FAFSA without parent tax returns - disabled veteran income reporting issue

You'll need to select the "Will Not File" option for your tax filing status. The new FAFSA still requires you to report your untaxed income, including VA disability benefits. You'll need to manually enter these amounts in the untaxed income section. Have your VA benefit statements ready to document your income source. Since you're now in a separate household from your daughter's other parent, only your financial information is required unless you've remarried. The system will ask about household size and other financial details beyond just tax returns.

my son and i went thru this EXACT situation last yr!! VA disability isnt taxable so u dont need tax forms but they still count it as income on the FAFSA!!!! its SO confusing and the website kept glitching when we tried to submit without tax info. took FOREVER to get anyone on the phone who understood our situation

If you're struggling to reach someone at Federal Student Aid about this specific situation, I highly recommend using Claimyr.com. I was in a similar position with untaxed income questions and spent days trying to get through. Claimyr got me connected to an FSA agent in about 20 minutes who helped me understand exactly how to report my disability income on the FAFSA. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - totally worth it for complicated situations like yours where you need to speak with someone directly.

The 2025-2026 FAFSA specifically addresses non-taxable income like VA disability. When you select "Will Not File" for tax filing status, you'll be prompted to enter untaxed income. Enter your VA disability benefits in the "Untaxed income" section, not in the earned income section. Make sure you have the following ready: - VA benefit award letters showing monthly amount - Documentation of your separate household status - Proof of other expenses like housing costs Also, your SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) calculation will include your untaxed benefits, but they're counted differently than taxable income. If you get selected for verification, you'll need to provide your VA award letter and a non-filing verification from the IRS (you can request this online).

Ugh the FAFSA is SO BROKEN for military families!! My husband is also a disabled vet and we had to call like 7 times before someone could explain how to enter his VA disability correctly. The whole system is designed for people with normal W-2 jobs and regular tax returns. And then they wonder why military kids don't apply for aid!

One important thing to note: VA disability benefits are considered untaxed income on the FAFSA, but they're weighted differently in the SAI formula than taxable income. About 50% of your untaxed income will be counted in the SAI calculation versus up to 47% of taxable income (depending on income brackets). Also, if you're receiving VA disability at a rating of 100%, make sure your daughter also checks with individual colleges about their Yellow Ribbon programs or other veteran dependent scholarships - many schools offer additional aid that isn't part of the federal formula.

Sorry if this is off-topic but has anyone had luck getting the disability documentation requirements waived? My son has had to submit the same paperwork for 3 years in a row even though my disability status never changes. It's exhausting having to gather the same documentation every single time.

DONT FORGET that if your income situation has changed drastically since the tax year they're using, you can file for a professional judgment review!!! This is SUPER important for disability cases where your income might have suddenly dropped. You'll need to contact each financial aid office separately though - the FAFSA itself doesn't have this option. Each school handles these differently.

does anyone know if the VA disability affects pell grant eligibility?? my nephew got denied even tho his mom is 100% disabled vet and they dont have much money. something about the disability counting more than regular income?

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I've gathered my VA award letters and requested a non-filing verification from the IRS just in case. I'll make sure to carefully report everything in the untaxed income sections and explain our household change situation clearly. My daughter is also going to check with each college about veteran dependent scholarships. Really appreciate all the insights from others who've navigated this confusing process!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed experiences about navigating FAFSA with disability income. I'm in a similar situation with my daughter starting college next year, and I'm a disabled veteran receiving VA compensation. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about the "Will Not File" option and how VA benefits are counted as untaxed income. I had no idea about the professional judgment review option either, which could be really important for our family. It's reassuring to know there are others who understand how confusing this process can be for military families. I'll definitely be bookmarking this thread and following the advice about gathering documentation early. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space to share information!

Welcome to the community, Chloe! I'm so glad you found this thread helpful. As another veteran parent, I completely understand how overwhelming the FAFSA process can feel when your situation doesn't fit the "normal" boxes. One thing I'd add to all the great advice already shared - make sure to keep detailed records of all your communications with financial aid offices. I learned the hard way that different representatives sometimes give conflicting information, so having everything documented helps you stay consistent. Also, don't hesitate to reach out here if you run into any snags during the process - this community has been invaluable for navigating these challenges. Good luck with your daughter's college applications!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this thread incredibly valuable! My husband is a disabled veteran receiving VA compensation, and we're just starting the FAFSA process for our daughter who's a junior in high school. I had no idea about the "Will Not File" option or how VA disability benefits are treated differently in the SAI calculation. The tip about requesting the IRS non-filing verification letter early is particularly helpful - I'm going to do that right away so we're not scrambling later. It's also reassuring to know there are services like Claimyr if we can't get through to FSA directly. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive environment for families dealing with these unique situations. I feel much more prepared to navigate this process now!

As someone new to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for all the detailed information shared here! My situation is very similar - I'm a disabled veteran with VA compensation and no taxable income, and my son will be starting college next fall. I had been completely overwhelmed trying to figure out how to handle the FAFSA without tax returns, but this thread has been a goldmine of practical advice. The explanation about selecting "Will Not File" and entering VA benefits as untaxed income makes so much sense now. I'm also relieved to learn about the professional judgment review option, since our financial reality doesn't always match what the formulas calculate. I'll definitely be following everyone's advice about gathering documentation early and keeping detailed records. It's so reassuring to connect with other military families who truly understand these unique challenges. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative space!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for finding such a comprehensive discussion about FAFSA challenges for veteran families! I'm a disabled veteran receiving VA compensation, and my daughter will be applying for college aid soon. This thread has been incredibly enlightening - I had no idea about the "Will Not File" option or that VA disability benefits should be reported as untaxed income rather than regular income. The detailed explanations about SAI calculations and the differences in how untaxed income is weighted compared to taxable income are particularly valuable. I'm also grateful to learn about the professional judgment review process, as our actual financial situation might not be accurately reflected by the standard formulas. The advice about gathering documentation early, keeping detailed records, and having backup plans like Claimyr for getting through to FSA representatives is exactly what I needed to hear. It's such a relief to find a community where people understand that military families often face unique circumstances that don't fit neatly into standard financial aid categories. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive environment!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm blown away by the wealth of knowledge and support shared in this thread! I'm a disabled veteran receiving VA disability benefits, and my son will be starting his college search next year. Like so many others here, I was completely lost about how to handle the FAFSA without traditional tax returns. This discussion has been a game-changer for me - learning about the "Will Not File" option, understanding how VA benefits are categorized as untaxed income, and discovering resources like professional judgment reviews has transformed what felt like an impossible task into something manageable. I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips about gathering documentation early, the heads-up about potential verification requirements, and the suggestion to explore school-specific veteran programs. The fact that this community exists and is so generous with sharing real-world experiences gives me so much hope. I'll definitely be taking everyone's advice to heart and starting my preparation now while there's still time. Thank you all for creating such an invaluable resource for military families navigating this complex process!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this comprehensive discussion! I'm a disabled veteran receiving VA compensation, and my daughter is starting her senior year of high school. This thread has been absolutely invaluable - I had no clue about the "Will Not File" option or that VA disability benefits needed to be reported as untaxed income. The detailed breakdown of how the SAI calculation works differently for untaxed vs taxable income is exactly what I needed to understand. I'm also relieved to learn about professional judgment reviews as a backup option if the standard formulas don't reflect our actual financial reality. The practical advice about gathering VA award letters early, requesting IRS non-filing verification proactively, and keeping detailed records of all communications is spot-on. It's such a comfort to find a community where other military families share the real challenges we face with these systems that weren't designed for our unique situations. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and experience - you've transformed what felt like an insurmountable obstacle into a manageable process with clear action steps!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by the depth of knowledge and support shared in this thread! I'm also a disabled veteran receiving VA compensation, and my twins will be applying for college aid next year. Like many others here, I was completely overwhelmed by how to handle the FAFSA process without traditional tax documentation. This discussion has been a revelation - learning about selecting "Will Not File," properly categorizing VA benefits as untaxed income, and understanding the SAI calculation differences has made everything click into place. The practical tips about early documentation gathering, the IRS non-filing verification process, and backup resources like Claimyr are incredibly valuable. I'm especially grateful to learn about professional judgment reviews and school-specific veteran programs that could make a real difference for our family. What started as anxiety about navigating an impossible system has transformed into confidence with a clear roadmap, thanks to everyone's generous sharing of real-world experiences. This community is exactly what military families need when dealing with financial aid complexities that standard guidance simply doesn't address adequately!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have discovered this incredibly detailed discussion! I'm a disabled veteran receiving VA disability compensation, and my daughter will be starting her college applications soon. Like so many others here, I was completely lost about how to navigate the FAFSA without traditional tax returns. This thread has been absolutely transformative - learning about the "Will Not File" option, understanding that VA benefits should be categorized as untaxed income, and discovering the nuances of SAI calculations has changed everything for me. The practical advice about gathering VA award letters early, proactively requesting IRS non-filing verification, and having backup resources like Claimyr ready has given me a concrete action plan. I'm also relieved to know about professional judgment reviews as an option if our circumstances don't fit the standard formulas. What strikes me most is how this community understands that military families face unique challenges that aren't addressed in typical financial aid guidance. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences and creating such a supportive environment - you've transformed what felt like an impossible obstacle into a manageable process with clear steps forward!