Best FAFSA tutorial videos for parents? Official ones aren't helpful!

have u checked Khan Academy? they have some decent fafsa vids. not perfect but way better than the govt ones

As a college financial aid advisor, I recommend these resources: 1. The College Board has excellent parent-specific FAFSA tutorials that clearly explain the retirement and business ownership reporting (which don't count toward your SAI calculation if reported correctly) 2. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has detailed FAFSA videos - slightly technical but thorough 3. Many state higher education agencies have better tutorials than the federal ones Regarding your confirmation email delay - that's unfortunately common with the new system. If you don't receive it by day 5, you should contact FSA directly. Make sure to check your spam folder too!

I found that my daughter's university financial aid office had MUCH better tutorials on their website than the official FAFSA ones. Maybe check your kid's prospective schools?

Just a warning - be careful with random YouTube videos about FAFSA! My husband found one that seemed professional but gave completely wrong information about how to report our home equity and almost messed up our whole application. The video creator was secretly promoting a paid "FAFSA optimization service" that was sketchy. I ended up using videos from Iowa Student Loan (even though we're not in Iowa) because they were SUPER clear about parent responsibilities and how to report different types of assets. They even had specific sections on business ownership reporting!

Good luck gettin any1 from FAFSA to actually answer when u call!!! Been tryin for TWO WEEKS to fix my sons verification issues... busy signal or on hold for 3+ hours then disconnected EVERY TIME. This new system is a complete disaster!!!!!

Don't feel bad - I'm a CPA and even I got confused with some of the parent contribution sections of FAFSA! The instructions are terrible. My daughter's college financial aid night had much better explanations than any government materials. For assets like retirement accounts and small businesses, here are the basic rules: - Retirement accounts (401k, IRA, etc) are NOT reported on FAFSA - If your business has less than 100 employees, it's considered "small" and the value is NOT included in your assets - If you're a sole proprietor with 100+ employees, then you report the net value Hope that helps!

why r u waiting 4 a confirmation email??? u don't need it to continue - just log back in w/ ur saved username and password. the email is just a receipt basically

UPDATE: I just tried logging in without confirming my email and it worked! I'm able to continue with the application. Thanks for that tip - would have kept waiting otherwise!

For those looking for comprehensive FAFSA tutorials, I highly recommend checking out your state's 529 plan website. Many states have excellent parent-focused FAFSA guides that are more detailed than federal resources. For example, New York's 529 site has step-by-step videos that cover complex scenarios like business ownership and investment properties. Also, if you're still struggling with the business reporting after watching videos, consider scheduling a free consultation with a fee-only financial planner who specializes in college funding. Many offer 30-minute sessions specifically for FAFSA questions. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) has a directory where you can find qualified planners in your area. Good luck with your daughter's application!