So glad you got through and got confirmation! This is a great reminder for everyone that paper FAFSA submissions are still valid but require much more follow-up. For future reference, if anyone else needs to submit paper forms, I'd recommend sending them via certified mail with tracking so you have proof of delivery date. That way you can show your school exactly when you submitted if there are any deadline issues. Good luck with your financial aid package!

As someone who's been through the paper FAFSA process, I'm so relieved to see your update! The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking. One thing I'd add - if your school has a financial aid chat or walk-in hours, definitely take advantage of those too. Sometimes they can give you more specific guidance about your situation or even flag your account for priority review once your FAFSA processes. Also, if you run into any snags during processing, don't hesitate to reach out to your school's financial aid office again - they're usually very understanding about paper submission delays, especially when students can show they submitted on time.

Just to clarify something important: your financial aid award isn't automatic after receiving your SAI. Each school creates their own unique financial aid package based on: 1. Your SAI score 2. The school's total cost of attendance 3. Available funding at that specific institution 4. Their particular awarding policies With a -1500 SAI, you'll likely qualify for the maximum Pell Grant ($7,395 for the 2025-2026 award year), but institutional aid, work-study, and loans will vary by school. Once you've verified your FAFSA is complete and the school has your information, ask about their typical notification timeline and if they need additional documentation from you specifically.

Hey! I went through this exact same situation last year and totally understand the confusion. Your -1500 SAI is fantastic and definitely means you'll qualify for substantial aid! One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to also check if your school has any priority deadlines for institutional aid that you might be approaching. Some schools have separate deadlines for their own scholarships and grants even after you've submitted your FAFSA. Also, while you're waiting to hear back, it might be worth looking into your state's financial aid programs too. Many states have their own grant programs for residents that use your FAFSA info but require separate applications. Good luck with everything - with that SAI score, you should be in really good shape once everything gets processed! The waiting is definitely the hardest part but it sounds like you're on the right track.

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to echo how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm also starting graduate school this fall with a 0 SAI and was completely overwhelmed trying to understand what it meant for my funding prospects. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a relief - I initially worried I had made some error on my FAFSA, but now I understand it's actually the best possible outcome for demonstrating financial need. What really strikes me from all these responses is how much more complex and nuanced graduate financial aid is compared to undergraduate aid. While we won't receive federal grants like Pell, the 0 SAI can still be valuable for institutional scholarships, work-study eligibility, and department-specific funding opportunities that require active pursuit rather than automatic qualification. I'm particularly encouraged by the success stories about emergency grants, graduate assistantships, and need-based scholarships that people discovered by being proactive with their outreach. It's clear that reaching out early to both my specific graduate program and the financial aid office will be crucial for maximizing my funding opportunities. Thank you all for taking the time to share your insights and experiences - this thread has transformed what felt like a confusing and intimidating process into a clear roadmap for navigating graduate financial aid with confidence!

As a newcomer to this community, this discussion has been absolutely amazing! I'm also starting graduate school this fall and got a 0 SAI, which initially had me panicking thinking I'd made some huge mistake on my FAFSA. But reading through everyone's experiences here has been so reassuring and informative. It's really eye-opening to learn how different graduate financial aid is from undergrad - while we won't get federal grants like Pell, that 0 SAI can still help with institutional aid and work-study opportunities that we might not even know about. I'm particularly encouraged by all the success stories about people finding emergency grants, assistantships, and departmental scholarships through proactive outreach. The consistent advice about reaching out early to both my graduate program and financial aid office really makes sense - it sounds like graduate aid requires much more active pursuit compared to undergrad where things are more automatic. I'm definitely planning to start making those contacts within my first few weeks to explore all possible funding sources at my school. Thank you all for sharing your insights and making this whole process feel much less overwhelming for those of us just starting our graduate journey!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how helpful this thread has been. I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - my parents live in Germany and while they do file taxes there, the FAFSA system doesn't know how to handle foreign tax documents. Reading through all your experiences and solutions has given me so many ideas I hadn't considered before. The Professional Judgment route that @Dmitry mentioned sounds like exactly what I need to pursue. I'm also definitely going to try that Claimyr service that @Jamal recommended to get through to an actual FAFSA agent. It's both frustrating and comforting to know that so many of us are dealing with these international parent complications. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive resource for those of us navigating this broken system!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say thank you for creating such an incredibly helpful and supportive space! I'm currently helping my niece with a similar international parent situation (her parents live in Costa Rica), and reading through this entire thread has been like finding a goldmine of practical solutions. The progression from the initial FAFSA system struggles to discovering Professional Judgment options and school-specific processes really maps out a clear path forward. I'm particularly grateful for all the specific terminology people shared - "Dependency Override," "Special Circumstances Review," "FAFSA International Parent Worksheet" - these are exactly the types of terms we need to use when communicating with financial aid offices. It's clear that the FAFSA online system simply isn't designed for our international family situations, but knowing that there are established workarounds through the schools gives me so much hope. Looking forward to contributing my own experiences as we navigate this process!

Wow, this thread is a goldmine of information! I'm a high school senior and my dad is from the Philippines - haven't started my FAFSA yet but this gives me such a clear roadmap. A few questions for those who've successfully completed this process: 1. When your parent gets the special login after the International Parent Override, do they complete their section in English or can they do it in their native language? 2. For the foreign income conversion to USD - do most people use an online currency converter or is there a specific rate FSA wants you to use? 3. @Paolo Bianchi mentioned certified translations - roughly how much does that typically cost? Trying to budget for all the expenses involved in this process. It's honestly ridiculous that international families have to go through all this extra work, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their experiences here. This thread probably needs to be pinned or something - it's going to help SO many students! @Liam Murphy definitely keep us posted on how your mom's part goes. And @Isabella Ferreira good luck with the Claimyr service today!

This is such an incredibly helpful thread - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how supportive everyone is being with such detailed advice. I'm currently helping my younger sister navigate the FAFSA process (our mom is from Colombia), and reading through all these responses has given us a clear action plan. We were completely lost before finding this discussion. The step-by-step breakdown from @Chloe Taylor and the professional insights from @Paolo Bianchi are especially valuable. It's frustrating that the FAFSA system makes this so complicated for international families, but knowing there's a path through it (and specific terminology to use when calling FSA) makes all the difference. Definitely going to try that Claimyr service and ask for the "International Parent Override" and "Advanced Processing Unit" specifically. This community is a lifesaver for students dealing with these complex situations!