As a newcomer to this whole financial aid process, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation where I need to get my loans sorted out soon. Based on all the advice here, it sounds like the consensus is pretty clear - do the MPN first, then accept loans on the school portal. I really appreciate everyone sharing their timelines and experiences, especially the tips about having reference information ready and using a computer instead of mobile. It's reassuring to know the whole MPN process only takes about 20-30 minutes once you're prepared. Quick question - does anyone know if there's a specific time of day that's better for accessing studentaid.gov? I want to avoid any potential traffic/slowdown issues when I tackle this over the weekend.

Hey everyone! As someone new to this whole process, I just wanted to say thank you for all the detailed advice in this thread. Reading through everyone's experiences has really helped clarify things for me. Based on all the responses here, I'm definitely going to complete my MPN first on studentaid.gov before accepting any loans on my school portal. It sounds like that's the safer approach to avoid any potential delays with disbursement. I'll make sure to have my reference information ready beforehand and plan to do it on my computer rather than mobile. Quick follow-up question - after you complete the MPN, about how long should I wait before accepting the loans on my school portal? Is it okay to do it the same day, or should I give it 24 hours for everything to sync up in the system?

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to this community and just found this thread while desperately searching for answers about my own FAFSA situation. My daughter's aid letter shows the exact same confusing numbers - $0 estimated need but $5,800 in total aid. I've been stressing about this for weeks thinking we did something wrong or that there was some kind of error in the system. After reading through all of your explanations about how SAI works versus actual need, I finally understand what's happening! It's incredibly frustrating that the FAFSA makes it seem like families don't need financial help when college costs are astronomical. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here about contacting the school's financial aid office directly and looking into the appeals process. It's such a relief to find a community where parents share real experiences and actually help each other navigate this confusing system. Thank you all for taking the time to explain these complex topics in plain English!

Welcome to all the new community members! I'm also relatively new here and found this thread incredibly helpful when dealing with my own FAFSA confusion. My family's situation was similar - $0 estimated need but $6,800 in total aid for my son. Like many of you, I initially thought there was an error in our application. What I've learned from this community and my own experience is that the key is understanding that "estimated need" is purely a federal calculation (SAI vs Cost of Attendance), while "total aid" can include non-need-based options like unsubsidized loans, merit scholarships, and work-study opportunities. A few additional tips from my experience: - Keep detailed records of all your communications with financial aid offices - If you're planning to appeal, start gathering documentation now (medical bills, job loss letters, etc.) - Don't overlook your state's financial aid programs - many have grants that aren't tied to federal need calculations - Some schools have emergency or hardship funds that aren't advertised but are available if you ask The system is definitely confusing and seems designed to discourage families from advocating for themselves. But this community proves that persistence and shared knowledge really help! Keep supporting each other through this process.

I'm new to this community but going through this exact same issue right now! My daughter's FAFSA disappeared from our dashboard this morning and I've been in full panic mode. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a lifesaver - thank you all for sharing your solutions and keeping each other updated. I just tried Brady's workaround with the "Renew My FAFSA Form" and it confirmed ours is still in the system too! What a relief. I'm also taking screenshots of everything and will call her schools tomorrow. It's incredible how this community stepped up to help troubleshoot when the official channels weren't providing clear information. Definitely following this thread and bookmarking all the helpful tips shared here. So grateful to have found you all during this stressful time!

I just joined this community after discovering the same terrifying issue - my twin daughters' FAFSAs both disappeared from our dashboard yesterday! As a single parent trying to navigate college financing for two kids at once, seeing those applications vanish felt like my worst nightmare coming true. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief and so incredibly helpful. I immediately tried Brady's workaround with the "Renew My FAFSA Form" option and thankfully it confirmed both applications are still in the system! I've also saved all the confirmation emails and taken screenshots as suggested. It's amazing how this community came together to troubleshoot and support each other when the official system left us all in the dark. I'll be calling both of their schools' financial aid offices first thing Monday morning to double-check everything is received on their end. Thank you all for sharing your solutions and experiences - you've literally saved my sanity during what could have been the most stressful weekend ever!

I'm new to this community but going through almost the exact same situation! Our FAFSA SAI came in at $30,200 and the CSS Profile school initially quoted us $42,000. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea there was so much room for negotiation and that the preliminary estimates could be adjusted. A few things I'm taking away from everyone's experiences: 1. The terminology matters - using "Professional Judgment Request" instead of "appeal" 2. Being specific about the SAI vs estimate gap in communications 3. Asking for line-by-line breakdowns of their calculations 4. Checking for merit scholarships that might be processed separately One question for those who've successfully reduced their costs: how long did the process typically take from your initial request to getting a final revised offer? I'm trying to plan around the enrollment deposit deadline and want to make sure we have enough time for a thorough review. Also, has anyone had experience with engineering programs specifically? My daughter was accepted into their biomedical engineering program, and I'm wondering if STEM programs sometimes have additional funding sources that might not be reflected in initial estimates. Thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences - this thread has been invaluable in helping me understand that our situation isn't hopeless and there are concrete steps we can take!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a very similar situation! My daughter's FAFSA SAI is $28,900 but her dream school (also CSS Profile) gave us a preliminary estimate of $41,500. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful and reassuring - I had no idea that preliminary estimates could be adjusted this much or that there were specific strategies for requesting reconsideration. The success stories here are really encouraging, especially hearing about reductions of $7k-10k after Professional Judgment Reviews. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about emailing with specific subject lines, preparing a one-page summary comparing SAI to estimate, and asking for a senior financial aid counselor. My daughter is going into their computer science program with a 3.8 GPA and 1460 SAT, so I'm hoping there might be some STEM-specific scholarships or departmental funding that wasn't included in the initial estimate. One thing I'm curious about - for those who successfully reduced their costs, did you find it helpful to mention that this is your daughter's first-choice school during the Professional Judgment process? I want to convey genuine enthusiasm without seeming desperate. Thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences. This thread has transformed my anxiety into actionable hope!

Welcome to the community! Based on my experience as a financial aid counselor, here are the additional documents international families typically need during FAFSA corrections: foreign tax returns with certified English translations, bank statements from overseas accounts, employment contracts or salary letters from foreign employers, and currency conversion documentation showing the exchange rates used. Some schools also request proof of any foreign tax payments or credits claimed. Regarding merit aid recalculation - most universities will NOT automatically adjust merit scholarships when your SAI changes, since merit aid is typically based on academic credentials rather than financial need. However, you should specifically ask each financial aid office about their policy and request in writing that they confirm your merit aid eligibility remains intact after the FAFSA correction. Some schools have mixed merit/need packages that could be affected, so it's always better to ask directly rather than assume. Hope this helps with your situation!

As someone who recently navigated a similar FAFSA correction with international income complications, I want to add that timing is really important here. Since you mentioned this happened in late March and your daughter already received notifications about full Pell Grants, you'll want to act immediately before any disbursement occurs. One thing I learned during my process is that when you call Federal Student Aid, be very specific about the technical issue - mention that your husband's income information couldn't be updated due to a system glitch, not just that it was "missing." This helps them understand it's a technical problem rather than incomplete filing. Also, ask them about the "parent contributor" status for non-SSN holders, which might explain why your husband's information wasn't processed correctly initially. The good news is that universities deal with FAFSA corrections regularly, especially this year with all the new system issues. Just be upfront about wanting to correct the error before any funds are disbursed, and they'll likely appreciate your integrity. Your daughter's admission is safe - these are completely separate processes.