since they understand these are serious health and safety situations that can't be delayed. Make sure to include any health department notices (those carry a lot of weight!), emergency septic service calls, contractor documentation, and photos if you have them to really demonstrate the urgency and health risks involved. It's infuriating that responsible families who saved for retirement are being penalized for accessing those funds during legitimate health emergencies, but your case sounds very strong for professional judgment relief. The fact that you couldn't use basic household facilities with children in the home makes this exactly the type of unavoidable emergency that appeals were designed to address. Keep us posted on how your appeals go - there are so many families here dealing with similar emergency situations and we're all learning from each other's experiences!

I'm new to this community but experiencing the exact same devastating situation! Our SAI jumped from $8,100 to $16,400 even though our AGI barely changed. We have two kids in college and had to make an emergency $12k withdrawal from my husband's IRA last year when our main electrical panel failed and created a fire hazard - our electrician said we couldn't safely stay in the house until it was completely replaced. Reading through all these responses has been so enlightening - I was convinced we'd made some terrible error on our FAFSA, but now I understand it's the combination of that withdrawal being counted as regular income plus the dramatic reduction in benefits for multiple students under the new formula. It's incredibly frustrating that families who planned their college finances based on the old FAFSA system are now being penalized by these changes. I'm going to start gathering all our electrical emergency documentation, fire safety inspection reports, and contractor receipts to submit appeals to both schools. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and providing such detailed guidance on the appeal process - this thread has been more helpful than anything I could find through official channels! It gives me real hope that we can fight these inflated SAI numbers through professional judgment rather than just accepting this financial disaster.