Welcome to the community, everyone who's new here! As someone who's been dealing with financial aid issues for a few years now, I wanted to jump in with a couple additional thoughts that might help. @Chloe Taylor, one thing I learned the hard way is that timing can be everything with PLUS loans. Since you've already paid off that charge-off, I'd recommend calling the creditor directly to ask when they typically report updates to the credit bureaus. Some report monthly, others quarterly. If you can get them to expedite the reporting or provide a letter confirming payment, it could speed up your reapplication process significantly. Also, for anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar boat - it's worth noting that Parent PLUS loans have pretty strict credit requirements compared to other federal loans, but they don't actually require a minimum credit score. They're mainly looking for that "adverse credit history" that several people mentioned. So even if your overall credit isn't great, as long as you don't have those specific red flags (recent charge-offs, defaults, etc.), you might still qualify. The community advice here about maximizing student loans first before going the PLUS route is really solid. Those lower interest rates can save thousands over the life of the loan. Good luck to everyone navigating this process!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and currently going through my first FAFSA/financial aid process with my oldest child. Reading through this thread has been incredibly informative - I had no idea about so many of these details regarding PLUS loans and credit requirements. @Chloe Taylor, your situation really resonates with me because I'm worried about potential credit issues affecting my ability to help fund my daughter's education. The fact that you were able to get that additional $4,000 unsubsidized loan so quickly through the financial aid office is really encouraging! I wanted to ask - for those of you who have been through PLUS denials and appeals, how long did the whole process typically take from start to finish? I'm trying to plan ahead and understand what kind of timeline we might be looking at if we run into similar issues. Also, the advice about checking credit reports annually before applying is something I'm definitely going to implement. Are there any other proactive steps you'd recommend for parents who are just starting this process? I'd rather address potential issues now than deal with them during crunch time like you're having to do. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences and advice. This community seems like an amazing resource for navigating what can be a really overwhelming process!

As someone who just went through this nightmare last month, I can confirm that the FAFSA system is absolutely terrible this year. What finally worked for me was doing it at 2 AM when the servers weren't overloaded - sounds crazy but it made all the difference! Also, if you're using autofill features in your browser, turn them OFF completely. The system seems to conflict with autofilled data and throws random errors. One more tip: don't use copy/paste for any fields, type everything manually. The system is super finicky about how data gets entered. Hope this helps other people struggling with the same issues!

Just want to add another potential solution that worked for my roommate last week - if you're still having issues after trying all the great suggestions here, check if you have any browser extensions enabled (especially ad blockers, password managers, or privacy tools). She was getting the same "Failed to Save" error and it turned out her ad blocker was interfering with the FAFSA site's background scripts. After disabling all extensions and trying again, it worked perfectly. Also seconding the off-peak hours advice - we both had much better luck applying late at night when the servers weren't overwhelmed. The FAFSA system is definitely frustrating but don't give up!

As someone new to this community but unfortunately very familiar with FSA ID issues, I can confirm everything everyone has said about using your existing parent FSA ID! I went through this exact scenario last year with my second child after my oldest graduated. One thing I'd add that might help - if you're having trouble remembering your login details, the FSA website has a really helpful "Find My Username" tool that will show you a masked version of the email associated with your account. This saved me from accidentally creating a duplicate account when I couldn't remember which email I'd used years earlier. Also, @Isabella, to answer your earlier question directly - your son's previous aid information absolutely will not affect your daughter's SAI calculation. Each FAFSA is processed completely independently, even though you're using the same parent FSA ID to contribute to both over the years. The system is designed this way specifically so families can use one parent login for all their children without any cross-contamination of financial aid data. Hope this helps ease your concerns! The process is actually much more straightforward than it seems at first.

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to echo everyone's advice about using your existing parent FSA ID! I'm actually going through this exact same situation right now with my second daughter after my oldest son finished college last year. What really helped me was calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-800-433-3243) when I wasn't sure about my account status. The representative confirmed that parents should absolutely use the same FSA ID for all their children and that creating multiple accounts can cause serious complications. They also helped me update my security questions since it had been a few years since I last logged in. One thing I noticed is that the new FAFSA interface is much more user-friendly than it was when I did my son's application. The system clearly shows which student's application you're contributing to, and there's even a helpful progress bar so you know how much of the parent contribution section you've completed. @Isabella, you're definitely on the right track - stick with your original parent FSA ID and don't overthink it. The system is designed to handle multiple children from the same parent account seamlessly!

As a newcomer to this community who's been following this incredibly helpful thread, I wanted to share my own experience and add some perspective! I'm currently a junior dealing with almost the exact same situation - my family's SAI increased by $900 this year despite our income dropping by about $3,000, and we're now scrambling to figure out how to cover an unexpected gap. What's been most eye-opening to me is discovering how many crucial options exist that aren't clearly communicated by financial aid offices or FSA. I had no idea that PLUS loan denials automatically trigger additional unsubsidized loan eligibility until reading this thread. That information should be front and center in any denial notification, not something students have to discover through online forums! Paolo, your systematic approach to tackling each option gives me a clear roadmap to follow. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service since I've had zero luck getting through FSA's regular phone lines. It's honestly absurd that we need third-party services just to access basic information about our own financial aid, but if it works, it works. The point about being specific with dollar amounts in appeals resonates with me too. I was being way too vague in my initial draft, but now I understand I need to document every expense and gap with exact figures. Thanks to everyone who's shared their knowledge and experiences here. It's communities like this that help students actually navigate the system when official channels fail us. The new FAFSA changes have clearly created chaos for low-income families, but seeing so many people find solutions through persistence gives me hope that I can figure this out too!

As someone brand new to this community and completely overwhelmed by the financial aid process, this entire thread has been an absolute lifesaver! I'm a sophomore facing the exact same nightmare - my family's SAI somehow increased by $1,400 this year even though our income went down by about $2,000, and now we have a massive gap that we have no idea how to fill. I honestly had no clue that there were so many appeal options available or that PLUS loan denials automatically trigger additional unsubsidized loan eligibility. My financial aid office basically just handed me a denial letter and said "good luck figuring it out" - no mention of any next steps or alternatives. Reading through everyone's experiences here has given me actual hope that there might be a way forward. Paolo, your detailed breakdown of each step you took is incredible! The fact that you had to use Claimyr just to talk to FSA is ridiculous, but I'm definitely going to try it since I've been getting nowhere with their regular phone system. It's honestly mind-blowing that we need third-party services just to access basic information about our own government financial aid. The advice about being super specific with dollar amounts and keeping detailed records of every conversation is gold. I was planning to be way too vague in my appeals, but now I understand I need to document everything with exact figures and official paperwork. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge and experiences. It's communities like this that literally keep students like us from falling through the cracks when the official systems fail. The new FAFSA has clearly created chaos for families like mine, but seeing so many success stories here proves that fighting through the bureaucracy can actually work!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare with Emory! My son submitted everything in December and we're still waiting. After reading all these comments, I feel so much better knowing it's not just us. The stress of the May 1st deadline without knowing the financial picture is keeping me up at night. I'm definitely sending that email with "URGENT: MAY 1 DEADLINE" in the subject line first thing tomorrow morning. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and advice - this community is such a lifesaver during this crazy process! Fingers crossed we all get our packages soon 🤞

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! My daughter submitted her FAFSA in early December and we're still waiting on Emory's financial aid package. It's so relieving to see we're not alone in this - I was starting to think something went wrong with our application. The May 1st deadline stress is real! I've been comparing offers from her other schools but Emory was her top choice, so we really need to see their numbers. Based on all the advice here, I'm going to email [email protected] tomorrow with "URGENT: MAY 1 DEADLINE" in the subject line and also request a deposit deadline extension just in case. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - knowing this is a widespread issue with their processing delays makes me feel so much better!