As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this thread incredibly valuable! I haven't submitted my son's FAFSA yet (we're still gathering documents), but reading about these SAI changes from just adding college codes is really concerning. It seems like such a basic function shouldn't trigger verification flags or calculation changes. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here about taking screenshots before making any modifications. @Chloe Robinson thank you for sharing your resolution - it's reassuring to know that college financial aid offices can help override these system glitches. This community is already proving to be such a great resource for navigating these confusing FAFSA issues!

New to this community and this thread is exactly what I needed to see! I'm currently helping my daughter with her FAFSA and we were just about to add a few more college codes after she heard back from some schools. Reading about these SAI changes from simply adding colleges is honestly terrifying - it makes no sense that the system would recalculate anything when you're just expanding the list of where to send the same information. The screenshots idea is genius and I'm definitely doing that before we make any changes. @Chloe Robinson thanks for sharing your experience and the resolution path through the college financial aid office - that gives me a concrete plan if we run into the same issue. It's frustrating that families have to deal with these technical glitches during an already stressful process, but at least this community is here to help navigate it!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share something that might help with your sister's reluctance. When I was working with families on FAFSA issues, I found that many parents worry about privacy and what happens to their tax information once it's submitted. You might want to let her know that the IRS Data Retrieval Tool actually imports her tax info directly from the IRS into the FAFSA, so she doesn't have to manually enter sensitive details, and the information is only used for federal aid calculations - it's not shared with colleges for any other purpose. Also, consider showing her the actual financial impact with real numbers. If your nephew potentially qualifies for a Pell Grant (which could be up to $7,395 for 2025-26), plus state grants, that's real money that could reduce his loan burden significantly. Sometimes parents don't realize they're essentially costing their child thousands of dollars by withholding tax information that doesn't commit them to paying anything. If she's still resistant, document her specific reasons in writing. That documentation could actually be helpful for the dependency override process, especially if you can show that her refusal is causing genuine financial hardship for your nephew's education.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share something that might help since I just went through a very similar situation with my own child last year. One approach that finally worked with our reluctant parent was having them speak directly with a financial aid officer at one of the colleges. Many schools will do brief phone consultations to explain the process to hesitant parents, and sometimes hearing it from an official college representative carries more weight than family explanations. The financial aid officer was able to clearly explain that providing FAFSA information creates zero financial obligation and that parents can still choose not to contribute even after the aid calculations are complete. They also explained how much potential aid was at stake, which really drove home the impact of refusing to participate. If the guidance counselor meeting doesn't work out, you might ask one of your nephew's target schools if they'd be willing to have a brief conversation with your sister. Many are happy to do this because they want to help students access all available aid. It's worth a shot before going through the complex dependency override process!

Your SAI of 4444 is actually really promising! I'm a current college sophomore who had a similar SAI (around 4200) when I applied. Here's what I ended up getting: - Full Pell Grant ($6,895 at the time) - $3,500 subsidized Stafford loan - $2,000 work-study - $4,500 institutional grant from my school My total cost of attendance was about $28,000, so I only had to cover around $11,000 out of pocket, which my family managed through a small parent PLUS loan and some savings. A few tips from my experience: 1. Apply for your school's work-study ASAP once you're enrolled - good campus jobs fill up fast 2. Look into your state's TAG or Cal Grant programs if you're in CA, or similar programs in other states 3. Some schools offer emergency grants throughout the year if your situation changes You're definitely not in panic territory! Being first-gen is tough, but you're asking all the right questions. Feel free to reach out if you want to chat more about the process!

Your SAI of 4444 is actually really good news! I'm a junior at a state school and had an SAI of around 5000 when I applied. Here's what that got me: - About $4,800 in Pell Grant - $3,500 subsidized loans - $2,500 work-study eligibility - $6,000 institutional need-based grant from my university My school costs about $24,000 total, so after all aid I'm paying around $7,200 out of pocket which my family covers with a small payment plan. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - definitely fill out the CSS Profile if any of your schools require it. That's how many private schools determine their institutional aid, and it can make a huge difference in your package. Also, as a first-gen student, look for specific first-generation scholarships at your schools - many have them and they're often less competitive than you'd think! You're definitely in a good position with that SAI. The key is to compare all your aid offers once they come in and don't be afraid to ask schools about appealing if one offer is significantly lower than others.

You're getting excellent advice here! I went through this same situation two years ago with my daughter. Since you have primary custody (98% is way more than the 50%+ threshold needed), you're definitely the right parent to complete the FAFSA. Your ex's income and his new wife's income are completely irrelevant for federal aid calculations. A few practical tips from my experience: 1. Keep good records of the child support you receive - you'll need the annual total as untaxed income 2. The health insurance he provides doesn't get reported anywhere on the FAFSA 3. You won't need any documentation FROM him to complete your FAFSA - just your own tax returns and records The scary stories you've heard about listing the wrong parent are real, but you're clearly the custodial parent here so no worries! Focus on getting YOUR financial documents together and don't let the stress overwhelm you. The fact that you're starting early and asking questions shows you're on the right track. Your daughter is lucky to have such a proactive parent advocating for her!

I'm also dealing with a similar divorced parent situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just wanted to add one more thing that my daughter's high school counselor mentioned - make sure to keep copies of everything you submit for your records. She said sometimes families get selected for verification and you'll need to provide additional documentation to prove the information you reported on the FAFSA. Having everything organized from the start makes that process much smoother if it happens. Also, don't forget that you can make corrections to the FAFSA after you submit it if you realize you made a mistake - it's not set in stone! You're doing great by planning ahead and asking these questions early.

This is such an informative thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation but from a slightly different angle - my daughter is considering an accelerated program but hasn't committed yet. Reading everyone's experiences here is making me realize we need to ask way more detailed questions upfront before she enrolls. One thing I'm curious about - for those of you who went through this, did the accelerated program end up being worth the potential financial aid complications? I mean, obviously getting a master's degree faster is appealing, but I'm wondering if the stress of navigating all these aid issues outweighs the benefits of finishing sooner. Also, has anyone had experience with how this affects things like work-study eligibility or other campus-based aid programs? I know Pell Grants and loans are the big concerns, but I'm wondering if there are other aid programs that might be impacted by mixed enrollment status that we should be thinking about.

This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm a junior in college myself and had no idea accelerated programs could be so tricky with financial aid. Reading everyone's experiences is making me realize I need to do way more research before I apply to any of these programs. One thing that's really standing out to me is how much the burden seems to fall on students and families to figure all this out. Like, shouldn't the schools be required to provide clear, written information about financial aid implications when they're marketing these accelerated programs? It seems crazy that families are discovering these potential issues after enrollment or even mid-program. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference. The tips about getting everything in writing, monitoring degree audits, and checking state aid rules are things I never would have thought to ask about. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences - this is the kind of practical advice that's so much more valuable than anything in the official program brochures!