As someone who just went through this exact nightmare last month with my daughter's application, I feel your pain! The panic is so real when you see all that work just vanish. I'm glad to see from the updates that your form came back - that's exactly what happened to us too after about 30 hours of pure stress. For anyone else reading this who might face the same issue in the future, I'd add one more tip: screenshot your confirmation pages and save copies of any emails you get from studentaid.gov. Having those reference numbers can be really helpful when you're on the phone with FSA trying to prove your application existed. This community has been such a lifesaver for navigating all these FAFSA headaches!

As a newcomer to this community, reading this thread has been both educational and nerve-wracking! I'm currently helping my niece with her 2025-26 FAFSA application and seeing how applications can just disappear after maintenance is honestly my worst nightmare. But I'm so relieved to see how this community rallied around you with practical solutions and moral support. The troubleshooting steps everyone shared are incredibly valuable - I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference. Emma's advice about saving PDFs as you go is brilliant, and Aurora's tip about screenshotting confirmation pages is something I never would have thought of. It's clear that while the FAFSA system has its issues, this community is an amazing resource for navigating them. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - it makes this whole process feel less overwhelming!

Just wanted to add one more perspective as someone who thought they were "too rich" for aid. My family makes good money but we still qualified for some need-based grants because we have 3 kids in college at the same time. The FAFSA calculation considers family size, number in college, and other factors beyond just income. Plus many schools use it to determine eligibility for their own institutional scholarships that aren't even need-based. It's definitely worth the 30 minutes to fill out, especially since you can always decline aid if you don't want it!

Hey Connor! Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same situation with my parents a few years ago. They were convinced it was mandatory too! Turns out they had mixed up some info they read about schools requiring it for aid with it being a federal law. After all the great advice here, I'd definitely recommend filling it out even if your family is well-off. I was surprised to learn that even high-income families can qualify for unsubsidized federal loans, which have way better terms than private loans if you ever need them for grad school or unexpected expenses. Plus, like others mentioned, many merit scholarships require FAFSA completion regardless of need. The privacy concerns are understandable, but the data is pretty well protected under federal law. And honestly, the new simplified FAFSA really does only take about 30 minutes now. Better to have options and not need them than to need them and not have them!

One more thing to consider: rather than focusing only on co-signer release, you might want to look at the full range of benefits. Some lenders offer: - Longer grace periods after graduation (up to 9 months instead of standard 6) - Hardship forbearance options if he struggles to find work - Death/disability discharge protections (not all private loans have this) - No prepayment penalties For my daughter, we found Sallie Mae's Smart Option loan had the best combination of features, even though their co-signer release requires 12 months of principal and interest payments after graduation.

I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter starting college this fall! After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing I need to be much more strategic about this. One question I haven't seen addressed - has anyone compared the total cost differences between starting with private loans (with co-signer release goals) versus doing Parent PLUS initially and then refinancing later? I'm wondering if the higher Parent PLUS rates and origination fees might actually cost more in the long run, even if you're stuck as co-signer for a few extra years with private loans. Also, for those who've been through the co-signer release process - did any lenders require additional documentation beyond just proving income and credit score? Like employment verification letters or tax returns? Thanks for all the detailed advice in this thread - it's been incredibly helpful!

wait what is SAI? is that like the EFC? my daughter got her EFC score last yr but now im seeing SAI everywhere

This is such a relief to see resolved! I'm new to the FAFSA process (first kid heading to college) and this thread has been incredibly helpful. The fact that so many people had the same issue makes me feel better about potentially making mistakes myself. I'm bookmarking this thread for when I start our application next month. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - it really helps us newbies navigate this confusing system!

That's really good to know, thank you! I'll definitely call her school tomorrow to ask about an extension. It's so stressful having the payment deadline approaching without knowing the final aid amount.

I went through this exact same situation last month! The FAFSA system has been sending out these confusing "missing signature" emails even after everything is properly processed. If your dashboard shows "Processed" for the Parent Contributor section AND you can see an SAI number, you're all set - no need to panic or try to sign again. I made the mistake of trying to "re-sign" multiple times before realizing the system was just glitching. For the tuition deadline issue, definitely call your daughter's financial aid office ASAP. Most schools are being very understanding about the FAFSA delays this year and will work with you on payment extensions. Don't stress too much - it sounds like your FAFSA is actually complete despite the scary notification!