NYC students hit by FAFSA verification nightmare - any others?

You're not alone with the verification issues! I'm a college counselor at a high school in Queens, and I've seen a massive spike in verification requests for my NYC students this year. The housing cost flag is happening to MANY of my families in rent-stabilized or NYCHA housing. \n\nHere's what's working for my students:\n1. For the housing verification - get a copy of your lease showing it's rent-stabilized\n2. For dependent verification - provide your tax return where you claimed her as dependent AND her birth certificate\n3. For income verification - request a Tax Return Transcript directly from IRS.gov (different from the W-2s)\n\nAlso, call NYU financial aid office ASAP. Many schools will extend their deposit deadline if you explain you're stuck in FAFSA verification. They know this is happening all over NYC and are generally accommodating if you communicate proactively.

Thank you so much for this detailed advice! I didn't even think to contact NYU directly about extending the deadline. I submitted the rent-stabilized lease last week but haven't sent the birth certificate yet - will do that today. Do you think I should submit her school records too as proof she lives with me? Also, how long are your Queens students typically waiting after submitting all these extra documents?

im in staten island and same!!! got flagged for verification too and its taking FOREVER. my dad is a taxi driver and they keep asking for more proof of income like wtf?? how many ways can we show the same thing?? bro the financial aid office at my community college (kingsborough) said half the students they talk to from nyc are getting these verification flags

I've seen this happen with self-employed parents or cash-based businesses like taxi driving. For your dad, did you submit Schedule C from his tax return? That's specifically for self-employment income and sometimes that resolves these flags. The FAFSA system seems especially suspicious of variable income that's common in NYC's gig economy.

Reporter from NY1 is literally looking for us lmao...scroll down a bit. Maybe you should contact them about this verification mess targeting NYC families. Might get the attention of someone who can actually fix it.

I saw that! I'm honestly considering it at this point. If enough of us are having the same problem maybe public pressure would help. But I'm also worried about putting my information out there on TV... not sure how I feel about that yet.

Former financial aid officer here. The verification flags you're describing are 100% related to algorithm changes in the new FAFSA. The system is designed around national averages and NYC is an extreme statistical outlier for housing costs vs. income ratios.\n\nOne thing that helps: Include a detailed letter explaining your NYC-specific circumstances with any verification documents. For example, explain rent stabilization, mention the specific NYC housing program you're in, or detail why your living situation might look unusual to a computer but is normal for NYC.\n\nAlso, NYU absolutely has protocols for local students caught in verification. Their financial aid office has a special team just for NYC students because they see these issues every day. Call them directly at the financial aid office.

This is excellent advice. I'd add that students should also reach out to their high school counselors - many NYC public schools have FAFSA completion specialists who can write supporting letters explaining why the family's situation is legitimate. These letters carry weight when added to the verification package.

try claimyr.com to get thru to FSA directly on phone!! i was stuck in verification hell too (bronx student here) and kept getting disconnected when calling FSA. claimyr got me thru to an actual human in under 20 mins and the agent manually reviewed my verification docs while I was on the phone!! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ\n\nThe agent told me they're swamped with NYC cases because our housing situations trigger their system flags. Apparently rent control/stabilization is causing thousands of verification issues.

Did this really work? I've been trying to get someone on the phone at FSA for weeks! Does it cost money though? Seems weird to pay just to talk to a government agency we should be able to reach anyway.

yeah it did work! it does cost something but honestly after wasting like 8 hours getting disconnected it was worth it to me. the agent actually helped me figure out which specific documents would clear the verification flags. way better than submitting random stuff and waiting another 3 weeks to see if it worked

THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!! I've been saying for YEARS that the FAFSA system discriminates against NYC families!!! My son is at LaGuardia HS and we got flagged too. Three years ago my older daughter had the same problem. The ENTIRE system is designed for suburban families with simple W-2 incomes and mortgages. Not for people with multiple jobs, rent-stabilized apartments, or multigenerational households!!!! FAFSA IS BROKEN FOR NYC FAMILIES!!!!!

PREACH!!! 👏👏👏 they have no idea how we live here!!

I work with a community college in the Bronx, and we've compiled data on verification rates. NYC students are selected for verification at approximately 31% higher rates than the national average. Students in rent-stabilized or public housing are flagged at nearly double the rate.\n\nWhen helping students through verification:\n1. Be extremely specific about NYC housing programs in your documentation\n2. Include borough-specific cost of living context\n3. Get official letters from NYCHA, HPD or other housing authorities that explain your situation\n4. Contact your college's financial aid office about their verification assistance programs\n\nNYS Higher Ed is aware of the issue and working with Federal Student Aid to address the algorithm bias, but changes will take time. For now, thorough documentation is your best approach.

Wow, 31% higher is insane but confirms what we're all experiencing. Thanks for these tips - I had no idea I could get a letter from HPD about our rent-stabilized status. Going to look into that tomorrow!

Has anyone tried requesting a professional judgment review? After we got stuck in verification for 6 weeks, our daughter's school financial aid office did something called a

Professional judgment is an excellent suggestion. Many students don't realize that colleges have the authority to make these adjustments. Just be aware that professional judgment is school-specific - you'll need to request it separately at each college where your student applied.

Update: I finally got through to someone at Federal Student Aid after trying for WEEKS! The agent confirmed they're seeing unusual verification rates for NYC zipcodes (validation that we're not imagining this!). I've submitted the additional documentation they requested:\n- Rent stabilization rider from our lease\n- Letter from my daughter's school confirming her address\n- A statement explaining our housing situation \n- Birth certificate and tax returns showing dependent status\n\nThe agent said to expect 2-3 weeks processing time, which pushes us past NYU's deposit deadline. I called NYU financial aid and explained everything, and they've granted us a 3-week extension pending our FAFSA verification! Relieved but still stressed about getting everything resolved in time.

This is great progress! I'm glad NYU extended your deadline. That documentation package looks thorough and should resolve the flags. One more tip: follow up weekly by phone until it's resolved. The squeaky wheel approach really does help move verification cases along faster.