One more important tip: After your FAFSA is processed, many schools will also require the CSS Profile for institutional aid (scholarships and grants from the college itself). The CSS Profile is separate from FAFSA and administered through College Board. Check if any of your schools require this additional application!

Hey Amara! Just wanted to add that you should also check if your schools have their own financial aid portals where you need to create accounts. Most colleges will email you instructions for accessing these portals, but sometimes those emails get buried or go to spam. I'd recommend proactively visiting each school's financial aid website and looking for "create student account" or "check aid status" links. This way you can monitor your aid package status directly with each school rather than waiting for them to contact you. Also, some schools have earlier deadlines for submitting additional documents even after your FAFSA is processed, so getting into those portals ASAP is super important!

Thank you all so much for the advice! I feel much more optimistic now. Will definitely wait for the official letter and then reach out to the financial aid office with our documentation and a clear explanation of our situation. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and expertise. This group has been incredibly helpful!

Welcome to the community! I'm in a very similar situation - just got my FAFSA results and feeling overwhelmed by the whole process. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful! I had no idea about things like professional judgment adjustments for medical expenses or that schools might have additional institutional aid beyond what FAFSA shows. My daughter's SAI came back at $28,500 and I was convinced we'd get nothing, but now I'm realizing there might be more options than I thought. Definitely going to wait for the official aid package and then have that conversation with financial aid. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know we're not alone in this!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year, I want to echo what others have said and add a bit of reassurance! I was in a very similar position - expecting a large quarterly payment from a client that would significantly change my business account balance right around FAFSA time. The advice you've gotten here is spot-on: since you're self-employed (just you = definitely under 100 employees!), your business checking account is completely protected under the small business asset exclusion. This means you don't report it on your FAFSA at all, regardless of when that deposit comes in or how much it is. What really helped me was understanding that this rule exists precisely because business finances are unpredictable - clients pay late, seasonal income fluctuates, etc. The FAFSA recognizes that business account balances don't represent "available" money the same way personal savings do. My advice: Submit your FAFSA with confidence, knowing that business account is excluded. Keep simple documentation of your sole proprietorship status just in case, but don't stress about timing or amounts. Focus on getting that application in early for the best aid opportunities! You're being incredibly responsible by researching this thoroughly. That December deposit is actually a non-issue for your FAFSA - one less thing to worry about! 😊

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in a very similar situation as a freelance photographer - my business income is super seasonal and unpredictable. I was literally losing sleep over whether to report my business account balance on my FAFSA, especially since I have some big wedding payments coming in over the next few months that could change everything. Reading through everyone's explanations about the small business asset protection has been such a huge relief! I had no idea that accounts for businesses under 100 employees (definitely just me lol) are completely excluded from FAFSA reporting. This changes everything for my application strategy. What really resonates with me is how everyone explained that business money isn't the same as personal savings - so much of what's in my business account is already earmarked for equipment payments, insurance, marketing, etc. It's not like I can just use it for tuition. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your knowledge and experiences. This community has turned what felt like an impossible puzzle into something I can actually handle confidently. I'm submitting my FAFSA this weekend! 📸✨

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful I found this thread! My daughter is a junior in high school and I have about $11,000 left on my graduate school loans from 2019. I've been losing sleep over whether my debt would somehow disqualify her from getting good financial aid when she applies next year. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief - I had no idea that parent student loan debt could actually be beneficial in the SAI calculation! I was seriously considering asking my spouse to handle the entire FAFSA process just to avoid any potential complications with my existing FSA ID. Now I realize that would have been unnecessarily complicated. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences here - this community is amazing for cutting through all the anxiety and confusion surrounding financial aid. I feel so much more prepared and confident about helping my daughter with her FAFSA when the time comes in December!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this discussion! My son is also a high school senior, and I have about $7,800 remaining on my own student loans from graduate school. I was having the exact same concerns as the original poster about whether my debt would negatively impact his financial aid eligibility. Reading through all these detailed responses from parents who've actually been through this process has been so reassuring! I had no idea that outstanding parent student loan debt could actually work in our favor under the new SAI calculation system rather than against us. I was definitely overthinking whether to use my existing FSA ID or have my husband create a new account instead. Based on everyone's experiences shared here, I'll definitely stick with my existing FSA ID when we tackle the FAFSA in December. This community is such an amazing resource for cutting through all the confusion and misinformation about financial aid - thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences and practical advice!

I'd recommend gathering that medical expense documentation now while it's fresh in your mind! Even if you don't need it for appeals, having it organized will save you time later. Keep receipts, insurance statements, and any documentation showing ongoing medical costs that aren't covered by insurance. Some schools are more generous with professional judgment appeals than others, but with your negative SAI, you're already showing significant financial need. The medical expenses could potentially help if there's a gap between what schools offer and what your family can realistically afford. Also, make sure to mention these expenses to each school's financial aid office when you submit enrollment deposits - some schools proactively review for special circumstances rather than waiting for formal appeals.

Yes, definitely apply for Cal Grant! In California, your negative SAI puts you in an excellent position for Cal Grant A or B. Cal Grant B actually gives you additional money for living expenses on top of tuition coverage, which is perfect for someone with your level of financial need. You should have automatically been considered when you submitted your FAFSA, but double-check your Cal Grant status at calgrant.org. For work-study, your negative SAI actually helps - schools typically prioritize work-study awards for students with the highest financial need, so you should be at the front of the line. Work-study is great because the earnings don't count against your financial aid eligibility for next year like regular job income might. Also look into your specific UC/CSU campus grants if you're applying there - many have additional institutional aid for students with negative SAIs that can stack on top of Pell and Cal Grant. With -1500, you're likely looking at near-full coverage at most California public schools!