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.

As someone who's been lurking in this community for a while but just created an account, I had to jump in here because this thread perfectly captures everything I was worried about with the FAFSA process! My twin boys will be seniors next year and I've been dreading dealing with not one but TWO FAFSA applications. Reading about all these contributor dashboard issues has me wondering if I should just plan on doing separate FSA ID accounts for each kid or if that would make things even more complicated? Also, huge thanks to everyone who shared the troubleshooting steps - I'm screenshot-ing this entire conversation and putting it in my "FAFSA survival guide" folder. The tip about saving PDFs and keeping submission IDs is something I never would have thought of but seems absolutely critical given all the technical glitches people are experiencing. You all are lifesavers for sharing your hard-won wisdom!

This entire thread has been a goldmine of information! I'm completely new to the FAFSA process as a first-time college parent, and honestly, I had no idea the contributor system could have so many technical pitfalls. Reading through everyone's troubleshooting experiences has been both educational and slightly anxiety-inducing - but in a good way because now I know what to watch out for! I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips like using the direct email link instead of just logging into the main site, checking that email addresses match exactly, and the nuclear option of removing and re-adding contributors when all else fails. The suggestion to save PDFs and screenshots of everything is brilliant - I never would have thought of that but it makes total sense given all the glitches people are reporting. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment where parents can share these hard-learned lessons. My daughter is only a junior, but I'm already bookmarking this thread and starting a FAFSA prep folder with all your advice!

I'm new to this community but your story really resonates with me as a parent who's been through similar FAFSA struggles. Reading through all the amazing advice you've received here, it's clear that the inheritance asset reporting error is likely your main culprit - that difference between 20% student assessment vs ~5.6% parent assessment on $15,000 could easily explain a huge chunk of your inflated SAI. One additional tip from my own experience: when you submit your Professional Judgment appeals, include a simple cover letter that summarizes ALL the errors you've identified (inheritance reporting, possibly retirement accounts, etc.) in bullet points. This makes it easy for busy financial aid counselors to quickly understand your case without having to dig through multiple forms. Also, if you haven't already, consider reaching out to your state's higher education agency. Many states have ombudsman programs specifically for FAFSA disputes that can provide additional support or even intervene with schools on your behalf. With three kids in college and your income level, there's absolutely no way that SAI should be that high once these corrections are made. The fact that this community has helped identify so many potential issues shows you have a very strong case for appeals. Keep fighting - you've got this!

I'm new to this community but your story really hits home for me as someone who's been through similar FAFSA challenges. Reading through all the incredible advice you've received here, it's clear you have multiple strong grounds for appeals! The inheritance asset reporting error seems to be your biggest issue - that $15,000 being assessed at 20% as a student asset instead of ~5.6% as a parent asset could easily add $2,100+ to your SAI alone. Combined with potentially including retirement accounts (which shouldn't be counted at all), you're probably looking at a massive SAI reduction once these are corrected. I wanted to add one thing that helped me during my appeals process: create a simple "Financial Reality Statement" that shows your actual monthly expenses with three kids in college versus your available income after taxes. Sometimes seeing the real cash flow situation helps financial aid counselors understand why the calculated SAI is completely unrealistic for your family. Also, don't hesitate to mention the specific hardship of being a single parent supporting three college students simultaneously - that's exactly the kind of unusual circumstance that Professional Judgment reviews are designed to address. With your income level and three kids in college, there's no question you should qualify for substantial need-based aid once these errors are corrected. This community has given you an excellent roadmap - now it's time to execute! You've absolutely got this!