This verification flag issue is actually super common this year - I work at a college financial aid office and we've seen tons of families with exactly this situation. The provisional SAI calculations can be wildly off, especially when there are multiple kids in college. One thing to watch out for when you submit those verification docs: make sure you're uploading them to the correct student's application. We've had parents accidentally upload their younger child's verification documents to the older child's FAFSA, which just creates more delays. Also, if you haven't already, you might want to reach out directly to your kids' financial aid office and explain the situation - they can often put a note in the file to hold off on finalizing aid packages until the verification is resolved.

I'd definitely call the financial aid office first before submitting the verification documents. Most offices are actually really helpful about this kind of situation because they deal with it all the time - you're not bothering them, you're helping them do their job better by giving them a heads up about the SAI discrepancy. When you call, explain that you have two kids with different SAI scores due to a verification flag and ask them to put a hold on finalizing aid packages until the verification is complete. They can usually flag both accounts and make sure they process them together once the documents are submitted. Plus, they might be able to tell you exactly which documents they need and any specific formatting requirements, which can save you time and prevent delays from having to resubmit things.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so relieved to have found this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same terrifying situation with my daughter's FAFSA showing that "No loans or grants available" message, and I've been absolutely panicking for days thinking we were completely denied any financial aid. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge weight off my shoulders - it's incredible to learn that this confusing message is actually very common and typically just indicates processing delays rather than actual rejection. The consistent advice about calling the school's financial aid office directly instead of trying to interpret those cryptic FAFSA portal messages is exactly what I needed to hear. It's clear this community has some really knowledgeable and experienced members who genuinely care about helping families navigate this overwhelming process. Thank you to everyone who shared their real-world stories and practical guidance - I'm definitely calling my daughter's school tomorrow morning with so much more confidence now! This thread should be pinned for other panicking parents to find.

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this thread has been! I'm going through the exact same panic-inducing situation with my daughter's FAFSA showing that dreaded "No loans or grants available" message. Like so many others here, I was absolutely convinced this meant we were getting zero financial aid and started losing sleep over how we'd possibly manage college costs. Reading through everyone's real experiences has been such an enormous relief - it's amazing to discover that this confusing message is actually very common and typically just indicates processing delays rather than actual aid denial. The unanimous advice about calling the school's financial aid office directly instead of trying to decode those vague FAFSA portal messages is exactly the guidance I needed. It's clear this community has some wonderfully experienced members who genuinely want to help families navigate this incredibly stressful process. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and practical advice - I'm definitely calling my daughter's school first thing tomorrow morning with so much more confidence now!

Welcome to the community! As someone new here who recently helped my daughter navigate a similar mid-year transfer situation, I wanted to share a few additional insights that might be helpful. One thing that really surprised us was the importance of understanding the "aid year" concept - federal aid is awarded for the full academic year (fall through summer), but when you transfer mid-year, both schools need to coordinate to ensure you don't exceed annual limits. I'd strongly recommend asking both schools to provide you with a written breakdown of how much of your daughter's annual federal aid eligibility has been used versus what remains available. This includes Pell Grant, subsidized/unsubsidized loans, and any other federal programs. Sometimes there can be discrepancies in how schools calculate remaining eligibility, and catching these early prevents delays. Also, don't forget to check if the new school participates in any state aid programs that her current school might not offer, or vice versa. State aid rules for mid-year transfers can be quite different from federal aid rules, and you don't want to miss out on additional funding opportunities. The comprehensive advice from everyone in this thread shows what an incredibly supportive community this is! Your daughter is lucky to have such an advocate helping her navigate this process. Best wishes for a smooth transition to her dream school!

As someone new to this community, I wanted to share some insights from when my cousin went through a mid-year transfer last year. One thing that really helped her was creating a "transfer checklist" that included not just the obvious items like contacting financial aid offices, but also some less obvious ones that could trip you up. For example, she discovered that her student ID number and login credentials from her current school wouldn't work for accessing financial aid documents at the new school (obviously), but she needed those documents from the current school as part of the transfer package. Make sure your daughter downloads and saves copies of all her current financial aid documents before her access gets cut off. Also, something we learned too late - if your daughter is currently enrolled in automatic payment plans for tuition or has any recurring charges set up at her current school, make sure to cancel those well before the spring semester to avoid any accidental charges. Some schools will automatically charge returning students for spring semester unless you explicitly notify them of withdrawal. One last tip: ask the new school if they have a "transfer student buddy" or peer mentor program specifically for mid-year transfers. The academic transition is one thing, but navigating the financial aid differences between schools can be really stressful, and having someone who's been through it can be incredibly helpful. Congratulations again on your daughter's acceptance! The level of preparation you're putting into this shows she's in great hands.

This thread has been incredibly helpful for a newcomer like me! My son is a junior and we're just starting to think about FAFSA, but I had no idea that name length could cause such serious issues. His last name is 12 characters with a hyphen (Jackson-Martinez), so it sounds like we'll definitely need to be prepared for this problem. I'm really grateful that everyone shared such detailed solutions and workarounds. The fact that @c066aee2f7d9 documented the entire resolution process step-by-step is amazing - I've already saved the Claimyr info and made notes about the SSN search method. It's honestly shocking that in 2025 we're still dealing with these basic technical limitations in such an important government system! Thank you to @fc329fc715f8 for the professional perspective and practical tips about taking confirmation screenshots and checking with schools 2-3 weeks after submission. As someone completely new to this process, that kind of insider knowledge is invaluable. I'll definitely be following the proactive approach that several people mentioned - better to catch this early than scramble at scholarship deadlines!

This thread is absolutely incredible - thank you all for sharing such detailed experiences and solutions! As a complete newcomer to the FAFSA process (my daughter is a junior), I had absolutely no idea that name length and special characters could cause such significant issues with financial aid applications. My daughter has a 15-character hyphenated last name (Rodriguez-Washington), so based on everything I'm reading here, we're definitely going to encounter this problem when we submit next year. I'm already bookmarking this entire thread and saving all the practical advice - the Claimyr service info, the confirmation screenshot tip, the SSN search method, and especially @c066aee2f7d9's complete step-by-step resolution process. It's honestly mind-boggling that in 2025, a federal system handling such critical financial data for millions of families still has these basic character encoding limitations. You'd think modernizing these systems would be a top priority! Thank you especially to @fc329fc715f8 for the professional insights about checking with schools 2-3 weeks after submission rather than waiting until deadlines. That kind of insider knowledge from someone who actually works in financial aid is invaluable for parents like me who are navigating this complex process for the first time. I'll definitely be taking the proactive approach that everyone has recommended - much better to catch these issues early than scramble when scholarship deadlines are looming!

I'm experiencing this exact same issue! Just submitted my FAFSA for my second year of my master's program and was completely thrown off when I didn't see the usual loan eligibility information on the confirmation screen. Last year it clearly showed the $20,500 amount, so I was worried something had gone wrong with my application or that my eligibility had somehow changed. It's such a relief to read through everyone's experiences here and learn that it's just a system display change rather than an actual change to loan availability. I really wish they had communicated this change better - it would have saved a lot of unnecessary stress! Now I'll just wait for my SAI to process and follow up with my financial aid office. Thanks everyone for sharing your insights and for those who took the time to call FSA directly!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue as a first-year PhD student! Just submitted my FAFSA last week and was really confused when I didn't see the loan eligibility amount displayed like I was expecting based on what other grad students had told me. I was starting to worry that maybe I had made an error on my application or that something had changed with my eligibility status. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - it's clear that this is just a system display change and not an actual change to loan availability. It's really frustrating that they didn't communicate this change better to students beforehand, especially since so many of us rely on these loans to fund our education. I'll wait for my SAI to process and then check with my school's financial aid office. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and especially to those who took the time to call FSA directly to get official confirmation!