FAFSA anxiety and procrastination

[Tiramisu]

I am usually a get 'er done type of person but I'm consciously procrastinating on the FAFSA since last year I rushed while distracted by kids and made stupid mistakes that were a headache to fix (birthdays, etc.). I just can't face it again. I know I sound like a wimp but I'm just paralyzed.

 

Even the log in changing threw me for a loop last year and I'm dreading a log in problem.

 

Before that, I always thought, this is easy why do so many people stress about it?!!

 

DD is coming home this week. Maybe we can do it together since I'll need her tax info anyway.

 

:(

[JanetC]

((Hugs))

 

If you did your taxes, you might be able to use the IRS data retrieval tool for most of it and just add your savings balances and be done.

 

Good luck!

[J-rap]

I felt exactly the way you do last year when I did it.  And finding the PIN from the year before was a nightmare.  It just wasn't matching up, and I think they had also changed the ID to a PIN or something like that, on top of it all.

 

Once I finally got the PIN number figured out, I sat down expecting it to be a long, painful project.  I did have all the information I needed next to me (tax return, etc).  In about 45 minutes, I was completely done!  It was sooo simple!  I kept thinking I must be doing something wrong.

 

This year, I did worry a little that I'd have the same problem with the PIN working, but it actually worked right away and it was once again smooth sailing.   :)  The hardest part was just sitting down and getting started on it.

 

Hope it goes that way for you!  The nice thing is you can always save it and go back to it if you need to.

 

And oh yes -- the IRS retrieval device is very handy, and they'll walk you through exactly how to do that.  I used it last year and it was great.  I couldn't use it this year because our taxes had been submitted too recently, but it was still very straightforward.

[Tiramisu]

I decided to just try to log in because that was a big part of my anxiety, and it worked! Since I got that far, I did a renewal and most info was carried over. That encouraged me so I kept going! The tax info transfer worked like a charm so all I really had to do was update some simple stuff and put in our current financial info. A few minutes later, it was all done, except for DD's financial stuff. Yay!

 

I feel so much better.

 

The only thing I'm dreading now is the final signing because there was a glitch with that last year.

[MerryAtHope]

Glad the process was smooth so far. I'm definitely looking forward to things changing this year with FAFSA being done in the fall and using the last year's taxes--no more rushing to do it, then having to keep amending it after doing taxes...crazy. 

[ThisIsTheDay]

I have major issues with FAFSA of some sort or another every single year.  Two different years have involved two different one-time incomes that were not an accurate reflection of our true income, so we had to appeal to get them removed. The second time, my request was denied, but when I reworded it a few months later and asked for reconsideration, it was granted.

 

There have been issues with signatures, but I didn't have any problem at all with it this year, so I think that's been resolved on their end.

 

Last year, someone filed a tax return with our SSNs and got a hefty refund before we even filed our taxes.  That took until July to sort out, but thankfully the school was willing to wait and hold dd's aid until our return was "approved" by the IRS.

 

Because of the fraud last year on our account, we are now unable to use the IRS data retrieval tool, and I've had to request certified transcripts.  As daunting as this sounds, they've been very quick and simple phone calls to make.  Thank God, because I'm pretty sure that FAFSA-induced stress has shortened my lifespan enough already. It stresses me out literally for several months every year.

 

I don't know why stuff like this sends me over the edge now.

 

I'm in love with dd's Financial Aid Advisor. I've never met him, but he's always responded quickly and been brief yet encouraging.  I'm sure he's used to dealing with crazed parents.  :wub:

 

(Ugh, just thinking about FAFSA makes my stomach hurt.)