FAFSA treating deceased spouse's pension rollover as income - need help with appeal process

OMG I'm so sorry for your loss! This system is so BROKEN!! When my mom passed during my FAFSA application year the financial aid office acted like they never heard of death before!! Had me jumping through 500 hoops and STILL calculated everything wrong. So frustrating!!

First, I'm very sorry for your loss. You're actually dealing with two separate issues here: 1. The FAFSA itself is currently using your 2023 tax return data which includes your late husband's income. 2. What the financial aid counselor is referring to is a "Professional Judgment" (PJ) request, which is handled by each individual school, not by FAFSA directly. You don't need to wait for any special FAFSA appeal process. Instead, contact your son's financial aid office directly and ask about their Professional Judgment process for special circumstances like death of a spouse. They'll have you submit documentation showing your current income situation without your husband's income. Each school handles this differently, but they typically require: - Death certificate - Current pay stubs showing your income only - Documentation of the pension rollover showing it wasn't actual income - A written statement explaining the change in circumstances This won't change your FAFSA or SAI directly, but the school can adjust their aid offer based on your actual financial situation.

my cousins wife had same issue last year. they made her provide tons of paperwork but eventually fixed it. just be prepared for LOTS of forms lol good luck

You should definately get the professional judgement review like they said. My situation was different (parent lost job) but the process took FOREVER and was super stressfull. But get started on it right away, don't wait! The schools sometimes run out of their aid funds if you wait to long.

I work in financial aid, and I can confirm that what you need is called a Professional Judgment (PJ) review, which is done by each individual school, not through FAFSA directly. A few important points to understand: 1. Your FAFSA will continue to show the joint tax data, and that won't change. What changes is how the school interprets that data for their aid calculations. 2. For the pension rollover specifically, you need to document that this was a rollover and not income. IRS Publication 590-A covers this - qualified rollovers aren't taxable income. Make sure you have documentation showing the rollover transaction. 3. Each school has different forms and processes for PJ reviews. Some call it "Special Circumstances Review" or "Income Adjustment Request." 4. This is time-sensitive! Most schools have limited funds for professional judgment adjustments, and these are often first-come, first-served. Be persistent and document everything. If you have multiple schools, you'll need to do this process separately with each one.

Sorry to hear about your situation. I had a similar issue with reaching the financial aid office to discuss a special circumstance last year. After spending DAYS trying to get through on the phone, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with a real person. They have a service that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me so much frustration and I was able to explain my situation directly to someone who could help. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ For your specific situation though, like others said, this is definitely a Professional Judgment case that each school handles differently. Make sure to find out exactly what documentation they need before submitting anything.

This whole system is INSANE! When my dad died they still counted his income AND they counted his life insurance payout as income even though most of it went to pay off house debt!!! I had to appeal TWICE and it took like 4 months to get fixed. Start the process NOW don't wait!!!

Make sure you use the exact term 'Professional Judgment Request' when talking to the financial aid office. It helps them know exactly what you need. And yes, bring ALL documents even if they don't ask for them specifically.

Update: I spoke with the financial aid office today and requested their Professional Judgment forms. They're sending me a packet that includes sections for documenting the pension rollover and my current income. Thank you all SO much for your help and guidance. I feel much more confident now that I understand the process better, even though I know there's still a lot of paperwork ahead. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

I'm so glad you were able to get the process started! Just wanted to add one more tip that really helped me when I went through a similar Professional Judgment review - make sure to write a detailed cover letter explaining your situation in your own words along with all the forms and documentation. The financial aid officers are human beings, and sometimes a personal explanation of how your circumstances have changed can really help them understand the full picture beyond just the numbers on paper. You've got this! Rooting for you and your son.

I'm so sorry for your loss and what you're going through right now. This situation is unfortunately more common than it should be, and the system really doesn't handle these life changes well automatically. Just wanted to add a few things that might help as you go through the Professional Judgment process: 1. Ask the financial aid office about their typical timeline - some schools can process these in 2-3 weeks while others take much longer, especially during busy seasons. 2. If your son is applying to multiple schools, you'll need to do this process separately with each one. The good news is that once you have all your documentation organized for the first school, you can use the same paperwork for the others. 3. Don't be discouraged if they ask for additional documentation after your initial submission - this is normal and doesn't mean your request will be denied. 4. Keep detailed records of every conversation, email, and submission. Get names and reference numbers when possible. The stress of dealing with financial aid on top of grieving is incredibly difficult, but you're doing everything right by advocating for your son. Hang in there!