How to prove permanent disability for FAFSA's Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) discharge?

You don't actually prove your disability through the FAFSA application itself. For a Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) discharge, you need to apply directly through the Department of Education's TPD Discharge website (disabilitydischarge.com). There are three ways to qualify: 1. VA Documentation: If the VA has determined you're unemployable due to service-connected disability 2. Social Security Documentation: If you receive SSDI with a disability review scheduled 5-7 years from now 3. Physician Certification: A doctor can certify your disability is permanent Since you mentioned SSDI, you may qualify through the second option. The TPD servicer can match with SSA records to verify your status automatically in many cases.

I went through this last year! It's actually seperate from the FAFSA process. Your SSDI status is perfect for this. Go to the disability discharge website and submit an application there. Once approved, your loans get discharged and it will show up on future FAFSAs as discharged debt. Your son can still submit his FAFSA now - this won't affect his application timing.

went thru this 2 yrs ago & it was a NIGHTMARE reaching anyone at the disability discharge center!!!! kept calling the 888 number for WEEKS with no answer. ended up having to mail my docs TWICE because they "lost" the first set 😡 the approval finally came thru but took almost 6 months!

If you're having trouble reaching the TPD Discharge center by phone, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. I was getting nowhere with the regular phone lines, but Claimyr got me connected to an actual person at the Federal Student Aid office who could help with my disability discharge questions. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ showing how it works. It saved me hours of frustration when I was applying for my TPD discharge with my SSDI documentation.

To directly answer your original question: For SSDI-based TPD discharge applications, you typically need: 1. Notice of Award letter from Social Security 2. Recent benefits verification letter (can be requested from SSA) 3. Your SSA-established disability review date (should be 5-7 years out) The good news is many applicants don't need to submit these documents because the Dept of Education can now match with SSA records automatically. Start the application online and it will guide you through what's needed.

BE CAREFUL with the disability discharge! They don't tell you that you'll enter a 3-YEAR MONITORING PERIOD after discharge where if you earn above poverty level income or take out new student loans during that time, they can REINSTATE all your old loans!!! I learned this the hard way when I tried helping my daughter with her college by cosigning a private loan and suddenly all my "discharged" federal loans came back!

does anyone know if getting TPD discharge affects your child's eligibility for financial aid? i heard somewhere that having discharged loans might reduce what they can get but that doesnt make sense to me

UPDATE: I started my TPD application on disabilitydischarge.com and the process seems straightforward so far. I selected the SSA qualification route, and it looks like they'll try to verify my status automatically with Social Security. If that doesn't work, I'll need to submit documentation. Thanks everyone for your help! I've gone ahead and helped my son submit his FAFSA while this process is ongoing.

Just wanted to add something important that I learned during my TPD discharge process - make sure to check if you have any PLUS loans (Parent PLUS loans) in addition to your regular federal student loans. The TPD discharge covers ALL types of federal student loans, including PLUS loans, but you need to specifically list them all on your application. I almost missed including my Parent PLUS loan from when I went back to school years ago, and that would have left me with remaining debt even after the discharge was approved. The disabilitydischarge.com website will walk you through identifying all your loans, but it's worth pulling your full credit report beforehand to make sure you don't forget anything.

As someone who works in financial aid, I want to emphasize that the TPD discharge process is completely separate from FAFSA completion, so don't let it delay your son's application! Since you receive SSDI, you're likely eligible for the automatic verification route through Social Security records. One thing I always tell parents - even if your TPD discharge is still pending, make sure to update your son's FAFSA once it's approved because discharged loans can actually improve his aid eligibility by showing greater financial need. The key is to keep both processes moving forward simultaneously. Also, definitely heed the advice about the 3-year monitoring period - it's real and catches a lot of people off guard. Best of luck with both applications!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who successfully completed the TPD discharge process last year through the SSDI route. The automatic verification worked for me, but it still took about 8-10 weeks to get final approval even though they could match my records electronically. During that waiting period, I was stressed about whether I should continue making loan payments, but the TPD servicer told me to stop payments once my application was submitted and under review. Just wanted to mention this because I wish someone had told me earlier - you're not required to keep paying while your application is being processed. Also, definitely keep detailed records of all communications and save confirmation emails, because there were a few times I had to reference back to prove I had submitted certain information. The whole process was worth it in the end, and it's such a relief to have that debt burden lifted. Hope your application goes smoothly!