Just wanted to chime in as someone who works in financial aid - you've gotten some great advice here! One thing I'd add is to make sure you save a copy of her medical withdrawal documentation. If any questions come up during aid verification or if you need to appeal aid decisions later, having that paperwork readily available can be really helpful. Also, once she's back and settled, encourage her to connect with the disability services office at her school - they often have resources and accommodations that can help prevent future academic disruptions due to mental health challenges. Wishing your daughter all the best on her return!

I went through something very similar with my son two years ago! He had to take a medical leave for mental health reasons after completing his first semester. When we filled out the FAFSA for his return, we listed him as a 1st year student since he only had about 14 credits completed - not enough for sophomore status. The key thing is to match whatever his official academic standing will be according to the registrar's office when he returns. Also, definitely reach out to the financial aid office once you submit the FAFSA to discuss his situation. They were incredibly understanding about my son's circumstances and helped us navigate some additional options we didn't even know existed. It's tough as a parent watching them go through this, but taking time to focus on mental health was the best decision we made. Your daughter is lucky to have such a supportive parent advocating for her!

Unfortunately, Parent PLUS loans have fewer forgiveness options than student Direct loans. They're not eligible for income-based repayment plans unless consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan, and even then, only the Income-Contingent Repayment plan is available (which is less generous than plans available to students). Public Service Loan Forgiveness is technically available for parents if YOU (not your child) work in qualifying public service for 10 years while making payments, but this isn't helpful for most families. This is why I suggest exhausting all scholarship, grant, and Direct Student Loan options first. The current annual limit for freshman Direct loans is $5,500, sophomore $6,500, and junior/senior $7,500.

I'm in a very similar situation - SAI of 31,200 with a $38k/year school and feeling completely overwhelmed! Reading through all these responses has been so helpful. I had no idea about professional judgment reviews or that some schools use CSS Profile for better aid consideration. One thing I'd add from my own research - definitely look into your state's 529 college savings plan if you haven't already. Even though it won't help for this year, if you have younger kids or are planning ahead, the tax benefits can really add up. Also, some employers offer tuition assistance or scholarships for employees' children that many people don't know about. The community college transfer route mentioned earlier is worth seriously considering too. My neighbor's daughter did 2 years at community college then transferred to her dream school as a junior - saved over $40k and still got the same degree. Sometimes being practical about finances is the most loving thing we can do for our kids' futures. Good luck with the professional judgment review process - I'll be following your lead on that!

My daughter's application showed the exact same error but with MY SSN missing instead (I'm the mom). So weird that it's happening to so many people. We had to redo the entire thing 😩

This thread has been so helpful! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with the same exact issue. My spouse's SSN disappeared and the "no SSN" box got checked automatically. I've been panicking about having to start over completely, but seeing all these solutions gives me hope. Going to try calling FSA directly first, and if that doesn't work I'll look into the Claimyr service that several people mentioned. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to deal with these glitches when financial aid deadlines are so critical. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

Update: My son added me as an authorized user through his account settings like you all suggested. We called FSA together and it went SO much better. The rep confirmed they can now discuss his application with me as long as he gives verbal permission at the start of each call. We got everything resolved for his 2025-2026 application. Thanks everyone for your help!

So glad you got this resolved! Your experience really highlights how much clearer the process could be if FSA reps were trained to proactively explain the authorization options instead of just shutting parents down. I went through something similar with my daughter's FAFSA last year - the first rep I spoke to was also pretty dismissive, but the second one walked me through the whole proxy access setup step by step. It's frustrating that getting help seems to depend on which representative you get. Hopefully sharing your solution here will help other parents who run into the same roadblock!

Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice! Based on your suggestions, I'm going to: 1. Look into additional unsubsidized loans my son can take in his name first 2. Ask the financial aid office about any additional CSS Profile-based aid 3. If I do need to take Parent PLUS loans, I'll definitely request the in-school deferment 4. Research that consolidation loophole more (that could be a game-changer!) I really appreciate all the perspectives - both positive and cautionary. It's given me a lot to think about!

Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me - make sure to exhaust ALL other options before going the Parent PLUS route. I wish I had known to appeal my son's financial aid package first! We wrote a letter explaining some unexpected medical expenses we had, and the school actually increased his grant aid by $3,500. Also check if your employer offers tuition assistance programs - mine reimburses up to $2,000 per year for dependent children's education. These smaller amounts really add up and can reduce how much you need to borrow. Good luck with whatever you decide!