Update: I applied for the Parent PLUS loan last night and was approved! The financial aid office also helped us identify an error in how we reported some retirement assets on the FAFSA that affected our SAI calculation. They're letting us submit correction documentation that might increase her grant eligibility by around $3,200. Plus they told us about a payment plan that would let us spread the remaining costs over 10 months interest-free. I'm feeling so much more relieved now. Thanks everyone for your help!

This is such a great outcome! Your story really highlights how important it is to actually talk to the financial aid office instead of just assuming the worst. I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - got my son's aid package last week and there's about a $9,000 gap that we weren't expecting. Reading through all these responses has given me a much clearer picture of what steps to take. I'm going to call tomorrow to review our FAFSA for any errors and ask about payment plans before jumping straight to Parent PLUS loans. Thanks for sharing your experience and the update - it's really encouraging to see that these situations can often be resolved with the right approach!

This is such a comprehensive thread! As a newcomer to military life (just got to my first overseas assignment last month), I had no idea these kinds of technical issues existed with government systems. Reading through all these solutions gives me so much confidence for when we'll need to deal with FAFSA in a few years. I'm curious - for those who've successfully used the address reformatting method, did you have to update your address the same way on other parts of the FAFSA application, or just on the signature page? Also, if you initially entered your APO address in the "wrong" format earlier in the application, do you need to go back and change those sections too, or does the system only check the formatting during signature verification? Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread should definitely be pinned or turned into a resource guide for military families!

As someone who just went through this exact process last month while stationed in South Korea, I can't emphasize enough how helpful this thread is! I wish I had found something like this when I was pulling my hair out trying to get my son's FAFSA submitted. I ended up using a combination of the address reformatting method and calling FSA directly. The reformatting alone didn't work for us initially, but when I called FSA and explained that I had already tried the proper APO formatting, the agent was able to see our application in their system and push it through manually. The whole call took about 45 minutes once I got connected. One tip I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you're calling FSA from overseas, try calling during their early morning hours (which would be late evening/night for most overseas bases). I had much better luck getting through during off-peak times rather than trying during normal US business hours when the lines are swamped. Also, make sure you have your FSA ID, Social Security number, and the exact error message written down before you call. The agents can resolve this much faster if you can give them specific details about what's happening in the system. Thanks to everyone for sharing their solutions - this thread is going to help so many military families avoid the stress and panic we all went through!

I'm new to this community but your situation is exactly what I've been dreading as I start the FAFSA process for my first child next year. Reading through all these responses has been both incredibly helpful and deeply concerning about what families are facing with these formula changes. The $8,400 increase you're experiencing sounds absolutely devastating, especially when your core financial situation hasn't changed. From everything shared here, it's clear that the elimination of the sibling-in-college adjustment is likely the primary factor rather than the free lunch program change. The fact that your contribution was previously divided between two students and now applies fully to just your daughter could easily explain most of that massive jump. I wanted to add that some financial aid offices have started offering "formula change impact consultations" where they'll walk you through exactly how the new SAI calculation differs from your previous EFC. This can help identify if there were any processing errors and gives you specific talking points for appeals. Also, check if your state has any "college affordability crisis" grants that were created specifically in response to these federal changes. Several states launched emergency programs this year to help bridge the gap for families hit hard by the new formulas. The advice about Claimyr and the special circumstances review for the multiple-student elimination sounds like your best bet for meaningful relief. I'm definitely taking notes on all these resources for my own future reference. Thank you for being so open about your struggle - it's helping families like mine prepare better for what's coming. I'm really hoping the appeals work out and your daughter can continue her education. You're an amazing advocate for her future!

I'm so sorry you're going through this incredibly stressful situation! As someone new to this community, I've been reading through all the responses and I'm honestly shocked by how widespread these massive SAI increases are this year. Based on everything shared here, it really sounds like the elimination of the sibling-in-college adjustment is the primary culprit behind your $8,400 jump rather than the free lunch program change. Having your family contribution go from being split between two students to applying fully to just your daughter could easily explain most of that increase - it's such a significant policy change that wasn't clearly communicated to families. I wanted to add a couple suggestions that might help: - When you contact the financial aid office, ask specifically about "professional judgment due to federal formula changes" - some schools have streamlined this process given how many families are affected - Look into whether your daughter's school offers emergency financial assistance for continuing students - many have expanded these programs this year - Check your state's higher education website for any bridge grants created specifically for families impacted by FAFSA changes The advice about using Claimyr to reach FSA and requesting the special circumstances review for the multiple-student policy elimination sounds really promising. Several people here seem to have had success with that approach. Your dedication to fighting for your daughter's education is inspiring. This whole situation shows how broken the communication was around these major policy changes. Families shouldn't have to discover massive aid reductions after the fact when they've been budgeting based on reasonable expectations. I'm really hoping the appeals process works out for you!

I'm new to this community but have been reading through this entire thread and wanted to jump in with a suggestion that might help! Since you've been having such trouble getting through to your financial aid office by phone, have you tried using their online appointment scheduling system if they have one? Many schools switched to appointment-based systems during COVID and still use them because it's more efficient than phone calls. Also, I noticed someone mentioned checking studentaid.gov for verification issues - make sure you're also checking the "My Federal Student Aid" mobile app if you have it. Sometimes notifications show up there that don't appear on the website right away. One more thing - if your school uses a student portal system like Banner or PeopleSoft, there's often a "holds" section that will show you exactly what's preventing your account from moving forward. Academic holds, administrative holds, missing transcripts, etc. all show up there and it might give you specific information about what's causing the delay. Your Pell situation really does sound normal based on everyone's responses here. The 15.9% lifetime usage means you have tons of eligibility left, and taking a semester off definitely doesn't hurt you. The waiting is the absolute worst part, but it sounds like you're being super proactive about following up. Good luck getting through to them soon!

I'm new to this community but have been following this thread and wanted to share something that might help! I went through a very similar transfer situation two years ago - took a semester off between schools and panicked about my Pell eligibility too. One thing I discovered that nobody mentioned yet is to check if your new school requires a "Transfer Student Financial Aid Supplement" form. Some schools have this additional form that's separate from your FAFSA, and it's not always obvious that it's required. I spent weeks wondering why my aid wasn't processing, only to find out there was this one extra form buried in their transfer student checklist that I'd completely missed. Also, since you mentioned orientation is coming up soon - definitely attend any financial aid information sessions they offer during orientation, even if your package isn't finalized yet. The financial aid staff at those sessions often have more flexibility to address individual cases on the spot, and they can sometimes expedite processing for students who are present and engaged. Your unused Spring Pell from your previous school absolutely carries over - the federal system tracks your annual eligibility regardless of which institution you're attending. At only 15.9% lifetime usage, you're in excellent shape there. The administrative delays are super frustrating but very common for transfers. Keep pushing to reach them, but don't panic about your actual eligibility - that part should work out fine once they get caught up on processing!

Just wanted to add my experience as another data point - I had an SAI of around 9,200 last year (so similar to yours) and while I didn't get any Pell Grant money, I was still able to get some decent aid packages. My state school offered me about $3,000 in need-based grants plus subsidized loans, and the private college I applied to gave me over $15,000 in institutional aid (though their tuition was way higher too). So don't get too discouraged by missing the Pell cutoff! Your SAI is still in a range where many schools will consider you for aid. I'd definitely recommend applying to a good mix of schools like you mentioned, because the aid offers can vary wildly even with the same SAI. Also, make sure you're looking at the total cost of attendance vs. just tuition when comparing offers - sometimes the "more expensive" school ends up being cheaper after aid. Good luck with your applications! The waiting for aid packages is definitely stressful but hopefully you'll get some pleasant surprises.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that some schools have their own internal appeals process if your family's financial situation has changed since the tax year used for FAFSA (2022 for 2024-25). This is called "Professional Judgment" and can sometimes result in a recalculated SAI that's more favorable. Also, with an SAI of 8,742, you'll definitely qualify for federal subsidized loans where the government pays the interest while you're in school - that's still a significant benefit even without grant money. The loan limits are $5,500 for freshman year (with up to $3,500 being subsidized based on need). Don't forget about your state's 529 education savings plans either - if your family has one, those withdrawals for qualified education expenses won't count as income on next year's FAFSA, which could help lower your SAI for sophomore year onwards.