FAFSA incorrectly calculated our pension income - how to dispute?

I've seen this happen several times with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The new system sometimes pulls the full pension/retirement account value instead of just the distribution amount. When you call FSA, specifically reference Box 1 and Box 2a on your 1099-R form, which shows the taxable distribution amount that should have been used. Also have your AGI from line 11 on your 1040 ready to confirm the correct total income. Make sure you request a recalculation of your SAI based on the correct income figures. They should be able to adjust it while you're on the call once they verify the information.

omg the exact same thing happened to my parents!!! FAFSA counted my dads whole 401k as income even tho he didnt even touch it last year lol. we tried calling but couldnt get thru to anyone for like a week.

yeah they finally got it fixed but it took forever. my mom had to call like 6 times before she got to someone who knew what they were talking about

I had to dispute an income calculation error with FAFSA last month. Here's what worked for me: 1. Call early in the morning (right when they open) 2. Have ALL your tax documents ready - specifically your 1040 and any 1099-R forms 3. Be extremely specific about which line items are incorrect 4. Ask for a case number and follow up via email 5. Request written confirmation when they make the correction It took about 3 weeks for the correction to appear in my daughter's SAI calculation, but it did eventually get fixed. The difference was about $9,000 in aid eligibility, so definitely worth pursuing.

In my case, they asked me to upload the relevant tax documents through the studentaid.gov portal after the call. There should be a section called "Upload Documents" in your dashboard. Make sure to reference your case number in any uploads.

THE NEW FAFSA SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN!!! I've seen at least a dozen posts about this pension/retirement calculation issue. The Department of Education rushed this system out with ZERO proper testing. And guess who pays the price? Families like yours who might miss out on thousands in aid because of THEIR mistakes. Don't let them tell you it's going to take weeks to fix either. They are required by law to correct verified errors within 10 business days. Make sure you document EVERYTHING.

I've been trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid for 3 days about a similar issue with my retirement income being miscalculated. Never got through once, just endless holds and disconnects. Someone in my office recommended using Claimyr.com when dealing with FAFSA phone issues. It basically holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is ready. I was skeptical but it actually worked - got through in about 35 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I got through, they were able to fix the retirement income issue pretty quickly. Just make sure you have your specific tax form lines ready to reference.

Yes, there is a fee, but considering I wasted hours trying to get through before, it was worth it to me. Just having someone actually answer the phone and fix my issue saved me thousands in potential financial aid.

i had similar problem but with rental property income. fafsa counted the entire property value as yearly income lol. took 3 calls but they fixed it eventually. my advise is dont take no for answer, if first person seems confused ask for supervisor

One more thing to keep in mind - if your child's college financial aid office is aware of this issue, they may be able to make a professional judgment adjustment on their end, even before FAFSA corrects the error. It's worth contacting them directly as well.

My mom's friend works in financial aid and she says these retirement account errors are super common with the new FAFSA. She said they're training college financial aid officers to look specifically for this issue because the federal system messes it up so much.

UPDATE: Finally got through to FSA this morning! The agent confirmed they incorrectly pulled the full pension value instead of just our distribution. They're correcting our SAI calculation and said it should update within 3-5 business days. I also contacted my daughter's school's financial aid office like someone suggested here, and they're going to review our package once the correction goes through. Thank you all for your help!

Yes! They gave me a case number and also sent an email confirmation of the changes. The financial aid officer at my daughter's school said these pension calculation errors are happening a lot this year, so they're processing adjustments pretty quickly once the corrected SAI comes through.

So glad you got it resolved, Liam! This gives me hope for my own situation. I'm dealing with a similar issue where FAFSA counted my husband's entire IRA balance as income instead of just the required minimum distribution we actually took. Did you have to provide any specific documentation beyond your 1099-R, or was the phone conversation enough to get the correction started? I'm preparing to call them next week and want to make sure I have everything ready.