How to answer Medicaid eligibility on FAFSA when approval is pending?

You should check 'Yes' for Medicaid eligibility. The FAFSA question is asking about eligibility, not current enrollment status. Since you've already submitted the application and have verification that your income qualifies, your daughter is technically eligible even without the final approval letter. This question helps determine your Expected Family Contribution (now called Student Aid Index or SAI), and answering accurately can potentially increase her aid eligibility. Just make sure you follow through with the Medicaid enrollment once you receive the approval.

i put no on mine cause we didnt have the actual card yet and then had to do a whole correction after the approval which delayed evrything for like 3 weeks!! so frustrating

The system is SO confusing!! I made the opposite mistake last year - said my son was eligible because we were in the process of applying but it turned out our income was slightly over the limit. Got flagged for verification and had to explain the whole situation. Took FOREVER to sort out. Make sure your income really does qualify before you check yes. Do you have any proof from the Medicaid office that your application is being processed?

When I called the FAFSA helpline about this exact issue last year, they told me to answer based on my CURRENT status at the time of filling out the form. Since your daughter isn't technically enrolled yet, they might tell you to mark 'No' and then submit a correction later. Just my experience though.

Has anyone actually tried using Claimyr to get through to the Federal Student Aid helpline? I spent THREE HOURS on hold yesterday trying to ask this exact question and eventually got disconnected. A friend showed me this service at claimyr.com that supposedly gets you through to a real person without the wait, and there's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Wondering if it's worth trying since I need to ask about this Medicaid question too.

UPDATE: I checked with the Federal Student Aid office today to confirm the correct answer. They stated that for the Medicaid question, you should answer 'Yes' if your child is eligible based on your state's requirements, even if you're waiting for final approval. The question is used to identify students who qualify for an automatic zero EFC or simplified needs test, which can result in maximum aid eligibility. Once you receive the official approval, make sure your daughter is actually enrolled in Medicaid to maintain consistency with your FAFSA answers in case of verification.

make sure u save all ur medicaid application stuff cause if u get picked for verification (i did) theyll want proof that u were eligible when u filled it out

UGH this whole system is ridiculous. Why can't they just look up if someone is eligible themselves instead of making us figure it out? Then they wonder why enrollment rates are down for low-income students. I spent more time dealing with FAFSA verification than I did on my kid's college applications!!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year. I marked "Yes" on the FAFSA when we were still waiting for Medicaid approval (had confirmation our income qualified), and it worked out perfectly. My daughter got the maximum Pell Grant and state aid. The key thing is that the FAFSA uses this question to trigger the automatic zero EFC calculation, which can make a huge difference in aid eligibility. We did get selected for verification later, but having all our Medicaid application documentation saved (like others mentioned) made the process smooth. The financial aid office actually thanked us for answering correctly because it helped them process her aid package faster. Don't overthink it - if you've confirmed you meet the income requirements, you're eligible!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now - my son's FAFSA is due soon and we're waiting on Medicaid approval. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful. It sounds like the consensus is to mark "Yes" if you've confirmed eligibility through the income verification process, even without the final approval letter. I appreciate how supportive this community is - you've all shared such detailed experiences and practical advice about documentation and verification. This is exactly the kind of guidance that makes navigating the FAFSA process less overwhelming for families like mine!

As someone new to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed experiences with the Medicaid/FAFSA timing issue! I'm currently facing this exact situation with my daughter's application. We submitted our Medicaid application 2 weeks ago and received confirmation that our income qualifies, but we're still waiting for the official approval. Based on all the advice here, especially from @Zara Rashid's update from the Federal Student Aid office and @PixelWarrior's real-world experience, I feel much more confident about marking "Yes" on the FAFSA. The tip about saving all documentation is so valuable - I've already created a dedicated folder with our application confirmation emails, income verification receipts, and screenshots of our application status. It's reassuring to know that answering based on verified eligibility (rather than waiting for enrollment) is the correct approach and can actually help maximize aid opportunities through the automatic zero EFC calculation. This community has been incredibly helpful for navigating these confusing government program overlaps!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm currently in the exact same situation with my son's FAFSA - we applied for Medicaid about a month ago, got income verification confirmation, but are still waiting on the final approval letter. Reading through everyone's real experiences has been so much more valuable than the generic advice you find elsewhere. The clarification that the FAFSA asks about "eligibility" rather than "enrollment status" is crucial, and @Zara Rashid's follow-up with the Federal Student Aid office really sealed the deal for me. I'm definitely going to mark "Yes" based on our confirmed income eligibility. The documentation tips from @PixelWarrior and others are gold - I've already started organizing all our application confirmations and emails into a verification folder. It's amazing how this community breaks down these complex government program intersections in such a practical, supportive way. Thank you all for making this overwhelming process feel much more manageable!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this discussion! I'm currently dealing with this exact same Medicaid/FAFSA timing issue with my daughter's application. We submitted our Medicaid application about 4 weeks ago and received confirmation that our income qualifies, but we're still in the "processing" stage waiting for the official approval. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly enlightening - especially the distinction between "eligibility" vs "enrollment" that several people clarified. The real-world experiences shared by @PixelWarrior and others, along with @Zara Rashid's official confirmation from Federal Student Aid, have given me the confidence to mark "Yes" on the FAFSA based on our verified income eligibility. I'm also taking everyone's advice about documentation seriously - I've already created a folder with all our application confirmations, income verification emails, and status screenshots just in case we get selected for verification. This community's practical, supportive approach to navigating these complex government program overlaps is exactly what families need when dealing with these stressful situations!