As someone new to this community, I want to echo what everyone else has been saying - this discussion has been incredibly valuable! My daughter is also an incoming freshman for Fall 2025, and I had the exact same panic when I saw that "satisfactory but under review" status on her portal last week. Like many of you, I was completely baffled about what academic progress they could possibly be reviewing for a high school senior who hasn't even stepped foot on campus yet. What's been most eye-opening is learning how much the FAFSA simplification has changed the entire process. I was expecting to receive direct communications like we did years ago, so when everything seemed to be happening through the school's portal instead, I thought something had gone wrong. Now I understand this is just the new normal. The practical advice shared here has been fantastic - especially the specific questions to ask when calling (timeline, missing documentation, notification preferences) and the suggestion to use the Net Price Calculator for a preliminary estimate. I'm planning to call our financial aid office tomorrow morning, and I feel so much better prepared now. Thank you all for turning what felt like a scary situation into a manageable part of the process!

As a newcomer to this community, I can't tell you how relieved I am to have found this discussion! My daughter is also an incoming freshman for Fall 2025, and I saw that exact same "satisfactory but under review" status on her portal this morning. I was completely panicked, thinking there was some kind of problem with her FAFSA or that we had missed submitting something important. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. Like so many others, I had no idea that the FAFSA simplification had changed the entire communication process - I was expecting direct notifications from Federal Student Aid like I remember from years ago. Learning that schools now handle everything through their portals makes so much more sense of what we're seeing. The advice about calling to ask for timelines and checking on missing documentation is exactly what I needed to hear. I was hesitant to contact the financial aid office thinking I might be bothering them with a silly question, but now I realize it's perfectly reasonable to call and confirm everything is progressing normally. The suggestion to use the Net Price Calculator while we wait is also brilliant - I hadn't thought of that as a way to get a preliminary estimate. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences. It's such a comfort to know that "under review" actually means good news - that our FAFSA was successfully received and processed!

One more thing to be aware of: once your son's identity is validated and you complete your contributor section, the system will calculate his Student Aid Index (SAI). This is the new replacement for the old EFC (Expected Family Contribution). It might take 3-5 days after you submit for the SAI to be calculated and for the information to be sent to the colleges he listed. Just so you're prepared for that additional waiting period.

Just wanted to share my experience from last month - we went through the exact same situation! My daughter completed her portion and we got the validation pending message. I was so anxious to get everything done that I kept checking every few hours. The validation actually completed in about 6 hours, much faster than the 2 days they warned us about. One tip that really helped: make sure your son has his email notifications turned on and checks his spam folder too. The validation completion email went to my daughter's spam for some reason. Once we got that notification, I was able to complete my contributor section immediately and it only took about 30 minutes since I had all my documents ready. Don't stress too much - sounds like you're being really proactive and that's exactly what you need to do. The new FAFSA is definitely more confusing than the old one, but once you get through this validation step, the rest goes pretty smoothly!

Just wanted to add one more tip since you mentioned this is your first time - make sure to submit the FAFSA as early as possible! Even though the federal deadline isn't until June, many states and colleges have much earlier deadlines for their own aid programs. Some are as early as February or March. Since aid is often awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, submitting early can make a big difference in the amount of aid your daughter receives. Good luck with the process!

I just went through this process last month with my son! One parent FSA ID is definitely the way to go. I'd also suggest setting up a dedicated folder (physical or digital) with all your FAFSA documents now - tax returns, W-2s, bank statements, investment records, etc. Having everything organized in one place will make the actual application process so much smoother. Also, if your daughter doesn't have her own FSA ID yet, she'll need to create one too since students need their own account to sign the FAFSA electronically. Don't stress too much though - the new simplified FAFSA is actually much easier than the old version!

Wow, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a prospective graduate student and had no idea about these loan limit complexities. From reading everyone's experiences, it seems like the main takeaways are: 1) The "flagged" message is usually misleading and often just means you've hit the subsidized loan limit from undergrad, 2) You need to be very specific when requesting unsubsidized Direct loans ($20,500/year for grad students) and Grad PLUS loans, and 3) Always pull your complete loan history from studentaid.gov first to check for any errors. It's frustrating that financial aid offices don't explain this clearly upfront, but I'm grateful for everyone sharing their real experiences here. This kind of practical advice is exactly what's missing from the official websites!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have stumbled upon this thread! I'm just starting to research graduate programs and had absolutely no idea that the federal loan system was this complex. Reading through everyone's experiences has been like getting a masterclass in financial aid that I never would have learned from official sources. The fact that graduate students lost subsidized loan eligibility in 2012 is news to me, and understanding the difference between annual limits, aggregate limits, and the various loan types (Direct vs. PLUS) is going to save me so much confusion down the road. It's really eye-opening how misleading that "flagged" message can be - it sounds like you're completely ineligible when really you just need to request different loan types. I'm definitely going to pull my loan history from studentaid.gov and bookmark all the specific language people have shared for communicating with financial aid offices. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and break down these complex processes - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that prospective grad students need!

As a newcomer to this community, I found this thread incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with my daughter starting college next fall. Reading through everyone's explanations about federal Direct Loans vs Parent PLUS loans really cleared up the confusion I've had about the whole process. One thing I'd add for other parents reading this - make sure to attend any financial aid information sessions your school offers. I went to one last month and they walked through real examples of award letters and explained exactly what each type of loan means. It made a huge difference in understanding what we'd be signing up for. @Harmony Love - definitely take advantage of meeting with the financial aid office like others suggested. They can show you exactly what your son's package will look like and help you compare the costs of different loan options. Good luck with everything!

As someone who works in financial aid, I can confirm what others have said about federal Direct Loans - they're automatically available to students who complete FAFSA without requiring a parent cosigner. The confusion you experienced is incredibly common! Here's what likely happened with your older son: When he completed FAFSA, he was offered a financial aid package that included Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loans. He probably just clicked "accept" on his student portal without realizing he was formally agreeing to take on that debt. Many students don't understand they're signing loan documents when they accept their aid package online. For your younger son's $15K gap, here's the reality: Direct Loans for first-year dependent students are capped at $5,500. You'll need additional funding sources like Parent PLUS loans (in your name, not his) or private loans with a cosigner. My advice? Before your son accepts ANY loans, sit down together and calculate the total debt he'll have after four years, then research typical starting salaries in his field. Make sure the debt is manageable based on his career prospects. Too many families focus on just getting through year one without considering the full financial picture.