This thread has been incredibly eye-opening for me as a parent just starting to navigate the financial aid process. I had no idea that the SAI was just a starting point and not an actual guarantee of what you'd pay - that seems so misleading! Reading everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Don't just accept the first offer, 2) File CSS Profile if the school accepts it, 3) Document any special circumstances for appeals, and 4) Contact departments directly for additional scholarships. @Daniel Washington I really hope the appeal process works out for you - please keep us updated on how it goes! And @Giovanni Rossi thank you so much for the professional insights, this is exactly the kind of guidance parents need but rarely get upfront in the process.

I'm just starting to research colleges with my junior daughter and this thread is honestly terrifying but also incredibly valuable. I had completely misunderstood what the SAI meant - like many others here, I assumed it was basically what we'd be expected to pay, not just a starting point for negotiations. The fact that you can have a $15K SAI and still be expected to pay $35K+ out of pocket seems almost fraudulent in how it's presented. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and especially @Giovanni Rossi for the professional guidance. I'm definitely going to make sure we file both FAFSA and CSS Profile from the start, and I'm already making a list of questions to ask financial aid offices during our college visits. This is clearly going to require much more strategic planning than I anticipated. @Daniel Washington - please keep us updated on how your appeals process goes. Your situation is helping so many other families understand what we might be facing.

As a newcomer to both FAFSA and this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this detailed thread! My family is getting ready to tackle our first FAFSA application and I was already feeling anxious about the process. Reading about these signature loop issues is concerning, but knowing there are proven workarounds gives me confidence. I'm going to create a checklist based on all the solutions shared here: - Use Microsoft Edge browser - Complete in one sitting without saving - Wait 3-5 seconds before checking "I am parent" box - Ensure FSA ID info exactly matches tax return info - Consider recent name/status changes that might cause database conflicts It's disappointing that such an important system for accessing college funding has these technical problems, but this community's willingness to share solutions and support each other is amazing. Thank you all for taking the time to document what worked - it's going to save so many families time and stress!

As someone completely new to FAFSA and this community, I cannot express how valuable this thread has been! I'm a first-time college parent and was already feeling overwhelmed by the financial aid process, but reading about these signature loop bugs was honestly terrifying. However, seeing how supportive and knowledgeable this community is has been such a relief. I'm particularly impressed by how people have documented specific technical solutions - the browser recommendations, timing tricks, and database synchronization insights. It's mind-boggling that families have to become tech troubleshooters just to apply for financial aid, but I'm so grateful everyone has shared their hard-won solutions. I'm planning to attempt our FAFSA next week and will definitely be using the Microsoft Edge + one-sitting + pause-before-checking-box combination that seems to have the highest success rate. It's reassuring to know there's a community here to turn to if we run into issues. Thank you all for being so generous with your time and knowledge!

Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I feel much better understanding that we need to wait for the award letters but can at least estimate using the SAI as a starting point. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to talk to someone at FSA and get more specific information about what federal aid she'll qualify for. Really appreciate everyone's help!

Also keep in mind that some schools have merit scholarships that aren't need-based! These won't show up in your FAFSA calculations but can significantly reduce your costs. Many colleges automatically consider admitted students for merit aid based on GPA/test scores, while others require separate applications. With your daughter applying to schools ranging from $22k-$41k, the merit aid policies will vary widely. I'd recommend checking each school's scholarship page and calling their financial aid offices directly - sometimes they have deadlines for additional scholarship applications that aren't widely advertised. Good luck with the process!

I had this exact same problem when helping my nephew with his FAFSA last month! The school search feature is honestly terrible. What finally worked for me was using the federal school code method that others mentioned, but I also want to add that sometimes you need to be really specific with the campus name. For Penn State, make sure you're looking for "Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus" for University Park specifically. I also found that if you're still having trouble, try doing the search late at night or early morning when fewer people are using the system - I swear it works better then! The whole FAFSA process is so unnecessarily complicated, but don't give up. Your son's financial aid depends on getting this right!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and reading through this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about using federal school codes instead of searching by name - that's going to save me so much time. My daughter is a junior in high school and we're just starting to research colleges, but I'm already feeling overwhelmed by all the financial aid requirements. One question I have after reading all these helpful responses: is there a good resource or guide that walks you through the entire FAFSA process step by step? I want to be prepared when it's time to actually fill it out next year so we don't run into these same search issues. Also, should I be creating accounts or gathering documents now, or is it too early to start that process?

This is such valuable information for divorced/separated parents! I'm in a similar boat - my daughter lives with me about 60% of the time and I cover all her expenses (clothes, school activities, medical bills, etc.) even though my ex makes more money. I was panicking thinking his higher income would automatically make him the contributor. One question for those who've been through verification - how far back do they typically want documentation? I've been keeping receipts for about 8 months now, but should I try to gather records going back a full year? And do things like grocery receipts count as supporting the student, or do they mainly want school-specific expenses? Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this thread is a lifesaver for navigating these confusing FAFSA rules!

As someone who went through this exact situation with my son two years ago, I can't stress enough how important it is to list yourself as the contributor! The FAFSA really does care about who provides the actual financial support, not custody arrangements or income levels. My ex made almost double what I did, but I was covering all of my son's real expenses just like you are. I was so nervous about getting it "wrong" but listing myself as the contributor was absolutely the right call - we qualified for significant aid that would have been impossible with his father's income. One practical tip: start a simple spreadsheet now tracking every expense you pay for your son (clothes, school fees, medical, etc.) with dates and amounts. If you get selected for verification, having this organized record makes the process so much smoother. Also, save receipts for major purchases - even photos of receipts on your phone work! The hardest part is overcoming that fear that you're somehow "cheating the system" by not using the higher income. But you're not - you're accurately reporting who actually supports your child. Trust yourself on this one!