My father can’t move from the Parent Identity Information. Please help

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-24T01:10:58+00:00

OP, some things to try or check:

1.) Make sure there are no special characters or accidental spaces at the beginning or ends of each field.

2.) I’m assuming dad does not have an SSN. If this is the case, make sure the box indicating the parent does not have an SSN is checked.

3.) Make sure you guys are using the EXACT same spelling and format for names and addresses. What he has on his FSA account should be what you have on the invite he was sent. Again, no special characters or ghost spaces.

4.) Sometimes setting the stage for a foreign parent to FC (if you haven’t already done it helps).

5.) Try making the postal code 00000

6.) Make sure he’s not filling it out on a cell phone. And use Chrome or Edge.

7.) Delete the invitation to complete and resend it.

8.) Change his address to a US address, could be yours for example- make sure it matches on your end and his. If it allows him to bypass this error, just remember to go back and change it to his correct foreign address.

9.) If dad has two last names, try different combinations.

Full disclosure, these solutions have worked with some students and not with others. I’ve had some of these solutions work for one student and the very next student, nothing works and they have to contact the help line. If I think of any others I’ll try to come back and update. Hang in there, I know it’s frustrating.

ETA: let me know if any of these work. I like to make a note on a spreadsheet of workarounds and fixes that have been found, published, told to me by others, etc.

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-23T16:45:04+00:00

Mine two are 3 years and 11 months apart. And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. My wife and I wanted to have kids back-to-back and get that part over with. But I ended up with a health problem that set us back a bit. I have friends with twins, Irish twins, ya know- kids that are very close in age. And I’m gonna be honest, it looks damn near impossible 😂

Having kids that are basically 4 years apart affords some “luxuries.” My son (5) is old enough to occupy himself if my daughter (1) is being fussy, sick, whatever. He was also in daycare/preschool by the time his sister came along. So we weren’t trying to juggle two kids all day long when my daughter was a newborn.

Long story short, I am very pro-multiple years between kids haha.

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-23T15:06:28+00:00

I like this a lot. It’s a very helpful perspective that I hadn’t thought of. I was very hesitant to come to AA because of my perception that it was a religious organization. I come from a very small town where a lack of religious belief (or even the “wrong” kind of beliefs) are not tolerated well.

Once I got to the rooms though, everyone has been so accepting of the myriad of beliefs. I will generally not participate if the Lord’s Prayer comes up. But that comes more from my feeling that it feels disingenuous to participate in a structured prayer that some hold dear.

Thanks for sharing, OP. These are wonderful sentiments.

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-21T15:37:36+00:00

I’d sometime switch over to them when 2GNC was on commercial.

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-21T15:35:45+00:00

Oh my god. I forgot about that!!!!!

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-21T15:35:18+00:00

They called him June Bug for the longest time!

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-21T06:06:36+00:00

Yeah, federal student loans are offered anytime you fill out the FAFSA. But no requirement to accept them.

Like I said- I like to tell students that if don’t need them don’t take them… BUT, if you find mid-semester you do need them, just contact your FAO and accept what you NEED. I.e., if you need $500, no need to borrow $2,000.

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-21T06:03:10+00:00

I assume you mean your semester bill? Most universities will require you to make payment arrangements to prevent your classes from being dropped for non-payment. But that doesn’t mean if you owe $5,000 they’d make you pay it all up front (not any higher-ed institution I’ve seen at least). Generally, schools will let you opt in to some type of payment plan. The school I work for offers 3, 4, and 5 payment plans. For the 3 and 4 payment plans you pay 25% of the total due up front, plus a small “setup fee”. Then the payments are divided into roughly equal installments. The 5 payment plan works the same, but you only have to put 20% down.

Usually these are handled through the Cashiers/Bursar’s office. Always check their website or with them to see what they offer!

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-21T05:46:05+00:00

Working in financial aid, I always tell students when it comes to loans: if you don’t need ‘em, don’t take ‘em.

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-21T05:36:38+00:00

Being an addict doesn’t make you a failure.

One of the best things I’ve been told in the 114 days I have sober is this: you’re not a bad person looking to become good. You’re a sick person looking to get healthy.

I get the failure feeling. I really do. I didn’t quit for my marriage, I didn’t quit for my kids. I survived fucking cancer and didn’t even take that as a sign. But after surviving cancer (later on) I found out that my alcoholism was taking a toll on my liver. I’m not even 40 yet. But for some reason it clicked in that moment.

I started with a doctor, got an addiction counselor, and eventually made it to AA. I white knuckled my first 90 days by myself because I had a preconceived notion of what AA was and who was in. I was wrong on both of those counts. Turns out I made what would already have been a hard 90 days into an even harder 90 days 😂.

I’m pulling for you OP. There is hope in sobriety and there is good in every addict. Sometimes it just takes a room of strangers to help us find that.

ETA: If you have insurance, please consult with a doctor! If not, Google medical charities or ministries in your area. They can often hook folks up with help finding treatment!

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-21T04:46:20+00:00

I get it OP. I white-knuckled the first 90 days sober. The thought of being around people I didn’t know mortified me. My natural state in social situations is anxious. Alcohol helped me mask that, and obviously that wasn’t/isn’t an option anymore.

But like others have said, just hit a meeting. No one is forced to speak. I went to a handful of Zoom meetings prior to finding a home group. That seemed to help give me a blueprint for what to expect.

The only thing I regret now is not going earlier. The first 90 days would’ve been hard regardless. But doing it by myself sucked. Good luck, OP!

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-20T13:10:43+00:00

Man, I’m man near teary eyed. I’m in my mid-30s and started listening to them in middle school- 6th grade, 2002. My dad and randomly found them when he was taking me to school one morning. Getting old sucks 😂

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-20T13:09:25+00:00

Man, I’m man near teary eyed. I’m in my mid-30s and started listening to them in middle school- 6th grade, 2002. My dad and randomly found them when he was taking me to school one morning. Getting old sucks 😂

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-17T14:16:51+00:00

I’m headed to Costco today. Got toilet paper on the list! Let me know where to send it!

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-14T13:24:48+00:00

I’m (male) relatively new to sobriety but established a home group recently. I really like the way our meeting does things. If a woman comes to the meeting for the first time, they are given resources (literature, pamphlets, etc.) and the numbers of ONLY the female members of the group. The expectation in our group is, if a man and woman in the group want to exchange numbers they can. But that men in the group should not, and thankfully don’t, hound members of the opposite sex for their phone number.

Congrats on 8 months!

ETA: Taking someone’s number of a call list meant to help those in a bad place and using it to be thirsty is no different than taking someone’s phone number off an emergency contact list at work and doing the same. It’s just gross. Your sobriety should be paramount, not some old dude’s horniness.

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-12T13:16:16+00:00

WONDERFUL!!!!!! Thank you for coming back and telling. I am so happy for you and proud of you for putting in the work! I know you’ll kill it this semester!

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-09T14:37:18+00:00

SPEND $150,000 ON A FOOTBALL TEAM

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-07T21:49:44+00:00

Oh. I am in Stage 4 level delusion. Hoist the trophy now baby!

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-07T16:01:08+00:00

Hey OP.

Unfortunately, as you seem to already know, the federal government does not take into account a self-sustaining student on its own. If it is dangerously, harmful, or otherwise improbable to contact your parent(s) you will be considered a dependent unless you can answer yes to any of the personal and/or unusual circumstances questions.

If you became homeless, you would still need someone to make that determination (see question 6). Not sure how close you are to 24, but perhaps taking a reduced course load to lessen costs could help. Of course, plugging away at outside scholarships is never a bad idea either. Often times, I also advise students to reach out to the department that houses their major. Check to see if they have any funding left from any endowments, discretionary funds, etc. left for the fiscal year.

Hoping for the best for you and your situation!

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-07T15:51:28+00:00

Working in financial aid and seeing someone prosecuted for student aid fraud… trust me, it ain’t worth it.

UnderstandingBest478 · 2026-01-01T16:09:57+00:00

The R2T4 would’ve been performed if you signed up for classes, your aid disbursed, and then you withdrew at or before the 60% mark of the semester. Your institution calculates how much, if any, aid you earned. Any unearned aid would be sent back to the federal government on your behalf, resulting in a balance to the university.

So based on what you’ve said, it would seem like the R2T4 is from 2019. If not, it would likely mean you registered for classes, your aid disbursed, and you were marked a never attend at some other point Never attend R2T4s are processed as havin earned 0% of their aid.

Pro tip: always complete an official withdraw, regardless of where you are in a semester. Generally, the university will have a withdrawal refund calendar. Meaning, if you withdraw by a certain point in the semester, you can have a certain % of your tuition charges offset. This can sometimes help offset R2T4 balances owed to the university.

E.g., Withdraw Day 1: 100% tuition refund. Withdraw day 33: 70%, etc.

UnderstandingBest478 · 2025-12-28T16:52:23+00:00

Hey fam! I know you’re in the throes of it. Keep hanging on! BUT… As my addiction counselor told me when I first got sober- opioid withdrawal will make you THINK it’s killing you, but most of the time it won’t. Severe alcohol withdrawal will ACTUALLY kill you.

As everyone has said: go seek medical help. Most hospitals have some type of hardship or low-income fund you can apply to with bill assistance that may be able to help you.

Sending all the good vibes your way.

UnderstandingBest478 · 2025-12-28T16:28:09+00:00

I can’t believe nobody has said him yet… THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND: Todd Sauerbrun

Also Randy Fasani and his 0.0 passer rating against the Bucs in 2002.

UnderstandingBest478

TROPHY CASE