As someone who's been through this process with multiple kids, I want to emphasize that you absolutely should not give up on appealing! I've seen families with similar SAI scores successfully get additional aid from Bucknell, but it requires being very strategic and persistent. A few additional tips based on what I've learned: 1. When you call the financial aid office, ask to speak with a senior counselor or the director - not just whoever answers the phone. The front-line staff often can't make decisions about additional funding. 2. Frame your appeal around "changed circumstances" rather than just asking for more money. Even if your financial situation is the same, emphasize anything that wasn't fully captured (like the medical expenses you mentioned). 3. If you have any connection to Bucknell alumni, now is the time to reach out. Sometimes a well-placed phone call from a donor or active alum can make a difference. The squeaky wheel really does get the grease in financial aid. Don't be afraid to be politely persistent - they have money set aside for exactly these situations, but they won't offer it unless you ask (repeatedly). Your daughter's stats must be strong if Bucknell accepted her, so they clearly want her there. Use that to your advantage in negotiations!

I'm new to this community but had to jump in because I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! My daughter got into Bucknell with a -1650 SAI and we're facing a $7,800 gap. Like you, we thought a negative SAI would mean much better coverage. Reading through all these responses has been so eye-opening - I had no idea about the appeal strategies or department-specific scholarships. My daughter is planning to study psychology, so I'm definitely going to research what the psychology department might offer. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from our experience with another school: when you submit your appeal, include a detailed family budget showing your actual monthly expenses. Sometimes seeing the real numbers helps financial aid officers understand why even $8,500 is genuinely unaffordable, not just "we'd prefer not to pay it." Also, has anyone tried reaching out to current Bucknell students or recent graduates about work-study opportunities or other ways to offset costs? I'm wondering if there are campus jobs that pay better than typical work-study positions. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this struggle!

Just wanna say good on you for thinking creatively about financing your kid's education! This is the kind of thinking that shows you care and are looking at all options. Whatever route you go with, your daughter is lucky to have a parent so invested in her future. My parents didn't even know what FAFSA was lol.

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I'd say the processing fees really are the dealbreaker here. Even without fees though, I'd be cautious about the timing risk. What helped me was looking into whether my daughter's school offered an interest-free payment plan - many schools will let you spread tuition over 10-12 months with just a small setup fee (like $50-100). That way you get the cash flow benefit without the credit risk. Also worth double-checking if she's maxed out her federal direct loan limits - those rates are much better than what you'd face if something went wrong with the credit card plan.

Just to address the last comment: There are multiple ways to qualify for the simplified formula. Benefits are one way, but income below certain thresholds is another. If your friend's family income is below about $60,000 AND they filed certain tax forms (like 1040 with standard deduction), they would also qualify for simplified treatment without reporting benefits. The new FAFSA is definitely causing confusion, but in many ways, it's more streamlined. Always double-check your SAI calculation when you receive it, and don't be afraid to ask for professional help if something seems wrong.

So glad you got it figured out! For anyone else reading this thread - don't panic if your FAFSA looks different this year. The simplified approach is actually designed to help families who need aid the most. Just make sure you're reporting ALL income sources correctly, including child support, even if asset questions are skipped. The key is being thorough with the income sections since that's what really drives your aid calculation. Good luck with your financial aid process!

I went through this exact situation two years ago when my son inherited money from his grandfather's Roth IRA. The key thing to remember is that the FAFSA timing matters a lot here. Since you're filing the 2025-26 FAFSA, you'll be using 2023 tax information for income reporting, so that 2022 distribution won't show up in the income section at all. For the asset reporting, you'll need to include whatever amount your daughter still has from that inheritance as of the day you file the FAFSA. The $14k mentioned in the comments would add about $2,800 to her Student Aid Index, which could reduce her aid eligibility. One strategy that worked for us was using some of the inherited funds for legitimate college expenses before filing - things like a laptop, textbooks, dorm supplies, or even paying the enrollment deposit. This reduced the reportable asset amount while still using the money for its intended purpose. Just make sure to keep all receipts in case you need to document the expenses later. Also, if any of her schools require the CSS Profile, double-check their specific requirements since they sometimes have different rules than the FAFSA for inherited assets.

As a financial aid advisor, I can confirm the advice given here is mostly accurate. For the 2025-26 FAFSA using 2023 tax data, that 2022 Roth IRA distribution won't appear in the income section. However, I want to emphasize a few key points: 1. Any remaining funds ($14k mentioned) will be assessed as student assets at 20%, potentially reducing aid by about $2,800 2. Using funds for legitimate educational expenses before filing is a valid strategy - this includes tuition deposits, required technology, textbooks, and even reasonable transportation needs 3. Keep detailed records of all purchases in case schools request verification 4. For schools requiring CSS Profile, contact their financial aid offices directly as they may have additional reporting requirements One thing I haven't seen mentioned: if your daughter qualifies for the simplified needs test (family AGI under $60,000 and eligible to file 1040EZ or meeting other criteria), assets aren't counted at all on the FAFSA. This could make the entire asset question moot depending on your family's income situation. The key is being honest and accurate while understanding the rules to make informed decisions about timing your FAFSA filing.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive thread! My daughter will be starting college this fall and we're in a very similar situation - she has a partial merit scholarship, Pell Grant eligibility, and we're considering transferring some of my Coast Guard GI Bill benefits to her. After reading through all these detailed experiences, I feel much more confident about navigating this process. The key themes that keep coming up are so valuable: early coordination, getting everything documented in writing, understanding each school's specific aid application order, and staying organized with tracking systems. Oliver's question about what type of documentation is needed is excellent - I'm wondering the same thing. Are email confirmations sufficient, or do we need formal letters from each office? One additional question I have: for those who successfully combined these three funding sources, did you find that your student needed to maintain any specific GPA or enrollment requirements that were different from what each individual funding source required? I'm wondering if having multiple sources creates any additional academic performance expectations. Also, has anyone dealt with study abroad programs while using this combination of benefits? My daughter is interested in a semester abroad and I'm curious how that might affect the coordination of these different funding sources. Thank you all for creating such a valuable resource thread. The real-world experiences shared here are giving me the confidence to tackle what initially seemed like an impossibly complex process!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this entire thread absolutely invaluable! My daughter will be starting college this fall and we're dealing with a nearly identical situation - she has a partial academic merit scholarship, Pell Grant eligibility, and we're planning to transfer some of my Army GI Bill benefits to her. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both reassuring and eye-opening. The consistent themes about early coordination, documentation, and understanding each school's specific processes are so helpful. I'm particularly grateful for the practical advice about creating tracking spreadsheets and identifying dedicated contact people at each office. Building on Ravi's excellent questions about documentation types and study abroad programs, I'm also wondering: for families who've been through this process, did you find it helpful to create a "lessons learned" document that you could share with other military families at your child's school? It seems like there's so much institutional knowledge that gets developed through this process that could benefit future families. Also, I'm curious about timing flexibility - if we start with a conservative percentage of GI Bill benefits (say 60%) and later realize we need more coverage, how quickly can those adjustments typically be made? I want to make sure we maintain flexibility while still maximizing benefits. Thank you all for creating such a comprehensive resource. This discussion has transformed what felt like an overwhelming process into something much more manageable!