As someone who just went through the FAFSA process for the first time with my daughter, I can definitely relate to the frustration! We didn't have the exact same email issue, but we did encounter several other confusing error messages during the transition to the new system. One thing I learned is that the new FAFSA has some quirks where if you start an application and don't complete it within a certain timeframe, it can cause conflicts when you try to start over. We ended up having to clear our browser cache completely (not just cookies) and also disable any browser extensions that might interfere with the forms. Also, just a heads up - even after you get past this email issue, make sure to save your progress frequently! The new system seems to time out more quickly than the old one, and we lost about 30 minutes of work once because we didn't save often enough. Really glad to see you got it resolved though - that update will help so many other families!

This entire thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm currently dealing with the exact same email issue with my twins' FAFSA applications - we accidentally created 2023-2024 applications for both of them last month and now can't move forward with their 2024-2025 ones. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions gives me so much hope that this is fixable. The explanation about the transition period really helps me understand what's happening behind the scenes. I was starting to think we had somehow broken the system! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr callback service since 4+ hour wait times are just not feasible with my work schedule. One question for anyone who's been through this - if I have two students with the same issue, will I need to call twice or can the agent fix both email conflicts in one call? I'm hoping to streamline this as much as possible. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is amazing!

As someone new to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this detailed discussion! I'm currently helping my nephew navigate this exact same situation and was feeling completely lost by all the different portal requirements. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a relief - especially learning that the confusing "accept" language is a widespread problem and not something we're doing wrong. The tracking sheet ideas and specific phone scripts that several people have shared are exactly what we need to stay organized across multiple schools. I particularly appreciate the clarification about the three different types of "accepting" that @Seraphina Delan explained - that breakdown between portal access, aid package acceptance, and enrollment commitment is so helpful. It's reassuring to know that schools absolutely cannot require enrollment commitments before providing complete financial aid packages. The May 1st deadline exists specifically to give families time to compare all offers, which I hadn't fully understood before. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and practical advice. This community is such a valuable resource for families navigating this overwhelming process!

As someone new to this community, I'm so relieved to find this discussion! I'm going through the exact same confusion with my daughter's college applications right now. The portal language around "accepting" has been driving me crazy - I was starting to think I was missing something obvious or had misunderstood how the whole process works. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been incredibly reassuring. I had no idea that this terminology confusion was so widespread! The breakdown that several people provided about the different types of "accepting" (portal access vs. aid package vs. enrollment commitment) finally makes sense of what I've been seeing across different school portals. I'm definitely going to implement the tracking sheet idea that multiple people suggested, with columns for each school's specific requirements and timeline. And the suggestion to call financial aid offices directly with specific questions about their portal language is exactly what I need to do instead of trying to guess what they mean. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and practical advice. It's such a relief to know that schools absolutely cannot require enrollment commitments before providing complete financial aid information, and that the May 1st deadline exists specifically to give families time to compare all offers. This community has been incredibly helpful for navigating this overwhelming process!

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!