Great job figuring it out! That's a very common mistake with the new FAFSA form. Make sure both your mom and stepdad sign again after you make the correction. Your SAI should come through much faster this time around.

Glad you figured out the W-2 issue! Just went through something similar myself. Pro tip - after you and your parents e-sign, you'll get a confirmation email, but it might take up to 24 hours to actually show the "submitted" status on studentaid.gov. Don't panic if it doesn't update immediately like I did lol. The Box 1 vs Box 5 mistake is SO easy to make, especially when you're stressed about deadlines. Good luck with the reprocessing!

Another important consideration is whether you want loans in your name or your son's name with you as co-signer. Parent PLUS loans are solely in your name, while private loans co-signed for your son build his credit history but keep you equally liable. We decided to split the difference - some in our daughter's name (co-signed) to help her build credit, and some as Parent PLUS to maintain certain federal protections. Just something to think about in your planning.

I went through this exact same situation with my daughter at UCLA last year - the sticker shock of UC tuition is real! Here's what worked for us: we applied to 6 different lenders and the rates ranged from 4.2% to 8.9% with identical credit scores (mid-700s). Our best offers came from SoFi (4.2% fixed), Earnest (4.6% fixed), and CommonBond (4.8% fixed). The key was applying within a 2-week window so all the credit checks counted as one inquiry. Also, don't overlook local credit unions - ours offered a competitive rate and much better customer service than the big national lenders. One last tip: see if Berkeley offers any emergency grants or work-study positions that might reduce what you need to borrow. Sometimes they have last-minute funding that doesn't show up in the initial aid package.

Fun fact: when I was doing my FAFSA back in 2022 I had the exact opposite problem. I accidentally added too many schools (like 15) and couldn't remove any while it was processing lol. The financial aid offices at schools I wasn't even applying to kept emailing me about completing their supplemental forms 😂

Just want to add another tip for anyone still dealing with this - if you can't get through to FSA by phone, you can also try contacting your state's financial aid agency. Many states have their own hotlines and can sometimes help with federal FAFSA issues or at least provide guidance on next steps. Also, most college financial aid offices are pretty understanding about FAFSA delays this year given all the system issues. If you're worried about missing priority deadlines, reach out to the schools directly and explain the situation - many are extending their internal deadlines or making exceptions for students stuck in FAFSA processing limbo.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! This is exactly the kind of real-world advice I was looking for. It sounds like the consensus is that we're stuck with one borrower per loan, which is disappointing but at least now I know what our options are. I'm leaning toward either the alternating years approach that Aisha suggested or possibly splitting it with separate loans, though those extra fees are concerning. I think we'll start by figuring out which of us has the better credit score and go from there. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating all this financial aid confusion!

Hey there! I just went through this exact same situation with my twin daughters starting college this fall. What we ended up doing was having me apply for the PLUS loan since I had the slightly better credit score, but we set up a joint savings account specifically for making the loan payments so we're both contributing equally each month. It's not the same as being official co-borrowers, but it works for us practically speaking. Also, pro tip - make sure whoever applies has checked their credit report recently for any errors that might cause issues with approval. The PLUS loan credit check is pretty lenient compared to private loans, but it's still worth being prepared!

Some colleges actually have parent portals that will show the financial aid packages once they're created, which includes the SAI information. So while the FAFSA itself doesn't have parent access, you might get visibility through the individual schools after they process her application. Each college handles this differently, so check with the financial aid offices at the schools she's considering.

I'm going through this exact same frustration right now! My son submitted his FAFSA in January and I've been completely locked out of seeing any results. It's honestly infuriating that they require all our tax documents and financial information but then treat parents like we don't exist once it's submitted. I've tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline multiple times but the wait times are insane. At least I'm not alone in this - sounds like the system is just poorly designed for families where parents are actively involved in college planning. Going to have my son show me his account tonight so we can finally see what we're working with.