After reading through all the responses, I think you've gotten good advice. To summarize: 1. Pell Grants generally don't need to be repaid if you complete your courses and take a break between semesters 2. Always check with your financial aid office about your specific situation 3. Be aware of any state or institutional grants that might have different rules 4. When you return, file a new FAFSA for that academic year 5. Maintain SAP requirements (GPA, completion rate) 6. Keep track of your Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) - the current limit is the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters Wishing you the best with your nursing program when you return!

Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - if you're planning to return to the same community college after your break, consider reaching out to your academic advisor as well as financial aid. They can help you plan your return timeline around application deadlines for the nursing program and make sure you don't miss any important dates. Some nursing programs only accept students once or twice a year, so timing your return properly could save you from having to wait even longer to start the program. Also, they might be able to put you in touch with other students who took breaks and successfully returned - it's more common than you think! Good luck with everything and I hope your family situation improves soon.

UPDATE: IT WORKED! I followed the advice about checking account roles and discovered I only had "Student" enabled. After adding the "Parent" role, logging out completely, and using the fresh invitation link my son sent, I was able to access his FAFSA as a contributor! Currently finishing up my section now. Thank you all so much for your help!

Great to see this got resolved! This account role issue is definitely something more families need to know about. For anyone else reading this thread who might encounter the same problem, it's worth noting that if you completed college courses even briefly in the past and created an FSA ID, your account defaults to "Student" role only. The system doesn't automatically recognize when you need parent contributor access too. Austin's solution of manually adding the "Parent" role in Account Settings should be the first troubleshooting step for parents who previously attended college themselves. This could save a lot of frustration for other families dealing with the new FAFSA system!

One other tip - take screenshots of your submission confirmation page after you submit your FAFSA. I had an issue where one of my schools claimed they never received my FAFSA information even though I definitely added their code. Having proof of submission with all school codes listed saved me a major headache.

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can't stress enough how important it is to add ALL your potential schools right from the start! I made the mistake of only adding my "safe" schools initially because I wasn't confident about getting into my reach schools. Big mistake - by the time I added my dream school after getting accepted, they had already awarded most of their need-based grants to students who had their FAFSA information earlier. The good news is that you can definitely manage and update your school list after submission. Just remember that each time you make changes, it takes a few days for schools to receive the updated information. So if you're on the fence about a school, just add it now - you can always remove it later if you decide not to apply or attend. Also, don't stress too much about the order unless you're applying for state aid. Most federal aid is the same regardless of how you list your schools. Good luck with your applications!

One other important consideration: If your daughter will be completing her undergraduate degree in May and starting her Masters program in Fall 2025, she'll need to submit the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The application should be available October 1, 2024, and I'd recommend completing it as early as possible. Also, some graduate programs have supplemental financial aid forms beyond the FAFSA (like the CSS Profile for certain private institutions). She should check with each program's financial aid office about any additional requirements. Many graduate programs also have merit-based scholarships with separate applications and earlier deadlines.

Just wanted to add that your daughter should also look into graduate assistantships early in the application process! Many programs offer TA (teaching assistant) or RA (research assistant) positions that can cover tuition and provide a small stipend. These are often more competitive than regular admissions, so she'll want to mention her interest in assistantships in her application materials and reach out to potential faculty advisors. Some programs automatically consider all applicants for assistantships, while others require separate applications with earlier deadlines. The funding landscape varies dramatically between programs and universities, so it's worth having detailed conversations with each program's graduate coordinator about available opportunities.

Thank you everyone for the helpful answers! I'm going to go ahead and submit my FAFSA next week after my big bills are paid, just so I feel better about the number I'm reporting. Even though it seems like it won't make a huge difference, I'd rather report something that better reflects my actual financial situation. I'll also make sure to double-check all the income information since that seems to be what really matters.

Good plan! Just make sure you don't wait too long - some states have early FAFSA deadlines and you want to submit as soon as possible after October 1st to maximize your chances for state aid and institutional aid that's awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. A week shouldn't hurt, but don't let perfect be the enemy of good. The peace of mind you'll get from reporting a more typical balance is probably worth the small delay!