This is such an important warning - thank you for sharing! I'm new to this community and honestly had no idea these student loan scams had become this sophisticated. The fact that they had your old address and specific loan details is genuinely terrifying. What really concerns me is how they're specifically targeting those 6-digit verification codes. I never realized that giving out one of those codes would essentially hand over complete access to your account - that's such crucial information for everyone to understand. Those codes are literally proof that YOU are trying to access YOUR account, not something to verify your identity to a random caller. I'm definitely going to follow the advice shared here about treating ANY unsolicited calls about my loans as potential scams and always verifying through official channels myself. The tip about asking for a reference number and calling back is brilliant - it's like a simple test that legitimate reps will pass and scammers will fail. It's really frustrating that EdFinancial is getting "numerous similar reports" but won't provide transparency about potential data breaches. We shouldn't have to become cybersecurity experts just to manage our student loans safely, but clearly that's the reality we're facing. I'm going to enable all security features on my FSA account immediately and look into that verbal password protection you mentioned. Thanks again for taking the time to warn everyone - this kind of community awareness is invaluable for protecting each other from these increasingly sophisticated scams!

This is such a valuable warning - thank you for sharing this with the community! As someone who's new to managing student loans, I honestly had no idea these scams had become so sophisticated. The fact that they had your old address and specific loan details to build credibility is absolutely chilling. What really stands out to me is how they're specifically targeting those 6-digit verification codes. I never realized that giving out one of those codes would essentially be handing over the keys to your entire account - that's such crucial information for everyone to understand. Those codes are literally designed to prove YOU are trying to access YOUR account, not to verify your identity to some random caller. I'm definitely going to follow the advice others have shared here about treating ANY unsolicited calls about my student loans as potential scams and always verifying through official channels myself. The tip about asking for a reference number and calling back is brilliant - it's like a foolproof test that separates legitimate representatives from scammers. It's really concerning that EdFinancial is receiving "numerous similar reports" but won't provide clear information about potential data breaches. We shouldn't have to become cybersecurity experts just to safely manage our student loans, but clearly that's the reality we're facing with these increasingly sophisticated operations. I'm going to enable all the security features on my FSA account immediately and look into that verbal password protection you mentioned. Thanks again for taking the time to warn everyone and for following up with official reports - this kind of community awareness is invaluable for helping all of us stay protected!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in a very similar situation with my twins who are also graduating this spring. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. One thing I wanted to add that I learned recently - make sure to check if your twins' prospective colleges participate in something called "Professional Judgment" reviews. This allows financial aid officers to make adjustments to your aid package based on special circumstances like having multiple children in college, recent job loss, or other financial hardships. As a single parent, this could potentially help you get additional aid beyond what the standard FAFSA calculation provides. Also, I've been researching state-specific programs and found that many states have additional grants for residents attending in-state colleges. Some of these have separate applications with earlier deadlines than FAFSA, so it's worth checking your state's higher education website. The information about twin-specific scholarships was news to me too - I had no idea those existed! Does anyone know of a good database or website that lists these specialty scholarships? I've been using general scholarship search engines but haven't come across any twin-specific ones yet. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. It really helps to know we're not alone in navigating this process!

As a parent who just went through the FAFSA process with twins myself, I completely understand your confusion! The whole system feels overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's actually pretty straightforward. Everyone here is correct - each twin needs their own separate FAFSA application, but you'll be providing the parent information for both. The key is getting all your FSA IDs set up first (you need one, and each twin needs their own). Make sure you use different email addresses for each FSA ID. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet with all the financial information I'd need (tax returns, bank statements, investment info, etc.) before starting either application. That way I wasn't scrambling to find documents in the middle of the process. For the twin-specific aid, definitely look into your state's grant programs too. Many states have additional funding that stacks on top of federal aid, and some even have specific provisions for families with multiple college students. Also, when your twins are talking to college admissions counselors, make sure they mention having a twin sibling also attending college - sometimes schools will coordinate to offer better aid packages when they know about the family situation. You're not behind at all - many schools accept FAFSA applications well into the spring, so you still have plenty of time to get everything submitted properly!

As someone who's been through multiple FAFSA cycles with changing child support situations, I can definitely confirm this is worth appealing! A few practical tips from my experience: 1. When you contact each school's financial aid office, ask specifically about their "professional judgment" or "special circumstances" process - different schools use different terminology 2. Create a simple timeline document showing when payments stopped with exact dates and amounts 3. Include a brief letter explaining how this impacts your current ability to contribute to college costs 4. Keep copies of everything you submit - you might need to reference it later The appeals are processed individually by each school, so don't get discouraged if responses vary. Some schools are more generous than others, but the loss of nearly $9K in annual income should definitely result in increased aid eligibility. Start with your daughter's top choice school first to get familiar with the process, then use that experience for the other applications. The sooner you start, the better!

I'm new to this community but going through a very similar situation right now! My son's child support from his dad ended in December when he turned 18, and I'm trying to figure out the FAFSA appeal process too. Reading through everyone's responses here has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that child support had such a significant impact on the SAI calculation or that it's weighted differently than regular income. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about contacting each school's financial aid office separately and asking specifically about their "professional judgment" process. It's reassuring to hear from @Luis Johnson that the appeal was worth about $3,200 in additional aid - that would make such a difference for us. I'm also going to start gathering all my documentation now, including the court order showing when payments ended and bank statements. Has anyone had experience appealing at community colleges versus four-year universities? My son applied to both types of schools and I'm wondering if the process differs significantly between them.

I'm another first-time FAFSA parent who just went through this exact same confusion! Just submitted mine this week and I was absolutely panicking when I couldn't find any asset questions. I had spent hours organizing bank statements, 529 balances, investment portfolios - even printed out worksheets to track everything - and then the form just... ended without asking for any of it. I kept going back through each section thinking I must have accidentally skipped something important. What made it worse was that every prep resource I used emphasized asset reporting as a major component. The financial aid presentation at our school district, online guides, even YouTube videos I watched - they all made it sound like documenting assets would be the hardest part. So when those questions never appeared, I genuinely thought I'd somehow accessed an incomplete version of the form or that there was a technical glitch. This thread has been absolutely incredible for confirming that this is completely normal and that our application is actually finished! It's honestly shocking how poorly the Department of Education communicated these massive changes. Thank you to everyone who explained how the new system works - you've saved me from probably calling the financial aid office in a panic. Now I know to prepare for the CSS Profile since my daughter has private schools on her list. At least all that documentation won't go to waste after all!

I'm another newcomer who just experienced this exact same confusion! Just completed my FAFSA submission yesterday and I was absolutely convinced I had somehow broken the website or missed critical sections. I spent months preparing - organized all our 529 statements, investment accounts, calculated home equity, even gathered business valuation documents - and then none of it was requested on the actual form. I kept scrolling back and forth through every page thinking there must be an assets section I accidentally skipped. What really frustrated me was that every single preparation resource I used made asset reporting sound essential. The high school financial aid night, College Board materials, even the FAFSA mobile app tutorial - they all emphasized having comprehensive asset documentation ready. So when the form completed without asking for any of it, I genuinely thought I'd made a major error or accessed the wrong version somehow. This entire thread has been such a relief! Reading through dozens of nearly identical experiences confirms I'm not going crazy and that our application really is complete. It's honestly disappointing that the Department of Education didn't do a better job communicating these fundamental changes - so many parents have been unnecessarily stressed and confused by outdated guidance materials still circulating online. Thanks to everyone who explained how the new income-focused system works and shared CSS Profile preparation tips. My daughter is applying to several private colleges that require it, so all that asset documentation I gathered will finally be useful! This community has provided the clarity that official resources somehow missed entirely.

As a newcomer to Parent Plus loans, I'm finding this entire thread incredibly valuable! My daughter is starting her sophomore year and I've been struggling with the same questions about how much to request and where excess funds should go. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm planning to: 1. Calculate her exact tuition gap after scholarships/other aid 2. Add about $2,500-3,000 buffer for books, supplies, and unexpected expenses 3. Factor in that 4.2% origination fee (had no idea about this!) 4. Have excess funds come directly to me rather than her - at 8.05% interest, I want oversight of every borrowed dollar 5. Set up a separate savings account just for managing these education funds (love this idea from @Gabriel Ruiz!) The reassurance that I can apply for additional Parent Plus funds mid-year if needed definitely takes some pressure off getting the amount perfect initially. Better to start conservatively and add more if necessary than overborrow and pay interest on unused funds. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community is such a lifesaver for navigating these complex financial decisions! It's comforting to know other parents are going through the same learning process.

As a newcomer to Parent Plus loans, this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm in a very similar situation - my son is starting his sophomore year and we didn't need loans for freshman year, but costs have increased significantly. Reading through everyone's experiences, I feel much more confident about my approach now. I'm planning to calculate his exact tuition gap, add about $3,000 for books/supplies/emergencies, factor in that 4.2% origination fee I had never heard of before, and definitely have excess funds come to me rather than him for better oversight at these high interest rates. The tip about keeping detailed records throughout the year to refine future borrowing decisions is something I'll absolutely implement. And knowing that I can apply for additional funds mid-year if absolutely necessary takes some of the pressure off getting the amount perfectly right on the first try. One question for those with experience - do you typically apply for Parent Plus loans as soon as they become available for the academic year, or do you wait closer to the semester start date? I'm wondering if there are any advantages to timing the application earlier vs. later in terms of processing or fund availability. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative discussion - this community is amazing for navigating these complex financial decisions!