I'm a PA parent who helped my daughter navigate this exact situation last year! A few additional tips that might help: 1) PHEAA sometimes updates their online portal with preliminary award info before sending official notifications, so check your account daily starting mid-April. 2) If you're comparing out-of-state options, remember that PA grants only work at PA schools, so factor that portability into your decision. 3) Some schools have "PHEAA pending" placeholders in their financial aid systems - ask if yours does this to get a clearer picture earlier. 4) Keep documentation of all your communications with both schools about extensions/estimates - it helps if there are any issues later. The waiting is brutal, but most families figure it out! Also, don't forget to submit your renewal FAFSA early next year to avoid this stress again 😅

As someone who just went through this process with my younger sibling, I can add a few more insights! PHEAA's timing is frustrating but predictable - they almost always release between April 18-28. One thing that helped us was reaching out to current students at both schools through social media or the schools' admitted student Facebook groups. Many upperclassmen remember their PHEAA amounts and can give you real examples of what to expect with similar financial situations. Also, if you're really stuck, consider putting down a deposit at your safer financial choice and then switching if the PHEAA grant makes your preferred school affordable - yes, you might lose the deposit, but it's better than missing out entirely. Most schools are understanding about this situation since it happens to so many PA students every year. Hang in there - the uncertainty is the worst part, but you'll have your answer soon! 🤞

As someone who just went through this nightmare with my own kid, I can't stress enough how important it is to document everything when you have these technical issues! Screenshot every error message, note the exact times you tried to submit, and keep records of any phone calls or chats with FSA. If the glitches cause you to miss priority deadlines, most financial aid offices will grant extensions if you can prove you were actively trying to complete the application. Also, pro tip - if you're still having issues, try using an incognito/private browser window. Sometimes cached data from previous FAFSA attempts can interfere with the new application.

Just wanted to add another potential solution that worked for my nephew last month - if you're still having issues, try completing the FAFSA during off-peak hours (like early morning or late evening). The system seems to be more stable when fewer people are using it. Also, make sure you're not using any browser extensions that might interfere with the form submission - we had to disable his ad blocker and password manager before it would go through properly. The timing thing especially seems to matter with Step 4 since that's where the system does a lot of backend calculations. Good luck to anyone still dealing with these frustrating technical problems!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My son is 18, lives at home, and we claim him as a dependent on our taxes, but the FAFSA keeps flagging him as independent no matter what we do. It's so frustrating because this glitch could cost us thousands in aid eligibility. I tried calling the FSA number multiple times but gave up after being on hold for over 2 hours each time. Really hoping that system fix they mentioned actually works this weekend - we can't afford to wait much longer with all these deadlines approaching!

This dependency status glitch is absolutely maddening! I'm a college sophomore and my younger sister is going through this exact same nightmare right now. She's 17, still in high school, lives at home, and has never worked - literally the textbook definition of a dependent student. But somehow the FAFSA system decided she should file as independent?? Makes zero sense. We've been trying to fix this for weeks and it's causing so much stress for my whole family. The worst part is that if she gets classified as independent, she won't qualify for nearly as much aid since the system won't consider our parents' income. It's like the system is punishing students for a glitch THEY created. Really hoping that weekend fix actually works because at this point I'm starting to think the whole FAFSA redesign was a huge mistake. Thanks for posting about this - at least now I know we're not going crazy and it really IS a widespread system problem!

btw when my sister transferred the new school wanted her to submit a financial aid transcript from her old school. idk if all schools require this but might wanna ask about it

Hi Cynthia! I'm new to this whole process but wanted to share what I learned when my nephew went through something similar. You can definitely add the local university to the FAFSA before she applies - it's actually really smart planning! One thing I wish we had known earlier is that some schools have "preferred filing dates" that are different from their priority deadlines, and meeting the earlier date can sometimes make a difference in aid amounts. Also, if your daughter is considering other transfer options too, you might want to add those schools to the FAFSA as well while you're at it, just to keep all doors open. The whole transfer financial aid process seems overwhelming at first, but reading through everyone's advice here is really reassuring that it's more straightforward than it appears. Good luck with everything!

Just wondering - does your dad have to be a contributor for your FAFSA? If you live with just your mom or are considered independent, you might not need his signature at all. Might save you some hassle with the whole paper signature thing.

Hey Javier! I just went through this exact same situation with my stepdad last month. One tip that really helped us with the FSA ID creation - we did it together on a video call so I could walk him through each step in real time. That way he felt more comfortable with the process and didn't get stuck on the verification codes. If you do decide to go the paper route though, make sure to send it certified mail so you have tracking. The processing times can be unpredictable and you'll want proof it was delivered on time for your March deadline. Good luck!