Where to report sibling's 529 plan on FAFSA? Already submitted daughter's application

For the 2024-2025 FAFSA, you don't need to report ANY 529 plans as assets anymore! This is one of the big changes in the new FAFSA Simplification Act. Previously 529s owned by the parent were reported as parent assets, but now they're completely excluded from the SAI calculation. So you actually did it correctly by not reporting either 529 plan.

my daughters fafsa got rejected b/c i didnt list ALL assets so idk if the other person is right... i had to refile and include everything we owned pretty much

I just went through this EXACT situation last month! The Federal Student Aid website kept timing out when I tried calling to ask about my son's 529 plan. After THREE DAYS of trying, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a live agent. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration! Their video demo shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Anyway, the agent confirmed 529 plans owned by parents are NOT reported on the FAFSA anymore. Total game-changer for our family planning!

HOLD UP - there's a lot of misinfo here. The 529 rules ARE different now BUT there's a big catch people aren't mentioning. If the 529 is owned by a GRANDPARENT, it DOES still impact aid. When those funds are distributed, they count as UNTAXED INCOME to the student in future aid calculations. So if your son's 529 is owned by someone other than you or your spouse, that's a different situation!!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I feel much better knowing I didn't mess up. Quick follow-up question - does anyone know if the CSS Profile (which some private schools require) still asks about 529 plans? My daughter is applying to some schools that require that form too.

wait i'm confused...if 529s don't count on FAFSA anymore, does that mean I can just shift all our savings into 529s right before applying and get more financial aid????????????

you know whats RIDICULOUS about all this? the system keeps changing every couple years so nobody actually knows what theyre doing. i spent hours researching the rules for my oldest kid and now with my youngest its all different. and the financial aid offices at schools give conflicting info too!!! its almost like they WANT us to make mistakes 🤬

To summarize for the original poster: 1. You do NOT need to report 529 plans on the 2024-2025 FAFSA (whether they're for your daughter or son) 2. You DO need to report them on the CSS Profile if any of your daughter's schools require it 3. There's no need to fix your FAFSA submission - you completed it correctly 4. If you're still concerned, you can always call Federal Student Aid directly to confirm (1-800-433-3243) Hope this helps clear things up!

As someone who just went through this process with my twin daughters last year, I can confirm what others have said - you handled the 529 reporting correctly! The FAFSA Simplification Act really did eliminate the need to report parent-owned 529 plans. One thing I'd add is to keep good records of your 529 account statements anyway, especially if your daughter's schools require the CSS Profile. Some schools also do their own verification processes and might ask for additional documentation. Also, if you have any other kids who will be applying in future years, it's helpful to have all this info organized. The stress you're feeling is totally normal - I literally lost sleep over whether I filled everything out correctly! But it sounds like you did everything right.

Just wanted to chime in as another parent who was completely stressed about this same issue! I submitted my son's FAFSA in January and had the exact same panic about not reporting his younger sister's 529 plan. I actually called the Federal Student Aid helpline three times because I was so worried I'd messed up his aid eligibility. The good news is that everyone here is absolutely right - you don't need to report ANY 529 plans on the FAFSA anymore, regardless of which child they're for. The agent I finally spoke to was very clear about this change. What really helped me was printing out the official FAFSA completion guide from studentaid.gov and highlighting all the asset questions that specifically mention what you do and don't need to report. Seeing it in writing from the official source gave me peace of mind. You definitely completed your daughter's application correctly!

As a parent who just completed my first FAFSA this year, I'm so grateful for this thread! I was literally about to call the helpline tomorrow because I had the exact same concern about my younger daughter's 529 plan. Reading all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. One question for those who have been through this - when you mention keeping documentation organized for CSS Profile schools, what specific 529 documents should I be gathering? Just the most recent statements, or do they typically want year-end summaries or contribution histories too? I want to be prepared since my daughter is applying to a few private schools that require the CSS Profile. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to know other parents have gone through this same stress and confusion!

As a parent who went through this exact same panic last year, I completely understand your stress! You absolutely did the right thing by not reporting the 529 plans. The FAFSA Simplification Act changes can be confusing because they're so different from what older siblings or friends might have experienced. One thing that really helped ease my anxiety was creating a simple checklist of what changed with the new FAFSA rules. Beyond the 529 changes, they also simplified a lot of other reporting requirements. I keep this list handy for when my younger kids apply in future years. Also, if you're anything like me, you're probably going to keep second-guessing yourself until your daughter receives her aid package! That's totally normal. Just remember that if there were any actual issues with your submission, the school's financial aid office would reach out to you during their review process. The fact that her application was accepted and is being processed is a good sign that everything was completed correctly. Hang in there - the hardest part is done!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm a first-time FAFSA parent and was having the exact same worry about my son's younger sister's 529 plan. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief - it's reassuring to know that so many other parents have gone through this same stress and confusion. What really strikes me is how much the rules have changed, and honestly, it seems like the new FAFSA Simplification Act actually makes things easier in some ways (no more 529 reporting!), but the lack of clear communication about these changes has left so many of us parents panicking unnecessarily. I appreciate everyone who took the time to share their experiences and provide such detailed explanations. This community is invaluable for navigating these complicated processes. Now I can focus on helping my son with his college applications instead of staying up all night worrying about whether I messed up his financial aid eligibility!

As another parent who just went through this exact same panic, I wanted to add my voice to reassure you that you handled everything correctly! I submitted my daughter's FAFSA in February and had the same worry about my younger son's 529 plan sitting there with about $35,000 in it. What really helped me was finding the official Federal Student Aid FAQ page that specifically addresses the FAFSA Simplification changes. They have a whole section dedicated to what's no longer required to be reported, and 529 plans are explicitly mentioned. I bookmarked it for future reference when my son applies. One small tip I wish someone had told me earlier - if you end up needing to contact Federal Student Aid for any future questions, try calling right when they open (8 AM Eastern). The wait times are much shorter than calling mid-day. I learned this the hard way after sitting on hold for over an hour during my first attempt! You should feel proud that you successfully navigated your first FAFSA submission. The fact that you're being so thoughtful about making sure everything was done correctly shows you're a great advocate for your daughter's education. Everything is going to work out just fine!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm currently preparing to fill out my first FAFSA for my oldest daughter next year, and I had no idea about the 529 plan reporting changes. Reading through everyone's experiences has already saved me from what would have been the same panic you all went through. It's really reassuring to see how supportive this community is - seeing parents share their real experiences and help each other through these confusing processes gives me so much more confidence about navigating this myself. I'm definitely going to bookmark some of the resources mentioned here (especially that official Federal Student Aid FAQ page) and create that checklist of rule changes that someone mentioned. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge and experiences. This thread is going straight into my "FAFSA prep" folder for when I start the process next fall!

As a newcomer to this community, I can't tell you how relieved I am to have found this discussion! I'm in the exact same situation - just submitted my son's FAFSA last week and have been losing sleep over whether I should have reported my daughter's 529 plan (she's a sophomore in high school). Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge help. It's incredible how much the FAFSA rules have changed, and honestly, the lack of clear communication about these changes has left so many of us parents unnecessarily stressed. I spent hours on outdated websites trying to figure out the 529 reporting requirements! Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and real experiences. This community is exactly what parents like us need when navigating these complicated financial aid processes. I feel so much more confident now that I completed everything correctly, and I'll definitely be bookmarking this thread for when my daughter applies in two years!