Can't change tax filing status from 'Married Filing Jointly' to 'Separately' on FAFSA after uploading returns
I'm freaking out because I think I messed up our FAFSA application. I selected 'married filing jointly' and uploaded our tax returns, but just realized my spouse and I actually filed SEPARATELY last year. When I try to go back and change the filing status, the system won't let me edit it! I haven't submitted the final application yet, but it seems locked on that screen. Has anyone dealt with this? Will this completely mess up our SAI calculation? My daughter's college deadlines are coming up and I'm worried this will delay everything.
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Freya Pedersen
omg the same thing happened to me! the FAFSA website is SO frustrating. I ended up having to delete the whole application and start over. took me like 3 hours.
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Ravi Gupta
•Seriously? Delete the WHOLE application? That's like 2 weeks of gathering documents and answering questions. There has to be another way...
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Omar Hassan
You don't need to start over completely. There should be a 'Reset Tax Information' button somewhere on the tax section. It's not very obvious - I think it's at the bottom of the page in small text. That will let you clear just the tax information without losing all your other data. The FAFSA system locks certain fields after you've entered verified data, but that reset option should be available until final submission.
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Ravi Gupta
•Thank you! I'll look for that reset button. Is there any chance this could affect my daughter's SAI score? We make about the same income either way, but I'm not sure if the calculation is different for separate filers.
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Omar Hassan
•Yes, filing status can potentially affect your SAI calculation. The FAFSA formula treats married filing separately differently than joint returns in some cases. It's important to have it correct, especially if you have multiple children in college or qualify for certain income-driven provisions. Make sure you upload both tax returns after resetting.
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Chloe Anderson
I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM!! The stupid FAFSA system is designed to make everything as difficult as possible!!! I called the Federal Student Aid helpline about it and sat on hold for TWO HOURS only to get disconnected. Ended up having to restart my entire application. This is why so many students miss out on financial aid.
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Diego Vargas
•Just FYI - if you need to actually talk to someone at Federal Student Aid about this issue, try using Claimyr.com. It kept my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - saved me so much frustration last week when I had an issue with my daughter's verification process.
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Chloe Anderson
•OMG thank you for this! I have to call them again about something else and was dreading the wait. Will definitely check this out.
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CosmicCruiser
I think this is a common glitch with the new FAFSA. What browser are you using? Some people have reported that the reset function only works properly in Chrome or Edge, not Safari. Also, try accessing it from a computer rather than your phone if you've been doing it that way.
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Ravi Gupta
•I'm using Firefox on my laptop. I'll try switching to Chrome. Thanks for the tip!
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Anastasia Fedorov
I work in a financial aid office, and this is actually a very common issue with the redesigned FAFSA. The tax information section is designed to prevent tampering once data is transferred, but they didn't account well for correction scenarios. Here's what you should do: 1. Look for the "Reset Tax Information" option at the bottom of the page 2. If you can't find it, try logging out completely and logging back in 3. If that doesn't work, clear your browser cache 4. As a last resort, call FSA at 1-800-433-3243 Don't start over completely - that can sometimes trigger verification flags. And don't worry too much about deadlines - most schools understand the FAFSA issues this year and have some flexibility.
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Ravi Gupta
•Thank you so much for these detailed steps! I tried your suggestion about logging out and back in, and now I can see the reset option. You saved me so much stress. One more question - will I need to re-upload both our tax returns separately after I fix this?
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Anastasia Fedorov
•Yes, you'll need to upload both tax returns separately after resetting. Make sure both are complete returns with all schedules. The system should prompt you for both after you select "Married Filing Separately" status. Glad the logout trick worked for you!
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Sean Doyle
this is y i tell my kids 2 just apply to community college... no FAFSA drama lol... but srsly have u tried looking at youtube tutorials? theres some good ones on fixing FAFSA mistakes
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Ravi Gupta
•Community college is definitely less paperwork! But my daughter has her heart set on a 4-year university. I didn't think about YouTube tutorials though - that's a good idea.
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Ravi Gupta
UPDATE: I followed the advice about logging out and back in, and found the reset option! I was able to change our filing status to separate and upload both returns. Thanks everyone for your help! For anyone with the same problem, the reset option is at the very bottom of the page in tiny gray text. Easy to miss!
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CosmicCruiser
•Glad you got it fixed! One additional tip - take screenshots of your confirmation pages at each step. The new FAFSA system has been known to lose information sometimes, so having those screenshots can save you if you need to prove you submitted something correctly.
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Freya Pedersen
•congrats! way easier than starting over lol. did u get ur SAI score yet? mine took forever to calculate
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Hailey O'Leary
So glad to see you got this resolved! This is actually a really helpful thread for anyone dealing with FAFSA tax filing status issues. The new system definitely has some quirks that aren't immediately obvious. For future reference, I'd also recommend checking your Student Aid Report (SAR) carefully once it's generated to make sure all the tax information transferred correctly after making changes like this. Sometimes the system can carry over old data even after a reset. Hope your daughter's financial aid package works out well!
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Sofia Price
•This is such great advice about checking the SAR! I'm new to all this FAFSA stuff and honestly didn't even know what a Student Aid Report was until I started reading through these threads. It's so helpful to see everyone sharing their experiences - makes me feel less alone in navigating this process. Quick question though - how long does it usually take for the SAR to be available after you submit? My daughter is a high school senior and we're trying to figure out the timeline for everything.
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