schools should just move ALL the deadlines cuz of how bad fafsa is this year. so stupid to make kids commit without knowing if they can afford it. my daughter picked her safety school just cuz we KNOW we can afford it without aid, even tho she got into better schools. the whole thing is making me so mad!!

One more piece of advice - make sure you document ALL communication with both Federal Student Aid and the schools' financial aid offices. Get names of who you speak with, dates, and what was discussed. If there's a dispute later about deadlines or why you couldn't commit by May 1, having this documentation will be crucial. Many schools are creating exception processes for this unusual year.

just make sure she keeps her grades up at CC!!! my neighbors kid had bad grades when transfering and didn't qualify for some scholarship money at the university. the GPA follows u!!!!

One additional tip - make sure your daughter talks to academic advisors at BOTH the community college AND her target university during her first semester. Many universities have specific transfer agreements with community colleges that guarantee admission if certain requirements are met. They can also provide a transfer course equivalency guide to ensure the classes she takes at community college will count toward her business degree requirements. This early planning can save time and money by preventing her from taking classes that won't transfer or won't count toward her major. Some universities even have scholarships specifically for transfer students with good GPAs from partner community colleges.

One last bit of advice: make sure your son uses the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing his portion of the FAFSA. Even with a simple W-2 situation, this tool can help ensure the income information is transferred accurately. If he filed his own taxes for 2023 (even if his father claimed him as a dependent), the DRT will make the process much smoother.

Yes, if he didn't file taxes, you'll need to manually enter his W-2 information. Keep his W-2 handy when completing the FAFSA. You'll need to enter the exact amount from Box 1 (Wages, tips, other compensation). Since he didn't file taxes, the IRS Data Retrieval Tool won't be available for his portion. Just be sure to answer the question about filing taxes accurately by indicating he was not required to file a 2023 tax return.

For the spouse info page glitch - I actually remembered one more thing that might help. When we had this issue, we also tried using the mobile app version instead of the website. For some reason the app worked when the website kept glitching. Worth a try if the browser switch doesn't help!

Regarding the FAFSA technical issue, if all the browser solutions and app attempts fail, I strongly recommend requesting what's called a "FAFSA Reset" when you finally reach someone at Federal Student Aid. This is where they administratively reset certain sections of your application without losing all your data. It's not widely advertised but can resolve persistent section glitches. Also, for documentation of the upcoming layoff for your Professional Judgment reviews, you'll typically need: 1. Official layoff notice on company letterhead 2. Last 2-3 pay stubs before notification 3. Statement of unemployment benefits eligibility 4. Brief narrative explaining your single-income household situation 5. Monthly budget projection as mentioned earlier Each school has their own form, but having these documents ready will speed up the process significantly.

This is a documented issue with the FAFSA system that happens when: 1. A parent previously created their own FSA ID for their education 2. A parent and student used the same email address at any point 3. There was a prior FAFSA correction that created database conflicts The most efficient solution is to perform a complete account reset: 1. Both parent and student should create brand new email addresses 2. Call the FSA ID helpline at 1-800-433-3243 3. Request an "SSN disassociation process" specifically 4. Mention "cross-reference code 156" which indicates an SSN linkage problem 5. After they process this (usually 24-72 hours), create new FSA IDs with your new emails 6. Do NOT attempt any logins during the waiting period This specific process has worked for many families I've advised through my college planning practice.

UPDATE: Success finally! Wanted to share what worked in case anyone else faces this nightmare. Used the advice from several people here: 1. Called early morning (8:30am) and specifically asked for someone who could handle an "SSN disassociation process" and mentioned "cross-reference code 156" 2. Created completely new email addresses for both of us 3. Used Claimyr to avoid the 2-hour hold times (definitely worth it after wasting so many hours previously) 4. Got transferred to a specialist who confirmed it was because I had my own FSA ID from when I took classes years ago 5. They did a complete reset on both accounts and we had to wait 48 hours 6. We created new FSA IDs with our new emails and everything works now! My daughter's FAFSA is finally submitted! Thank you to everyone who helped - this forum saved us!