I'm dealing with something similar right now with my FAFSA loans through Nelnet! Been making payments for 2 months and they just sent me a delinquency notice saying I'm behind. The frustrating part is that when I call, each rep tells me something different - one said my payments were "pending processing" and another said they were applied to interest only instead of principal. It's like they don't even train their customer service people on how their own system works. I'm definitely going to try some of the suggestions here, especially the Payment Investigation request and checking if there's a name discrepancy. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least we know we're not alone in this mess!

This is absolutely infuriating and unfortunately way too common with FAFSA loan servicers right now. I went through something similar with FedLoan before they transferred my loans to MOHELA. Here's what I learned from my nightmare experience: 1. **Document EVERYTHING** - screenshots of every page, confirmation emails, bank statements, phone call logs with names/times 2. **Use the magic words** - when you call, say "I need to file a Payment Investigation under the Higher Education Act" - this triggers a different process than regular customer service 3. **Escalate immediately** - don't waste time with tier 1 support, ask for a supervisor or complaints department right away 4. **File complaints everywhere** - CFPB, your state attorney general, and the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman (studentaid.gov/ombudsman) The middle initial thing mentioned above is HUGE - I had a similar issue where they had my apartment number wrong and it was causing payment matching failures. Also check if they have the right Social Security number on file. Don't let them gaslight you into thinking this is normal. You have rights as a borrower and they are legally required to properly credit your payments. Keep fighting!

I'm going through this exact same thing! Just submitted my FAFSA about 6 weeks ago and I'm being absolutely bombarded by Sallie Mae emails - sometimes getting 3-4 in a single day. What really frustrates me is how they make everything sound so urgent and official, like I'm missing out on some critical deadline when I haven't even gotten my actual financial aid package yet. I've tried unsubscribing multiple times but they just keep coming back. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful though - I had no idea about the FSA account privacy settings or that I could call them directly and reference the CAN-SPAM Act. I'm definitely going to try those approaches tomorrow. It's really reassuring to know this isn't just happening to me and that there are actual steps we can take to fight back against these predatory tactics. Thanks for starting this thread - it's exactly what I needed to see today!

I'm so glad you posted this! I'm dealing with the exact same issue and was starting to feel like I was going crazy. Filed my FAFSA in early February and since then it's been non-stop emails from Sallie Mae, Discover, and several other lenders I'd never even heard of. What really gets me is how they make everything sound so official and urgent - I've gotten subject lines like "Your FAFSA Application Update" that turned out to be loan advertisements. It's incredibly predatory to target us when we're already stressed about college costs and don't even have our real aid packages yet. Reading through everyone's advice here has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about updating the FSA privacy settings or that I could reference the CAN-SPAM Act when calling. Definitely going to try the direct call approach tomorrow and set up those email filters. Thanks for creating this thread - it's so reassuring to know we're all dealing with this together and there are actual steps we can take to fight back!

Hey Marina! I totally get the panic - I did the EXACT same thing my freshman year and thought I'd ruined everything. But honestly, this is one of the easiest financial aid fixes ever! Your Pell Grant is 100% safe - that money is yours based on your family's income, period. Adding loans later won't touch it at all since they're calculated completely separately. Here's what worked for me: I emailed my school's financial aid office (way better than calling during this crazy time of year) and just said "Hi, I originally declined student loans on my FAFSA but now need to accept them. My student ID is [your ID]." They responded within 24 hours with my loan eligibility amounts. Then you just need to do two quick things online at studentaid.gov: entrance counseling (basically a tutorial about loans) and sign your Master Promissory Note. Takes maybe 30-40 minutes total. After that, your school processes everything in about a week. Definitely take subsidized loans first if you qualify - no interest while you're in school! Only borrow what you absolutely need for housing and essentials. You've got this! 🙂

Don't stress at all - this is probably one of the most common "mistakes" students make, and it's super easy to fix! I work as a peer advisor at my school and we see this situation literally every week. Your Pell Grant is completely separate from loans and won't be affected whatsoever. The Pell is based on your SAI (Student Aid Index) which comes from your family's financial info, while loans are just additional aid you can request. Here's the quickest path: Email your financial aid office today (don't wait for Monday if it's the weekend) with your student ID and say you want to accept federal student loans. Most schools have online portals where you can submit this request too. While you're waiting for their response, go ahead and complete your entrance counseling at studentaid.gov - it's required for all first-time borrowers and takes about 30 minutes. You can do this even before your school confirms your loan amounts. After financial aid confirms your eligibility, you'll sign your Master Promissory Note (also on studentaid.gov) and then they'll process everything within 3-7 business days typically. Since you mentioned housing costs specifically, definitely ask about subsidized loans first - the government pays the interest while you're enrolled, which saves you money long-term. You've got plenty of time before classes start, so try not to panic! This happens all the time and always works out fine.

As someone who just went through this process with my son last year, I wanted to add that it's also worth having your daughter keep copies of all the documents she signs (MPN, entrance counseling completion, etc.) for her records. The studentaid.gov portal will show her loan history, but having her own copies saved can be helpful if any issues come up later. Also, once she completes everything, she'll be able to track the loan status through her school's student portal. Most schools show when the loan has been certified and when disbursement is scheduled. This gave us peace of mind knowing everything was processing correctly rather than just waiting and wondering! One last tip - if she ends up not needing the full loan amount (maybe she got additional scholarships or decided to live off-campus), she can contact the financial aid office to reduce or cancel the loan even after accepting it, as long as it's before disbursement.

Just wanted to echo what others have said about the no credit check aspect - that's absolutely correct for federal Direct Subsidized loans. As a newcomer to this community, I found this thread super helpful since I'm in a similar situation with my own daughter starting college next year. One thing I learned from talking to our high school guidance counselor is that it's also worth encouraging your daughter to set up text/email notifications through studentaid.gov once she creates her account. They'll send reminders about important deadlines and updates about her loan status, which can help prevent any missed steps in the process. Thanks to everyone who contributed detailed answers here - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that's hard to find elsewhere!

I'm a financial aid counselor and wanted to add a few practical tips that might help streamline your process: First, when you contact schools, ask if they accept a "universal" dependency override application that you can submit to multiple institutions, or if each requires their own specific forms. Some schools will accept standardized documentation packages, which can save you time. Second, consider reaching out to your local Department of Social Services or Family Services office. Even though you weren't formally in the foster care system, they sometimes have social workers who can provide professional letters documenting kinship care arrangements like yours. Third, if any of your schools use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, know that they handle these situations slightly differently. The CSS Profile has a section for "special circumstances" where you can explain your situation upfront. Finally, keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit and maintain a spreadsheet tracking which schools you've contacted, what they've requested, and deadlines. This level of organization will be crucial when you're managing multiple override requests simultaneously. Your situation is more common than you might think, and schools have processes in place specifically because students like you deserve equal access to financial aid. Don't get discouraged if the first person you talk to seems unsure - ask to speak with a supervisor or the dependency override specialist.

Just wanted to add one more resource that helped me when I was going through this process - the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has a guide for students in unusual circumstances that you can reference. It explains dependency overrides from the student perspective and can help you understand what financial aid officers are looking for. Also, don't forget to ask about emergency aid or hardship funds at each school. Some colleges have separate emergency financial assistance programs for students facing unique circumstances, which could provide additional support while you're waiting for your dependency override to be processed. One last tip: if you're feeling overwhelmed by all the paperwork and phone calls, consider asking your grandparents to help you stay organized. They've been advocating for you your whole life, and this is just another situation where having their support can make a huge difference. They might even be able to provide some of the documentation you need from their own records. You've got this! The fact that you're asking these questions now shows you're being proactive, which will serve you well throughout this process.