To summarize the advice so far: 1. Having schools on FAFSA is good, but you need to contact each financial aid office for their specific policies 2. Enrollment generally happens when you pay a deposit AND register for classes 3. Consider requesting single-semester financial aid if possible 4. Gather all academic records now (transcripts, syllabi, course descriptions) 5. Understand the difference between closed school discharge (loans forgiven but credits lost) vs. transferring credits (keep credits but also keep loans) 6. Ask about mid-year transfer aid availability specifically 7. If needed, look into consortium agreements for potential transition periods The most important thing is open communication with all financial aid offices involved. Don't just rely on general information - get specific answers for your situation.

One additional thing to consider - if your son's university does close, make sure to document the closure date and circumstances. The Department of Education requires specific documentation for closed school discharge eligibility, and schools sometimes try to frame closures as "mergers" or "consolidations" which can affect your discharge options. Also, keep records of any tuition refunds or partial refunds you receive from the current school, as this can impact your financial aid eligibility at transfer schools. The timing of when you apply for aid at potential transfer schools versus when the current school officially closes can make a difference in your aid calculations.

I've been through this exact situation with my daughter two years ago! The custody rule is absolutely rigid - there's no wiggle room to choose based on income. Since your daughter lived with you, you're stuck using your income even though it results in less aid. However, here's what actually helped us: Document EVERYTHING about your ex's disability and financial inability to contribute, then request a Professional Judgment review. We provided his disability award letters, medical documentation, and a letter explaining that despite legal obligations, he physically and financially cannot contribute. The school reduced our EFC by about $4,000. Also check if your state has any grants for single parents or children of disabled parents that aren't tied to FAFSA. Some states have separate aid programs that consider these circumstances differently than federal aid does. Don't give up - the initial aid package is often just the starting point, not the final answer!

I went through something very similar with my stepson last year. The FAFSA rules around divorced parents are definitely frustrating, but they're based on where the student physically lived the most, not who would provide better aid eligibility. Since your daughter lived with you for the past 4 years, you're the correct parent to include. However, don't lose hope! Here are a few things that helped us: 1. Professional Judgment appeals really do work - we got our EFC reduced by about $3,500 after providing documentation of the non-custodial parent's disability and inability to contribute. 2. Look into your state's grant programs. Some have aid specifically for single parents or families with disabled members that uses different criteria than FAFSA. 3. Check if your daughter qualifies for any scholarships through organizations that support children of disabled parents. The key is being persistent with the financial aid office and providing thorough documentation. Many schools have additional institutional aid they can offer beyond what the initial FAFSA calculation shows. Good luck!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm a parent of a high school senior and we're in the early stages of the FAFSA process. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both eye-opening and reassuring - it's clear that these technical issues are widespread and not just user error. What strikes me most is how the official FAFSA guidance doesn't prepare families for any of these real-world technical challenges. The contributor invitation system sounds much more complicated than the simple "parent completes their section" process I remember from when I applied to college years ago. I'm taking notes on all the key points shared here: complete student demographics first, use Chrome browser, never pre-fill parent information, watch the invitation timing, and be prepared to troubleshoot browser/cache issues. The advice about documenting everything with screenshots and not rushing through error messages is particularly valuable. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share detailed solutions - this kind of peer support is invaluable for navigating what seems like an unnecessarily complex system. I'll definitely be referring back to this thread when we start our application!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to express my gratitude for this incredibly detailed and helpful thread! I'm currently facing this exact same issue with my son's FAFSA application - we've been stuck on the "not authorized to act on behalf of student" error for several days now. After reading through all the solutions shared here, I realize we made multiple common mistakes: we were using Safari browser, my son may have pre-filled some parent information, and he probably didn't complete his full demographics section before trying to invite me. It's amazing how many different technical factors can cause the same error message! I'm going to have him follow the comprehensive approach outlined by everyone here: switch to Chrome, clear all browser data, complete his entire student demographics section, delete any parent info he entered himself, then send me a proper invitation using my exact FSA ID email. The advice about not rushing through errors and taking breaks between attempts is particularly valuable. This community is such a lifesaver - the official FAFSA instructions really don't prepare families for these real-world technical challenges. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share detailed step-by-step solutions. You've probably saved countless families from hours of frustration!

Hey Landon! I'm a current student at Cal State San Bernardino and had an SAI of $21,300 when I applied two years ago - so pretty much exactly in your situation! I totally understand the panic when you first see that number, but I wanted to share some hope. I ended up getting about $4,800 through the Middle Class Scholarship program, $3,200 in subsidized loans, and my school gave me a $1,500 institutional grant. Plus I got into a work-study program that pays about $3,000 per year working in the student services office. The work-study has been great because it's on-campus, flexible with my class schedule, and I've learned a ton about college operations. One thing that really helped was applying for every single departmental scholarship I could find once I enrolled. My business department had like 15 different small scholarships ranging from $250 to $1,000, and most students don't even know they exist! I ended up getting $750 from a random "first-generation college student pursuing business" scholarship that only had 12 applicants. California really does take care of middle-class families way better than most states. Your $85k family income with two kids in college should definitely help your aid eligibility. Just make sure to appeal if your dad's overtime situation changes - schools are usually pretty understanding about income fluctuations like that. You're going to have way more options than you think!

I'm a current senior at UC Berkeley and had an SAI of $19,400 when I applied three years ago, so I totally get your stress! But honestly, you're in a much better position than you realize. California is incredible for middle-class families - I ended up with about $6,500 in Middle Class Scholarship funds, $4,200 in subsidized loans, and Berkeley gave me a $2,800 institutional grant. Plus work-study brought in another $3,200/year. The key thing that saved me was understanding that your SAI isn't a bill - it's just what the government thinks your family can contribute. Schools often have their own formulas that are more generous. Berkeley's "Middle Class Access Plan" covers a huge chunk for families making $80-140k, and most UCs have similar programs. Also, your timing with having two kids in college simultaneously is actually perfect for aid eligibility! That basically cuts your expected family contribution in half across all programs. Make sure every school knows about this when reviewing your aid. One more tip: apply for EVERYTHING once you're enrolled. I've gotten probably $3,000 in random departmental scholarships just by spending a few hours filling out applications each semester. Your SAI doesn't matter for most of these private/merit awards. You're going to have real options - California's got your back way more than most states!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm currently dealing with this exact same contributor invitation issue with my husband's FSA account. The email link just takes him to that frustrating "No Activity Found" page. Based on all the helpful suggestions here, I'm going to have him try the Firefox browser + cache clearing + looking for the notification bell approach first. It's really reassuring to see that so many people have figured out workarounds for this problem. The new FAFSA system definitely has some kinks to work out, but at least there's a supportive community here sharing solutions! I'll report back if we get it working.

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm just starting the FAFSA process for my daughter and was dreading dealing with the contributor system after hearing so many horror stories. Reading through all the solutions you've shared here - the Firefox browser switch, clearing cache, looking for the notification bell instead of relying on email links, trying incognito windows, and even creating fresh FSA IDs if needed - gives me a whole toolkit of approaches to try. It's amazing how this community has collectively figured out workarounds for what's clearly a systemic issue with the new FAFSA platform. Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences and solutions. It's going to save so many families hours of frustration!