I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My daughter's SAI came through about 10 days ago, and I've been checking her student portals obsessively every day. So far only 2 out of 5 schools have updated their systems to show they received the FAFSA data. The waiting is killing me because we really need to see those aid packages to make our final decision. I called one school yesterday and they said they're running about 2-3 weeks behind their normal timeline this year due to all the FAFSA delays and changes. It's reassuring to know we're all in the same boat, but wow is this stressful when you're trying to plan for such a huge financial commitment!

I'm in exactly the same situation! My son's SAI was processed about a week and a half ago, and the waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking. What I've learned from calling a couple of schools is that while they typically receive the FAFSA data within 3-5 days, their internal processing times have been significantly delayed this year due to all the FAFSA changes and the compressed timeline. One admissions counselor told me they're getting a "tsunami" of applications all at once instead of the usual steady flow throughout the year. I've started checking each school's financial aid website for any updates about their specific timelines - a few have posted notices about delays. Also found it helpful to sign up for text alerts from the schools if they offer it, since some are sending updates that way. The uncertainty is definitely the worst part, especially with those May 1st deadlines looming! Hang in there - we're all navigating this together.

Welcome to the FAFSA journey, Dylan! You're smart to be reading through these experiences ahead of time. A few tips that might help when you get there: 1) Take screenshots at each major step, especially after signing, 2) Don't rush through that final confirmation area - look carefully for any submit buttons, 3) Keep your FSA ID info handy in case you need to log back in, and 4) If you get stuck, don't hesitate to reach out here or contact your school's financial aid office directly. The process can definitely feel overwhelming at first, but you've got this! Having this community knowledge beforehand puts you way ahead of where most of us started.

This is such a valuable thread! I'm a parent who went through this exact same nightmare last year with my oldest son's FAFSA. The confusion between "completed" and "submitted" is so real - we also got stuck at that final step and didn't realize there was another button to click after signatures. What made it worse was that the status page kept saying "form started" even though we'd spent hours filling everything out perfectly. I ended up having to drive to his high school and ask the guidance counselor to walk through it with us on their computer. Turned out we missed that final submit button too! For anyone reading this who hasn't started yet: budget extra time for this process and don't assume you're done just because you've signed everything. The interface is genuinely confusing and it's not your fault if you get stuck. So glad Keisha got it resolved and shared the solution!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last month, I can definitely relate to that panic! I made a similar error with my parent's tax information and was terrified it would mess everything up. But honestly, the correction process was much smoother than I expected. Mine processed in about 5 days, and like others mentioned, it didn't reset my application or affect my priority status at schools. The key thing that helped me was emailing my financial aid offices right away - they were super understanding and actually appreciated the heads up. Your $1,400 difference in retirement contributions really shouldn't cause major changes to your SAI, so try not to stress too much. You did the right thing by correcting it quickly rather than letting it slide!

As a newcomer to FAFSA, this entire thread has been incredibly reassuring! I just submitted my application last week and have been constantly worried about whether I made any mistakes. Reading everyone's experiences - especially @ec89ffba57e6's successful correction story and the detailed explanations from financial aid professionals like @e44d2afe5238 and @ed15ee67065b - has really calmed my nerves. It's amazing to learn that corrections don't restart the whole process and that schools are generally understanding about these situations. The advice about proactively emailing financial aid offices seems like such a smart approach. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment for people navigating this process for the first time!

I'm so sorry you're going through this panic - I know exactly how terrifying it is when thousands of dollars just vanish from your account! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring though. It sounds like this is happening to tons of students right now because of the July processing updates and all the FAFSA system changes. The fact that so many people have had their grants reappear within 2-4 days after similar disappearances gives me real hope for your situation. I'm definitely taking notes on all the advice here - going to the financial aid office in person Monday morning instead of calling, taking weekly screenshots of aid packages, and demanding specific timelines rather than vague answers. It's absolutely ridiculous that the system can make our survival money disappear without any notification, but this community support has been amazing. Please update us after you visit your financial aid office - I'm sure there are other students silently dealing with the same issue who could benefit from hearing how it gets resolved!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm a new community member and this exact same thing just happened to me yesterday - my entire Pell Grant ($4,150) disappeared from my student portal with absolutely zero explanation or notification. I was completely panicking because I've never dealt with anything like this before and had no idea if this was normal or if I'd somehow lost my aid permanently. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - knowing that this is apparently a widespread issue right now due to the FAFSA system changes makes me feel so much less alone and anxious about it. The advice about going to the financial aid office in person Monday morning instead of calling seems to be the consistent recommendation from everyone who's successfully resolved this issue. I'm definitely going to start taking those weekly screenshots that Grace mentioned too - I had no idea that was something students needed to do to protect themselves! Thank you to everyone who shared their stories, especially those who work in financial aid offices for explaining what's likely happening behind the scenes. This community support is exactly what students need when dealing with these broken systems. Zoe, I really hope your situation gets resolved quickly on Monday - please keep us updated!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly valuable this thread has been! I'm a parent of a high school junior, so I'm trying to get ahead of the financial aid process before we're in the thick of it next year. The distinction between subsidized and unsubsidized loans was completely new to me - I had always heard that $5,500 figure thrown around but never realized it was actually split between two different loan types. Sean Murphy's breakdown of the annual limits by grade level is absolutely going into my college planning folder for reference! What really stands out to me is how many families seem to run into this exact same confusion, yet it sounds like such a simple communication fix from the schools' perspective. While I appreciate Ella Thompson's explanation about why schools present the better aid options first, adding just one sentence about additional federal loans being available would save so many families from unnecessary panic. The practical tips shared here are incredibly valuable too - knowing to check student portals for loan request forms, having services like Claimyr as a backup for busy phone lines, and most importantly, knowing to specifically ask about the unsubsidized portion. These are the kinds of insider tips you just don't get from official financial aid websites! Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and creating such a supportive community. It's reassuring to know there's this kind of help available when we eventually navigate this process ourselves. This thread alone has probably saved our family from making costly mistakes down the road!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this discussion! My daughter is a high school senior and we're waiting on several aid packages to arrive. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly educational and honestly a huge relief. I had no idea about the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans, or that schools might only show the subsidized portion initially. Sean Murphy's breakdown of the annual loan limits is exactly the kind of detailed information I needed - definitely saving that for reference! And Ella Thompson's explanation from the college perspective really helped me understand that this isn't intentional confusion, just a communication issue that could be easily solved. The practical advice here is invaluable - knowing to specifically ask about unsubsidized loans, checking student portals for additional forms, and having backup options like Claimyr when financial aid offices are swamped. When our packages arrive, I'll know exactly what to look for and what questions to ask instead of panicking if I only see $3,500 in loans. It's wonderful to find such a supportive community where families share their real experiences and help each other navigate these complexities. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge - this thread has probably saved our family from unnecessary stress and potentially costly mistakes!