I just wanted to chime in as someone who's been working in financial aid at a California community college for the past 5 years. Your SAI of $20,000 is definitely workable, especially in California's system! One thing I don't think anyone mentioned yet is the Cal Grant program - with your family income of $85k and an SAI around $20k, you might still qualify for Cal Grant B, which provides a living allowance even if you don't get the tuition portion. It's not huge (around $1,600), but every bit helps. Also, since you mentioned your parents are helping your older sister too, make sure that's reflected accurately in your FAFSA household size and number in college. Having two kids in college simultaneously should help your aid eligibility quite a bit. One more tip from the trenches: if you end up at a CSU, they often have "last dollar" institutional grants that fill in gaps after all other aid is applied. These aren't well-advertised but can make a real difference. Don't be afraid to ask your financial aid office about them! Your stress is totally understandable, but you're definitely going to have options. The California system really does try to make college accessible for families like yours.

As someone who just went through this exact same process last year, I wanted to share some encouragement! I had an SAI of $19,800 and was completely panicking when I first saw that number. Like you, I thought it meant I'd get basically no aid and would be drowning in debt. But here's what actually happened: I ended up at UC Santa Cruz with about $5,200 in Middle Class Scholarship funds, $3,500 in subsidized loans, and a $1,000 institutional grant. Plus I got a work-study position that brings in about $2,800 per year. My total out-of-pocket cost ended up being way more manageable than I expected. The biggest game-changer was realizing that California really does have your back as a middle-class student. The MCS program is legit, and most schools have additional institutional aid that kicks in at SAI levels higher than federal programs. Also, don't sleep on private scholarships - I applied to probably 30 small ones and ended up getting $2,500 total from random local organizations. Your $85k family income with two kids in college actually puts you in a decent spot for aid. Just make sure your FAFSA accurately reflects having two students enrolled simultaneously - that should help quite a bit. You've got this!

This has been such an informative thread! As another parent with a Class of 2025 student, I was also confused about the tax year requirements. Reading through everyone's experiences has really clarified things for me. One thing I'd like to add is that it's worth checking if your state has its own financial aid application with different deadlines. Some states have their own grant programs that require separate applications, and the deadlines can be earlier than federal aid deadlines. I almost missed our state's deadline because I was so focused on the federal FAFSA timeline. Also, for parents who are divorced or separated, make sure you understand which parent needs to provide tax information for the FAFSA. The rules around this can be complex, especially if custody arrangements or living situations have changed since 2023. It's worth clarifying this early to avoid delays when the application opens. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - this community has been incredibly helpful for navigating this process!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also dealing with this for my daughter who's starting college in Fall 2025. I was so confused about the tax year requirements and kept going in circles trying to figure it out. It's such a relief to know it's definitely the 2023 tax returns we'll need. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who have been through this process, how long does it typically take to complete the FAFSA once you have all your documents ready? I'm trying to plan out my timeline for when it opens in December. Should I expect to spend a few hours on it, or is it something I can knock out in 30 minutes if I'm well-prepared? Also, I noticed several people mentioned the IRS Data Retrieval Tool - is this something that automatically pulls your tax information, or do you still need to have your tax documents handy as backup? Just trying to understand the best way to prepare so I can file as early as possible in December.

Just wanted to add a helpful tip from my experience last year - if you have complicated investments like you mentioned, consider having your tax preparer create a summary sheet of all the schedules and forms you'll need for FAFSA. When I was filling out my son's application, I kept having to flip between different pages of our tax return to find specific line items the FAFSA was asking for. Having everything organized in advance made the process much smoother, especially since the new system can be glitchy and you don't want to spend extra time hunting for information while the application might time out on you.

Great advice about the summary sheet! Another tip I'd add is to make copies of your 2023 tax return and all schedules before you start the FAFSA application. I learned this the hard way when my computer crashed halfway through filling out my daughter's FAFSA last year and I had to start over. Having physical copies meant I could continue on a different device without having to dig through files again. Also, if you're like me and your spouse handles different parts of the finances, make sure both of you know where all the tax documents are stored - you never know who might end up being available to complete the application when it opens in October.

I went through this exact same worry when I submitted my FAFSA earlier this year! The good news is that the electronic system really does work automatically. Once your FAFSA is fully processed (you'll see your SAI appear on studentaid.gov), schools receive what's called an ISIR (Institutional Student Information Record) through the federal database within just a few days. Here's what helped me stay calm: I made a simple checklist with all 8 of my schools and checked their financial aid portals about 10 days after my FAFSA was processed. Most had already received and logged my information. For the couple that hadn't updated their portals yet, I sent quick emails to their financial aid offices and got confirmation within a day or two. The key thing to remember is that this system processes millions of applications every year - it's designed to be reliable and automatic. You don't need to send anything additional to the schools. Just make sure you have screenshots of your submission confirmation and relax knowing that the data transmission happens behind the scenes without any action needed from you!

Hey Sean! I totally understand your anxiety - I felt the exact same way when I submitted mine a few months ago. The system really is automated though! Once your FAFSA shows "processed" status with your SAI calculated on studentaid.gov, the schools automatically receive your data through something called the Central Processing System (CPS) within 3-5 business days. What really helped calm my nerves was knowing that this electronic transmission happens for literally millions of students every year - it's a well-established system that the Department of Education and colleges rely on. You don't need to mail anything or contact schools directly about receiving your FAFSA. One tip: about a week after your FAFSA shows as processed, you can log into each school's financial aid portal (or call their financial aid office) to confirm they've received your information. Most schools are really responsive about confirming receipt if you ask. Also, don't stress about application deadlines vs FAFSA deadlines - they're completely separate! As long as you meet each school's FAFSA priority deadline (which is usually much later than application deadlines), you'll be considered for full financial aid. You're being proactive by submitting now, which is great!

This entire thread is gold! As someone who works in a high school guidance office, I see this DRT issue constantly during FAFSA season. I'm definitely going to compile these troubleshooting steps into a handout for our students. The incognito browser trick, clearing cache/cookies, checking parent FSA ID login status, and that Claimyr service for getting through to FSA - these are all solutions I wish I had known about sooner. It's ridiculous that the official FAFSA help resources don't clearly outline these common fixes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - you're helping way more students than you probably realize!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently a college freshman and went through this exact same nightmare last year. The FAFSA system really needs better error messaging - it's crazy that students have to play detective just to figure out why a basic feature isn't working. I ended up having to manually enter everything because I couldn't get the DRT to work no matter what I tried. One thing I'd add for future students reading this - if you do have to enter tax info manually, triple check every number because any mistakes can delay your aid processing for weeks. Also, keep copies of all the tax documents you reference so if you get selected for verification later, you have everything ready. The whole process is stressful enough without these technical glitches making it worse!