I'm completely new to the Parent PLUS endorser process and this entire thread has been a goldmine of information! My sister just asked me to endorse her loan for my niece's education and I was honestly pretty clueless about what I was signing up for. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing how important it is to get clear documentation upfront and understand that different servicers have totally different policies. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here about using NSLDS to identify the servicer, calling them directly (early morning for shorter wait times!), asking for an endorser reference number, and getting written confirmation of their specific credit reporting timeline. It's clear that relying on the financial aid office isn't enough - you really need to go straight to the source. One question for those who've been through this: when you called your servicer, did they provide any kind of written summary of your endorser terms via email or mail? I want to make sure I have everything documented properly from the start rather than trying to piece it together later like some of you had to do. Thanks for sharing all your experiences - this has been incredibly helpful for a newcomer!

I'm new to this community and just went through the Parent PLUS endorser process for my daughter's college loan last month. This thread is incredibly helpful! I had a very similar experience to what Freya described - the financial aid counselor told me the loan would appear on my credit report right away, but it's been 5 weeks and still nothing showing up on any of my reports. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing I should probably call the loan servicer directly to confirm everything was processed correctly. The advice about getting a reference number and written documentation is really smart - I wish I had thought to ask for that when I first signed the endorser paperwork. One thing I wanted to add that might be helpful for others: when I signed as endorser, they gave me a copy of the Master Promissory Note endorser addendum, but it didn't have any specific information about credit reporting timelines. It sounds like that varies so much by servicer that they probably can't put standard language in the paperwork. Definitely going to follow the advice here and call early morning to avoid those long hold times everyone mentioned!

This thread is exactly what I needed to see! I'm about to start my consolidation application and was completely unprepared for these technical challenges. The loan type verification issue seems to be the root cause for most people - I had no idea that having even one FFEL loan mixed in with Direct loans could cause the entire system to hang without any clear error message. That's such poor system design! I'm definitely going to follow the comprehensive approach everyone has outlined: check FSA "My Aid" first, verify tax info is properly linked, disable browser extensions, plan for off-peak hours, and have all documentation ready. It's incredible how this community has turned individual frustrations into a complete troubleshooting guide. Thanks especially to Malia for sharing both the problem and the solution - this kind of follow-up is so valuable for future applicants dealing with the same issues!

As someone who's been lurking on this forum for a while but never posted, I had to create an account just to thank everyone for this incredible thread! I'm facing my first loan consolidation and was honestly terrified after hearing so many horror stories about the StudentAid.gov system. But reading through all of your experiences and solutions has completely changed my approach. The loan type verification issue is something I never would have thought to check - I just assumed all federal loans were the same type. It's mind-blowing that one FFEL loan can cause the entire application to hang indefinitely with just a spinning wheel and no error message. The checklist approach that's emerged from this discussion is brilliant: verify loan types in FSA "My Aid," confirm tax info linkage, plan for off-peak hours, disable browser extensions, and have all documentation ready. This thread has turned what seemed like a scary technical minefield into a manageable step-by-step process. Thank you especially to Malia for following up with your solution - seeing that success story after all the troubleshooting gives me so much confidence! I'll definitely report back once I complete my consolidation to keep this knowledge base growing for future applicants.

Just want to echo what others have said - you're definitely not alone in this confusion! I made the same UGMA reporting mistake when my oldest applied to colleges three years ago. The good news is that both College Board and the schools' financial aid offices deal with this correction frequently, so they have processes in place to handle it smoothly. One thing I learned that might help: when you contact the financial aid offices about the CSS Profile correction, consider asking if they can give you a preliminary idea of how the correction might impact your aid eligibility at their school. Some offices are willing to do a quick informal assessment, which can help you understand what to expect before the official aid packages come out. This was especially helpful for us in deciding whether to pursue appeals at certain schools. Also, for future reference (or anyone else reading this), if you have younger children, definitely consider rolling UGMA funds into a 529 plan if your state allows it. Some states permit this transfer, and 529s are treated as parent assets for financial aid purposes. Worth looking into!

As a parent who went through this exact same situation two years ago, I can definitely relate to your confusion! UGMA accounts are tricky because even though we manage them as parents, they legally belong to our kids from day one. I made the same reporting error initially and had to correct both my CSS Profile and contact each school individually. One thing that really helped me was keeping detailed records of all my corrections and communications with financial aid offices. I created a simple spreadsheet tracking which schools I'd contacted, when I called them, and what they told me about the correction process. This was super helpful when following up and ensuring nothing fell through the cracks. Also, don't beat yourself up about not knowing this beforehand - the financial aid system is incredibly complex and even well-meaning parents make these mistakes. The important thing is that you caught it and are fixing it now. Most financial aid officers I spoke with said they see UGMA reporting errors all the time, so you're definitely not alone in this!

I'm also new to this community and unfortunately dealing with this exact same 401(k) rollover disaster! My husband had a $62,000 rollover when his company switched from Principal to Fidelity last year, and our SAI skyrocketed from around $12,000 to $32,000. I was absolutely panicking thinking we had completely botched our FAFSA submission until I discovered this incredibly helpful thread. It's both maddening and such a relief to see how many families are experiencing this exact same system error. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences and advice has given me so much hope that this can be resolved, even though it's ridiculous that we all have to fight individual battles with each school for what should be a simple system fix. I'm going to follow the comprehensive documentation approach that's been so thoroughly outlined here: - Get the 1099-R with distribution code G from Principal - Obtain statements from both Principal and Fidelity showing the direct transfer - Include our tax returns proving it wasn't included in our AGI - Create a detailed cover letter mentioning this is a documented FSA system issue My plan is to proactively contact every school on our list to request their professional judgment forms immediately rather than waiting for initial aid decisions. From all the experiences shared, it's clear that weekly follow-ups and having complete documentation ready are absolutely essential for getting these corrections processed quickly. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone tracked how long the entire process took from submitting documentation to receiving corrected aid packages? Just trying to set realistic expectations for timing. Thank you to everyone who has shared such detailed guidance and experiences - this thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding how to navigate this nightmare!

I'm new to this community and unfortunately also dealing with this exact 401(k) rollover nightmare! My husband had a $74,000 rollover when his company was bought out and switched from American Funds to Vanguard last year, and our SAI shot up from around $11,500 to $34,000. I was absolutely convinced we had somehow destroyed our daughter's financial aid chances until I found this incredibly helpful thread. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief - it's both infuriating and comforting to know this is such a widespread system error affecting so many families. The comprehensive advice shared here has given me a clear roadmap for fighting this, even though it's ridiculous we have to do all this extra work for what should be an automatic system correction. I'm putting together my documentation packet this week based on all the excellent guidance here: - 1099-R with distribution code G from American Funds - Account statements from both American Funds and Vanguard showing the direct transfer - Our tax returns proving it wasn't counted as income - A detailed cover letter explaining this is a documented FSA system issue Planning to contact all schools immediately for their professional judgment forms rather than waiting for aid decisions. From everything I've read, persistence with weekly follow-ups seems to be absolutely critical for getting these processed quickly. Thank you to everyone who has shared such detailed experiences and advice - this community has been a lifesaver for understanding how to navigate this mess and knowing we're not alone in this fight!

I'm new to this community but wanted to add my experience since I went through something very similar about 6 months ago. I was separated for almost 3 years without legal papers and also filing "married filing separately" with kids. One thing that really helped my case that I haven't seen mentioned yet is including documentation of any changes you made to beneficiaries on insurance policies, retirement accounts, or other financial accounts. When I separated from my ex, I changed all my beneficiaries from him to my children, and my financial aid counselor said this was additional evidence of our intent to live completely separate financial lives. Also, if you have any text messages, emails, or other communication that shows discussions about living separately or dividing responsibilities for the kids, save those too. I know it sounds weird to include personal communications, but my counselor said it helped demonstrate that this wasn't just a temporary separation but a genuine dissolution of the marriage relationship. Miguel, your documentation sounds really solid with 2 years of separate tax filings and addresses. The fact that you're claiming the kids as dependents and have been the primary caregiver should definitely strengthen your case. Good luck with your Thursday meeting - this thread has been so helpful for all of us dealing with this frustrating situation!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience as someone who just went through this exact situation about 8 months ago. I was separated for over 2 years without legal papers, filing "married filing separately," and had primary custody of my kids. What really saved me was discovering that many schools have a specific form called a "Dependency Override" or "Special Circumstances" form for situations exactly like yours. When I met with my financial aid office, they had me fill this out along with a detailed personal statement explaining why I couldn't provide my spouse's information. The documentation that made the biggest difference in my case: - A letter from my landlord confirming I'd been the sole tenant for 2+ years - Utility bills in only my name for the entire separation period - Bank statements showing no shared accounts or transactions - Documentation showing I was the sole parent on school emergency contact forms One crucial tip: when you meet with them Thursday, ask specifically about their "inability to contact spouse" procedures. Every school handles this differently, but most have established processes since this situation is more common than you'd think. My professional judgment was approved in about 3 weeks, and I was able to get the aid I needed. The key is being persistent and thorough with your documentation. Your 2-year track record should definitely work in your favor - that's substantial proof of genuine separation. Good luck with your meeting! This community has been so helpful for navigating these complicated situations.