I just wanted to add one more thing that might help - when you're gathering documentation, make sure you also have records of any untaxed income you might have received in 2023. This could include things like assistance for your mother's care, any cash support, or other benefits that didn't require tax filing. The FAFSA will ask about untaxed income separately from your tax filing status, so even though you didn't file taxes, you'll still need to report any income you received that year. This ensures your daughter's aid calculation is as accurate as possible and helps avoid issues during verification. Also, don't stress too much about the complexity of your situation - financial aid offices deal with non-traditional families all the time, and they're usually very helpful once you get connected with the right person. Good luck with everything!

One more tip that might save you headaches down the road - when you submit your FAFSA, screenshot or print every page before you finalize it. I learned this the hard way when my daughter's school asked me to verify information I had entered, but I couldn't remember exactly what I had put down for certain questions. Also, if your daughter ends up getting selected for verification (which is pretty common), don't panic! It's usually just routine and doesn't mean you did anything wrong. Just be ready with all your documentation and respond quickly to any requests from the financial aid office. Your situation is definitely manageable - you've got great advice from everyone here and it sounds like you're being thorough about getting everything right. Your daughter is lucky to have someone advocating for her education like this!

One more thing to consider - when you say she qualifies for "all of the Pell Grant," the maximum Pell for 2025-2026 is expected to be around $7,395. Combined with the $20K merit scholarship, that's $27,395 in gift aid that doesn't need to be repaid. On top of that, she'll likely be offered subsidized loans (around $3,500 for freshmen), and potentially unsubsidized loans as well. If her SAI is low enough, the school may also offer institutional grants to cover more of the gap. After the financial aid package arrives, if there's still a significant gap, you can always appeal the financial aid offer, especially if there are any special circumstances not reflected in the FAFSA.

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm that merit and need-based aid can definitely stack, but the devil is in the details! My daughter received a $15K merit scholarship and still kept her full Pell Grant plus subsidized loans. However, her institutional need-based grant from the school was reduced by about $8K. The key questions to ask the financial aid office are: 1. "What is your scholarship displacement policy?" 2. "Will outside/merit scholarships reduce institutional grants dollar-for-dollar?" 3. "Are there any aid sources that are protected from displacement?" Also, since you mentioned Illinois and the $60K total cost - definitely apply for the MAP grant ASAP if she hasn't already! The funding runs out quickly each year, but it can be worth several thousand for Pell-eligible students. One last tip: if the final aid package still leaves a big gap, don't be afraid to negotiate. We successfully appealed our daughter's package by explaining some financial circumstances that weren't fully captured in the FAFSA, and they increased her institutional grant by $3K per year.

just curious - what kind of scholarship is this? might apply for my kid next year lol

Congratulations on your daughter's scholarship! As someone new to this process, I'm finding all this information incredibly helpful. I had no idea that schools had such different policies for handling outside scholarships. My son is a junior and we're just starting to think about college financing - should I be researching these displacement policies now for the schools on his list? Also, is there a good resource for finding local community foundation scholarships like the one your daughter received? It sounds like those might be less competitive than the big national ones everyone applies for.

Welcome to the financial aid world! I went through this exact same confusion with my twins last year. Just wanted to add one more thing that helped us - create a simple spreadsheet to track all the important dates and requirements for each school. Include columns for award letter deadlines, loan counseling completion dates, and FAFSA renewal reminders. Also, if your daughter applied to multiple schools, you'll likely get different award packages from each one, which can make comparing options really tricky. Don't just look at the total dollar amount - focus on how much is grants/scholarships versus loans. The learning curve is steep but you're asking all the right questions! Your daughter is lucky to have such an engaged parent helping navigate this process.

Just wanted to chime in as another parent who went through this exact same confusion! The financial aid award letter is definitely separate from FAFSA - think of FAFSA as the application that tells schools your financial situation, and the award letter as the school's response with what they're offering based on that information. One thing I wish someone had told me: keep copies of EVERYTHING! Save the award letter, your FAFSA confirmation, and any correspondence from the school. You'll need to reference these documents throughout the year, especially if there are any questions or changes to your aid. Also, don't be afraid to call the school's financial aid office if you have questions about the award letter. They're usually pretty helpful in explaining what each component means and can walk you through the acceptance process. Much easier than trying to navigate the federal websites sometimes! Sounds like you're doing great advocating for your daughter - the fact that you're asking these questions early means you'll be well prepared for the process.

Pro tip from someone who went through this nightmare last month - if you're on mobile, the "View Student Aid Index Report" link is practically invisible! I had to zoom in like 200% to even see it. The desktop version is much easier to navigate. Also, if your FAFSA shows as "processed" but you still can't find the SAI link, try logging out and back in - sometimes there's a delay between processing completion and the link becoming available. Took about 24 hours in my case.

I had a similar issue and found that sometimes the SAI report link doesn't appear immediately even after the FAFSA shows "processed." Try refreshing the page or checking back in a few hours. Also, make sure you're looking at the correct tax year - I was accidentally checking my 2024-25 FAFSA instead of 2025-26! The SAI number should be clearly labeled at the top of the PDF once you download it. If all else fails, your school's financial aid office can usually pull up your SAI on their end while you're troubleshooting the website issues.