As someone who just went through this nightmare last year, I feel your pain! One thing that really helped me was creating a spreadsheet before starting the consolidation process. I listed all my Parent Plus loans with their origination dates, disbursement amounts, and which child they were for (based on the academic years). This made it SO much easier when I got to the loan selection screen - I could just check off the right ones without second-guessing myself. Also, if you're still having trouble getting through to FSA, try calling early morning (like 7:30 AM EST) or later in the evening around 6 PM. Those seem to be the lowest volume times. One last tip: take screenshots of every step of your consolidation application as you go. I had one application glitch out halfway through and lost all my progress, but having the screenshots helped me recreate it quickly. Good luck - you've got this!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who successfully separated Parent Plus loans for two kids last summer! A few additional tips that might help: 1. When you're on the consolidation application and selecting loans, pay close attention to the "Principal Balance" column - this helped me double-check I was grouping the right loans since I remembered roughly how much we borrowed each year. 2. If your kids attended different schools or started in different years, the loan servicer names in your account might give you another clue about which loans belong to which child. 3. After you submit the first consolidation application, you'll get a confirmation email with a reference number. Save this! When you call about the second consolidation, having that reference number shows them you're doing intentional separate consolidations, not making a mistake. 4. Don't panic if the loans disappear from your original servicer's website during processing - this is normal and they'll reappear with your new consolidation servicer. The whole process took about 6 weeks for each of my consolidations, but the peace of mind of having them separated was totally worth it. Hang in there - the hardest part is just getting started!

Hey Charlotte! I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago when I forgot to add UCLA to my FAFSA. I was totally panicking just like you are now, but it really is much easier to fix than you'd think! The correction process on studentaid.gov is super user-friendly - it literally took me like 10 minutes to add the school. One thing I'd suggest is to screenshot or write down your confirmation number after you submit the correction, just so you have proof that you made the change. Also, if you're applying to other UCs, double-check that you have all of them on there since the application deadlines are usually similar. You're going to be fine - this happens to SO many people and the schools are used to getting late FAFSA additions!

Hey Charlotte! I totally get the panic - I literally did the exact same thing last year and thought my college dreams were over! 😅 But seriously, everyone here is giving you great advice. The correction process is honestly super simple once you get into it. Just wanted to add that when you log into studentaid.gov, make sure you have your FSA ID handy and give yourself like 15-20 minutes to do it properly (don't rush like I did the first time and accidentally hit the wrong buttons). Also, Berkeley's financial aid office is actually really helpful if you need to call them - they deal with this situation literally every day during application season. You're definitely not as disorganized as you think - this stuff is genuinely confusing and you're handling it way better than I did! Good luck with everything! 🍀

I'm in the exact same situation! My son was accepted to three schools but we've only heard back from one with a financial aid package so far. The stress is real with the May 1st deadline approaching. One thing I learned from our college counselor is that you can request an extension on the decision deadline if you're still waiting on financial aid information. Most schools will grant a brief extension (usually 1-2 weeks) when you explain that you're waiting on aid packages from other schools to make an informed decision. Also, make sure to submit your tax returns and any other required documents to the schools' financial aid offices if you haven't already. Sometimes they're waiting on additional verification before they can finalize packages. Good luck to your daughter!

Hey! I just went through this exact same situation last year with my daughter and I totally understand the panic you're feeling right now. Here's what I wish I had known: First, this year is particularly chaotic because of all the FAFSA changes, so you're definitely not alone in this timing crunch. Most schools are running behind schedule but they know about the May 1st deadline. A few things that really helped us: 1. Create a spreadsheet tracking what you've submitted to each school and when - include FAFSA, CSS Profile (if required), tax documents, etc. 2. Set up email alerts or check the student portals daily - sometimes aid info shows up there before they send notifications 3. Don't hesitate to call AND email - sometimes one method gets through when the other doesn't Also, if you haven't already, look into whether either school has early financial aid estimation tools on their websites. Some schools offer net price calculators that can give you a rough idea while you wait for official packages. The good news is that schools want to enroll students and they understand families need this info to decide. Keep being persistent - you're advocating for your daughter's future and that's exactly what you should be doing right now!

Welcome to the community! I'm new here too and this thread has been incredibly helpful. My family is in a very similar situation - our SAI came back at $51,000 and we also got that confusing "may qualify for small Pell Grant" message. Like you, I was absolutely convinced it was a system error since everything I'd read suggested Pell was only for much lower income families. We don't have multiple kids in college, but my spouse is currently enrolled in a graduate program while working, so that might be our "multiple family members in college" factor. Reading all these real experiences from people who actually received small Pell grants despite higher SAIs gives me so much hope! It's amazing how much more helpful this community is than just reading the official guidelines online. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - it's making this whole confusing process feel much less overwhelming.

Welcome to the community! As someone who's been through this process recently, I can confirm that what you're seeing is likely legitimate. My family had a similar experience last year - our SAI was around $47,000, but we qualified for a small Pell grant ($950) because we had two kids in college at the same time. The key thing to understand is that having multiple students in college essentially divides your family contribution, which can push you into Pell eligibility even with a higher SAI. The "may qualify" language is just cautious wording because the final determination happens at the school level, but in our case it did work out. Don't dismiss it as an error - it's one of the few benefits of having multiple college expenses at once! You should know for certain when you get your official aid packages in April.

I'm a newcomer here but this thread speaks to my soul! We're just starting this process with our eldest and I'm already having anxiety attacks looking at the numbers. $112k household income and based on the calculators, we're looking at around $28k SAI - which is literally more than we pay for our mortgage AND car payments combined. What really gets me is how the system assumes we can just magic this money out of thin air. We've been responsible savers, but our "college fund" has maybe $40k total after 16 years of putting away what we could. That covers maybe 1.5 years at the rate these schools expect us to pay. I keep seeing families talk about appealing and negotiating - is this actually effective or just false hope? And for those who've been through this, how do you even begin to have the conversation with your teenager about potentially having to choose a less expensive school? My daughter has her heart set on a few schools that would basically bankrupt us. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - at least I know we're not the only ones feeling completely overwhelmed by this broken system!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm both relieved and terrified reading through all these experiences. We're facing the exact same nightmare - $128k household income with a projected SAI of around $33k that feels completely impossible to meet. What really resonates with me is how everyone keeps saying the system penalizes financial responsibility. We've been living modestly, saving what we can, and avoiding debt - only to find out that families who spent everything get better aid packages. It's like being punished for doing what we were taught was "right." My biggest question after reading all this is: should we be lowering our expectations now, or is it worth fighting the system? Part of me wants to tell my daughter to just plan on community college, but another part thinks maybe we should try some of these strategies people have mentioned - applying to more schools, appealing aid packages, looking for merit aid opportunities. The emotional toll this is taking on our family is huge. My daughter keeps asking if she's "too expensive" and it breaks my heart that a 17-year-old has to worry about being a financial burden for wanting an education. Thank you all for sharing your stories - it helps to know we're not alone in feeling like this system is designed to crush middle-class families.