Update: I just got off the phone with my school's financial aid office. They were actually really understanding and said they've been seeing this problem a lot. They're setting up a special appeal process for students affected by the multiple-in-college change. I have to submit last year's award letter, this year's SAI calculation, and a statement about how this affects our ability to pay. They said they can't promise anything, but they're trying to find institutional funds to help bridge some of the gap. Fingers crossed! Thanks everyone for your help.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the new FAFSA changes have really blindsided a lot of families. It sounds like you're doing all the right things by reaching out to your school's financial aid office. Just wanted to add a few more suggestions that might help: 1. Ask your financial aid counselor about work-study opportunities if you haven't already - sometimes there are positions that weren't advertised widely 2. Check if your state has any emergency financial aid programs for students affected by the FAFSA changes - several states have created these specifically for situations like yours 3. Look into whether your school has any department-specific scholarships in your major that you might not have applied for yet Also, don't feel bad about considering community college for some courses if needed - I know it's not what you planned, but taking a few summer courses at CC to lighten your course load (and costs) during the regular semester can be a good strategy. You're being smart by exploring all your options instead of just taking on massive debt. Keep us posted on how your appeal goes!

does anyone know if we will get more money with negative sai than we would have with the old efc system??? my brothers sai was like -1200 and mine is -3400 but we have same parents lol

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Reading through all these responses has been so reassuring. I was panicking thinking I somehow skipped entering our tax information, but it sounds like the automatic IRS data retrieval is supposed to handle that. My daughter's SAI came back as -$2,100 and I was worried something was wrong with the calculation. It's frustrating how different this new system is from the old FAFSA - I wish they had better explanations or tutorials walking parents through what to expect. At least now I know our negative SAI is actually good news for financial aid eligibility! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

hey just wondering did you apply for any scholarships too? with your SAI you should def look into them, my roommate got like $7k in outside scholarships and it reduced how much she needed in loans

Welcome to the waiting game! I'm a sophomore now and remember this exact anxiety from last year. You're doing everything right - the FAFSA submission with the loan box checked is really all you need to do at this stage. Just to add to what others have said: some schools are REALLY slow with aid packages. I didn't get my final aid letter from one school until mid-April, which was nerve-wracking when trying to make my final decision by May 1st. One tip that helped me: create a spreadsheet to track each school's aid package when they come in. Include total cost of attendance, grants/scholarships offered, loan amounts, and your estimated out-of-pocket costs. It makes comparing schools so much easier when you're trying to decide where the best financial fit is. Also, don't be afraid to appeal your aid package if it's not enough! I successfully appealed at two schools and got additional grant money that reduced my loan needs. Good luck with your acceptances - sounds like you've got some great Florida options!

Just wanted to follow up - did any of these suggestions work for you? I'm dealing with a similar issue for my nephew's FAFSA and curious if you found a solution.

So glad to hear you got it resolved! This is exactly the kind of outcome that gives me hope when dealing with FAFSA issues. The duplicate account problem seems to be way more common than FSA admits - I've now seen several families mention this exact scenario. For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues, it sounds like the key steps are: 1. Use password recovery on the ORIGINAL FSA ID (don't create new accounts) 2. Try a completely different device 3. Get through to an actual support agent who can check for duplicate accounts in their system The Claimyr service mention is interesting - I hadn't heard of that before but might be worth trying for folks who can't get through the regular phone lines. Thanks for following up with the resolution, it really helps the community!

As someone who went through a similar situation with my parent lacking an SSN, I wanted to add that it's really important to keep detailed records of all your attempts and communications. Screenshot any error messages you get, write down the dates and times you called, and if you do get through to an agent, ask for a reference number for your case. This documentation can be super helpful if you need to escalate the issue later or if different agents give you conflicting information. Also, some schools have specific deadlines for receiving completed FAFSAs to be considered for certain aid programs, so definitely check with your target schools about their priority deadlines while you're getting this sorted out.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now with my daughter's FAFSA! Her dad doesn't have an SSN either and we've been going in circles for weeks. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the account lockout issue or that there are specific verification processes for parents without SSNs. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service since we've been completely unable to get through to FSA on our own. Quick question though - when you finally got through to the agent, did they require any specific documentation to verify your husband's identity? I want to make sure I have everything ready before I attempt to call so we don't waste the opportunity if we do get connected.