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As someone new to the FAFSA process, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea that such small data entry errors could cause such massive differences in SAI calculations. The fact that a single missing digit in the home value caused nearly a 1200-point difference between twins is both shocking and educational. I'm definitely going to be extra paranoid about double-checking every single field when I fill out my daughter's FAFSA next year. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - especially the tip about using Claimyr to actually get through to FSA. The wait times have been brutal this year! It's reassuring to know that these errors can be fixed once identified, even though it's frustrating that the system doesn't have better validation to catch them in the first place.
I completely agree with being extra paranoid about checking every field! As someone who's been following this thread since the beginning, it's amazing how this one simple data entry error snowballed into such a major issue for Bethany's family. What really strikes me is how this could have been avoided with just a few extra minutes of review before submitting. The FAFSA system really needs better validation - it should flag when twins from the same household have drastically different SAIs and prompt you to double-check your entries. I'm definitely going to use the tip about printing out the summary and reviewing it line by line when I help my younger sibling with their application next year. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this thread is going to save so many families from similar headaches!
This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm currently dealing with a frustrating FAFSA situation with my daughter - her SAI came back as 892 when all the online calculators predicted it would be around 200-300. After reading about everyone's experiences here, especially Bethany's missing digit in the home value, I went back through our application with a magnifying glass. I'm pretty sure I found the issue - I think I accidentally entered our annual income as $87,400 instead of $84,700. It seems like such a small difference, but I'm wondering if that $2,700 error could explain the higher than expected SAI? I'm definitely going to try using Claimyr to get through to FSA and get this corrected. Thank you all for sharing your stories and solutions - this community is amazing!
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Just wanted to follow up - were you able to fix your tax information corrections? A key thing to remember is that the new FAFSA uses federal tax information directly from the IRS through the Data Retrieval Tool. If you used that successfully, you shouldn't be getting tax correction notices unless there's a mismatch with other information you provided.
We finally got it sorted out yesterday! Turns out we had checked the wrong box about having additional untaxed income (which we don't). Once we fixed that gateway question, all those extra sections disappeared. Our corrections were accepted right away. Thanks everyone for the help!
So glad you got it figured out! That's exactly the kind of issue that trips up so many families - those gateway questions are super important but not always clearly labeled. For anyone else reading this, I'd also recommend keeping screenshots of your completed FAFSA sections before submitting, just in case you need to reference what you entered later. The correction process becomes much easier when you can see exactly what might have changed between submissions. Congrats on getting through the maze!
That's such great advice about taking screenshots! I wish I had thought of that before we started. We ended up having to recreate some of our entries from memory when we had to make corrections. Definitely doing this for my younger son's FAFSA next year. This whole process has been such a learning experience - glad to see others sharing tips to make it easier for families going through this for the first time!
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Just wanted to update - I got through to Nelnet today in ONLY 35 minutes! Called at 4:15pm Eastern. Seems like their wait times might be improving a bit. The rep told me they just added a bunch of new staff to handle call volume. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the update! That's actually really encouraging. I'll try that time tomorrow. Did they mention anything about the best times to call?
The rep said mid-afternoon is generally better than mornings right now. Apparently everyone has the same idea about calling first thing when they open! She also mentioned they're implementing a callback feature in the next few weeks, so that should help too.
I feel your pain! I had a similar nightmare with Nelnet last month trying to sort out my IDR recertification after my income changed. What finally worked for me was using their secure message system through the online portal instead of calling. I know it's not as immediate as a phone call, but I got a detailed response within 48 hours that actually answered all my consolidation questions. You can find it under "Contact Us" when you log into your account. For urgent payment issues, they do prioritize those messages. Might be worth trying while you're also attempting the callback service @Zara mentioned - sounds like that could be a game changer once it's live!
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anyone know if the SAI calculation changed again this year?? my cousin got way less aid with almost the same family income and idk why
Yes, the SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation has been adjusted slightly for 2026-27. The protected income allowance increased with inflation, but they also changed how some types of untaxed income are counted. Your cousin should request a breakdown of their SAI calculation from their financial aid office to understand the difference.
Don't panic! I was in a similar situation last year - completely overwhelmed by my parents' self-employment income reporting and missed several priority deadlines. I finally submitted in late March and still received a decent aid package. Not as much as I might have gotten if I'd filed earlier, but definitely not nothing! A few tips from my experience: - The self-employment stuff is tricky but manageable. Have your dad's Schedule C ready and don't overthink it - Some schools do have rolling aid programs even after priority deadlines - Federal aid is definitely still available as others mentioned The worst thing you can do is keep waiting. I spent weeks stressing about it being "too late" when I should have just filled it out. Get it done this week!
This is really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the same thing! I keep beating myself up for waiting so long, but you're absolutely right - I need to stop stressing and just get it done. Did you run into any specific issues with the self-employment reporting that I should watch out for? My dad's business situation is pretty straightforward but I want to make sure I don't mess anything up.
Anna Kerber
This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm a junior just starting to think about college applications, and the ED vs RD financial aid question has been keeping me up at night. My family's income fluctuates quite a bit (parents are both freelancers), so we're never quite sure where we'll land on the aid spectrum. Reading everyone's experiences, it seems like the consensus is: FAFSA calculations stay the same, but merit aid often gets reduced for ED applicants. The strategy of getting a "pre-read" from financial aid offices sounds brilliant - I'm definitely going to try that approach. One thing I'm curious about that hasn't been mentioned much: how do schools handle families with unusual income patterns (like freelancing income that varies year to year) in their ED financial aid decisions? Do they typically look at multi-year averages, or focus on the most recent tax year? This variability makes those net price calculators pretty unreliable for us, so I'm wondering if that makes ED even riskier for families like mine. Also, for those who successfully appealed their aid packages, how long did that process typically take? I'm wondering if there's enough time to appeal and still make other college decisions if the ED package ends up being inadequate. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world insight that's impossible to find in official college resources!
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Isaiah Sanders
•Great questions about variable income! As someone with a similar family situation (parents are both self-employed), I can share what I've learned. Most schools use the "prior-prior year" tax information for financial aid calculations, so they're looking at your family's income from two years before you start college. However, many schools also have processes for "professional judgment" adjustments if your current income is significantly different from what's on your tax returns. For families with fluctuating income like ours, I'd strongly recommend documenting the income pattern over several years and being prepared to provide that context to financial aid offices. Some schools are more flexible than others about considering income variability. The "pre-read" strategy mentioned by others becomes even more valuable in situations like ours where the standard calculators aren't reliable. Regarding appeals, from what I've researched, the process usually takes 2-4 weeks but can vary by school. The key is having all your documentation ready to go. If you're considering ED with variable family income, I'd definitely have a backup plan in place and maybe focus on schools known for flexible financial aid policies. Have you looked into whether your target schools have specific policies for families with self-employment or variable income? Some are definitely more accommodating than others!
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Mohammed Khan
•Your concern about variable income is totally valid! I'm in a similar boat - my parents are both consultants so our income swings pretty wildly year to year. What I've learned from talking to financial aid counselors is that the FAFSA uses "prior-prior year" tax info, but schools can make "professional judgment" adjustments for significant income changes. Here's what helped me: I created a 3-year income summary showing our family's earnings pattern and included explanations for any major fluctuations. When I did those "pre-reads" that others mentioned, I brought this documentation along. Most aid officers were actually really understanding about the variable income situation. For the appeal timeline question - I know someone who got their ED package in December, appealed in early January, and heard back by late January. So there was still time to pivot if needed, though it was cutting it close for RD deadlines elsewhere. One tip: look for schools that explicitly mention "professional judgment" or "special circumstances" on their financial aid pages. These tend to be more flexible with non-traditional income situations. Also, some schools let you submit updated tax information if your current year income is significantly different from the prior-prior year they're using for calculations. Hope this helps! The variable income thing definitely makes ED riskier, but it's not impossible if you're strategic about it.
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Jamal Edwards
As someone who's currently helping my younger sibling navigate this exact situation, I want to add another perspective that might be helpful. One thing we discovered is that some schools have what's called "ED II" (Early Decision II) deadlines in January, which can be a good middle ground strategy. Here's why ED II might work better for families concerned about financial aid: you can submit your FAFSA earlier in the cycle (since it opens October 1st), potentially get some preliminary aid estimates from other schools you've applied to RD, and still get the admissions boost of an early decision application - just with a bit more financial information to guide your decision. Also, I want to emphasize something that got touched on but deserves more attention: the difference between "meeting full demonstrated need" and "meeting full demonstrated need without loans." Schools that have eliminated loans from their aid packages tend to be much more consistent with their aid offers regardless of application timing, since they're not using loan amounts as a variable to adjust packages. One practical tip: if you do decide to go the ED route, start building relationships with the financial aid office early. Don't just call once for a pre-read - follow up with thank you emails, ask clarifying questions, and make sure they know your name. Having advocates in the financial aid office can make a huge difference if you need to appeal or request special consideration later. The key is going in with your eyes wide open and multiple backup plans ready!
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Giovanni Moretti
•This is such helpful advice about ED II! I had no idea that was even an option, but it makes perfect sense as a middle ground strategy. Getting to see some preliminary aid estimates from RD schools before committing to an ED II application could really help families like mine who are on that financial borderline. The distinction between "meeting full need" vs "meeting full need without loans" is also really important - I'm definitely going to research which category my target schools fall into. Having loans vs grants in your package makes such a huge difference in the actual affordability. Your tip about building relationships with the financial aid office early is brilliant too. I've been thinking of these interactions as just getting information, but you're right that having advocates there could be crucial if things don't go as planned. Thank you for sharing this perspective - ED II might actually be the perfect solution for my situation since I could get more financial clarity while still getting that early decision boost. I'm going to look into which of my target schools offer ED II options!
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