FAFSA for US citizen studying abroad - urgent help for parent without SSN

Deep breath! You can absolutely get this done. My son was in a similar situation (US citizen in South Korea). Here's what you need to know: 1. FSA IDs: You AND your daughter each need separate FSA IDs with separate email addresses. Don't try to share - the system will reject it. 2. Non-SSN parent: There's a specific option for this! When creating your FSA ID, you'll indicate you don't have an SSN. The system will still create an account for you, but verification works differently. You'll need to print a signature page at the end of the FAFSA to physically sign. 3. Verification time: For your daughter with a US SSN, usually 1-3 days. For you without an SSN, the account creates instantly, but you'll need to complete that signature page process. 4. Physical forms: Yes, for international filers without SSNs, you still need to mail the signature page. This is one part that hasn't changed with the new FAFSA. Use a courier service that provides tracking. 5. Priority deadlines: You're cutting it close but not doomed. Start TODAY, and you can get the FSA IDs set up by tomorrow. The actual FAFSA itself takes about 30-45 minutes once you have the IDs. The physical signature page may arrive after deadlines, but many schools will accept applications marked as "processing" if you email their financial aid office explaining your international situation.

ur daughter has 2 make her OWN fsa id with her own email!! dont share!! my cousin tried to do that and it was a MESS. took like 3 extra weeks to fix everything

I just went through this entire process with my son who's a US citizen but we've lived in Germany for 12 years. Here's what worked for us with the new FAFSA: 1. Create FSA IDs ASAP - my son's verified in 2 days, mine (without SSN) was instant but required the signature page 2. For non-SSN parents: When you start the FAFSA, there's now an option that says "Parent does not have SSN" - select this 3. For foreign tax returns: You'll need to convert your income to USD using the official exchange rate from the day you filed your taxes. Save documentation of this conversion. 4. For priority deadlines: Contact each school's financial aid office IMMEDIATELY via email. Explain your international situation. Most will give you some flexibility if you've at least created the FAFSA account and started the process before their deadline. 5. Mail time: We sent our signature page from Germany via DHL and it took 9 days to arrive. FROM SINGAPORE, I'd estimate 10-14 days minimum. One more tip - take screenshots of EVERYTHING. The new FAFSA system has had glitches for international filers. Having proof of your attempts and completion steps has been helpful when working with financial aid offices.

When i was doing my fafsa (i'm american but my dad isnt and has no SSN) we had to wait FOREVER to get help from anyone at the education department. wasted like 3 weeks just trying to figure out how to do the signature thing. might help u to call them directly but good luck actually getting through lol

DON'T PANIC about missing priority deadlines!!! I work at a university financial aid office. The truth most schools won't tell you: many priority deadlines are soft deadlines. The REAL priority for international students/families is demonstrating that you ATTEMPTED to complete the FAFSA before the deadline. Email each school's financial aid office TODAY with: 1. Your daughter's application ID number 2. Brief explanation of your international situation 3. Timeline of when you started the FAFSA process 4. Expected completion date Most schools have funds reserved specifically for international situations, but you MUST be proactive in communicating with them. The worst thing you can do is remain silent and hope they understand.

My daughter is at Cornell and we had to do similar international filing. The tax conversion is what tripped us up the most. Make sure you use the Treasury Dept's official currency exchange rate for the day you filed your taxes. If you did quarterly tax payments, each needs its own conversion rate. Super annoying but they check this stuff during verification!!

Update on timelines since you asked: For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, current processing times for international mailed signature pages are running about 3-4 weeks from receipt (not counting mail time). This is longer than usual because of all the issues with the new FAFSA rollout. Here's what I recommend for your situation specifically: 1. Complete the online portion of the FAFSA immediately (tonight if possible) 2. Use DHL/FedEx/UPS for the signature page - NOT regular mail 3. Select the "tracking" option and pay for the fastest service you can afford 4. Email each school's financial aid office with the tracking number once sent 5. Follow up with schools weekly until you confirm they've processed your application One small silver lining: For some schools, international students who demonstrate financial need sometimes have access to specialized funding sources that aren't as time-sensitive as the general financial aid pool. Make sure to ask each school specifically about this possibility.

Isabella, I completely understand your panic - I went through this exact situation last year when my daughter applied from Dubai! The stress is real, but you CAN get this done. A few additional tips that haven't been mentioned yet: **For FSA ID verification without SSN:** When you create your FSA ID as a non-SSN parent, you'll get an email confirmation immediately, but your account will show "pending verification" until they receive your signature page. Your daughter can still start and complete most of the FAFSA while your verification is pending. **Banking information:** Make sure you have your Singapore bank account details ready in the exact format the FAFSA expects. International account numbers sometimes cause system errors, so have screenshots of your bank statements showing the account number formatting. **Emergency contact strategy:** Create a Google doc with all your FAFSA information (FSA IDs, confirmation numbers, tracking numbers, etc.) that you can access from anywhere. Share it with a trusted family member in the US who can help follow up with schools if needed. **Time zone advantage:** Use Singapore's time zone to your advantage! When US financial aid offices open (their morning), it's evening for you. Plan to be available for phone calls during their business hours. You mentioned March 1st and 10th deadlines - if you start the FSA IDs tonight, you can realistically have the online portion submitted by this weekend. The physical signature will arrive later, but as others mentioned, most schools work with you on this timing. You've got this! The fact that you're being so proactive already puts you ahead of many applicants.