quick tip for elmselect - make sure u put in the EXAXT school name. i kept getting no results until i realized i was typing "university of michigan" instead of "university of michigan-ann arbor" lol took me forever to figure that out

As someone who just went through this exact decision process last semester, I wanted to add a few things that might help: 1. **Grace period differences**: Federal loans have a 6-month grace period after graduation before payments start. Some private loans offer this too, but not all - definitely confirm this with any private lender you're considering. 2. **Tax benefits**: Federal loan interest is tax-deductible up to $2,500/year (with income limits). Private loan interest is also deductible, but it's worth noting for your future planning. 3. **Death/disability discharge**: This is morbid but important - federal loans are discharged if you become permanently disabled or pass away. Not all private loans offer this protection, so check the fine print. 4. **Consider community college**: If you're really struggling with costs, taking some gen ed requirements at community college over summer can reduce your total borrowing need. Many CC credits transfer and cost a fraction of university tuition. The mix approach you ended up with sounds really smart - maximizing federal protections while getting better rates where possible. Good luck with everything!

That's fantastic news, Fatima! Your success story gives me so much hope. The $12,000 in institutional grants plus the potential for departmental scholarships shows that persistence really pays off. I'm definitely going to follow your approach - gathering all the medical documentation and emphasizing my daughter's academic record when we meet with financial aid next week. It's encouraging to hear that schools are recognizing these SAI formula issues and actually setting aside funds to help families navigate the transition. Thanks for sharing your update - it's exactly what so many of us needed to hear right now!

Welcome to the community, Julian! Don't feel overwhelmed - you're already taking the right steps by researching your options here. The appeals process might seem daunting, but as you can see from everyone's experiences, many schools are genuinely trying to help students navigate these SAI formula changes. Since you're facing a similar sibling graduation situation, I'd recommend starting by gathering documentation of any special circumstances (medical expenses, job changes, etc.) and scheduling a meeting with your financial aid office ASAP. Many schools have deadlines for appeals, so don't wait too long. Also, ask specifically about departmental scholarships in your major - these are often overlooked but can provide significant funding that isn't tied to FAFSA calculations. Good luck with your appeal!

Thank you for the loan breakdown - that's really helpful. I knew there were limits but wasn't sure exactly what they were. I'm hoping with a combination of those federal loans, whatever we can contribute, and hopefully some merit aid, we can make this work without them taking on massive private loans or me emptying my retirement accounts.

I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter who's a high school senior! Her SAI came back at around 23,000 and I've been panicking about what that means for affordability. Reading through everyone's responses here has been so reassuring - especially knowing that merit aid is completely separate from need-based aid and that the SAI calculation being the same for siblings is normal. One thing I learned recently is that some schools actually have automatic scholarships for certain GPA/test score combinations that you don't even need to apply for separately. Has anyone here had experience with those? I'm wondering if it's worth having my daughter cast a wider net to include some schools where she'd be above their average student profile specifically for merit opportunities. Also @Sophia Russo - good luck with twins starting college the same year! That's going to be expensive but at least you'll get through the whole process at once instead of dealing with it twice.

As a fellow first-gen student who just navigated this maze last year, I wanted to share something that really helped me stay organized during the waiting period: I created a simple checklist for each school I applied to. For each school, I tracked: - FAFSA submission date ✓ - Student portal login confirmed ✓ - Financial aid office contact info saved ✓ - Expected aid package timeline (got this by calling each school) - Award letter received date - Aid acceptance deadline - Any additional forms required (CSS Profile, verification docs, etc.) This helped me feel more in control during those nerve-wracking weeks of waiting. I also discovered that public universities tend to process aid packages faster than private schools, but private schools often have more generous institutional aid to offer. One more thing - if you're really stressed about the timing, most schools have emergency aid or short-term loan programs for students whose FAFSA is delayed. It's worth asking about when you call their financial aid offices. You're definitely not alone in this situation this year, and the schools are aware of the widespread processing delays!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also check if your state has its own financial aid programs with separate deadlines! Many states have grant programs that use your FAFSA data but have earlier deadlines than federal aid. Since you're already 5 weeks in, you might want to quickly research your state's programs to make sure you haven't missed anything. Also, when you do get your award letters, pay close attention to whether aid is renewable each year and what requirements you need to maintain (like GPA minimums or credit hour requirements). Some schools front-load their best aid offers for freshman year and then reduce them later, so it's worth asking about multi-year projections when you're comparing packages. The waiting is absolutely brutal, but remember that this year's delays are unprecedented and schools are being much more flexible with deadlines. You're being smart by preparing now for what comes after approval!

Update: I found my daughter's Student Aid Report on studentaid.gov (no email yet, but it's there in the dashboard). It shows all the information we entered and says processing is complete! It also lists her SAI number. I guess we really are done with the FAFSA portion. Now I'm checking each school's financial aid page to see which ones require the CSS Profile. Thank you all for your help - this community has been amazing!

Congratulations on getting through the FAFSA! It sounds like you figured everything out. Just wanted to add for other parents reading this - when you're checking for CSS Profile requirements, also look for any school-specific financial aid forms. Some colleges have their own supplemental forms in addition to FAFSA/CSS Profile. Also, make sure to note the deadlines for each school since they can vary quite a bit. Priority deadlines are usually earlier than final deadlines, and meeting priority deadlines can make a big difference in aid packages. Good luck to your daughter with her college applications!