Hey Max! I totally get the panic - I went through the exact same thing last year when my older brother graduated. My SAI jumped from about 7800 to 11200 and I lost my Pell Grant too. It felt like the rug was pulled out from under me financially. But here's what I learned: losing Pell doesn't mean losing ALL aid. I still qualified for subsidized federal loans, got a decent state grant (definitely check Illinois MAP grants - they go up to higher income levels than Pell), and my university came through with some institutional grants after I met with financial aid. The key thing that helped me was being proactive. I scheduled a meeting with my financial aid counselor right away, brought documentation of our family's actual financial situation, and asked specifically about professional judgment appeals. They were able to adjust some things and find additional funding sources I didn't even know existed. Also, look into department scholarships! My major had several small scholarships ($500-2000) that barely anyone applied for. Every bit helps when you're trying to close that gap. You mentioned your mom lost hours - definitely bring documentation of that to your financial aid meeting. They might be able to do a professional judgment review based on the change in circumstances. Hang in there - this is definitely manageable even though it's stressful right now!

I'm new here but wanted to chime in since I just went through something similar! My SAI went from around 9000 to 13500 when my twin brother decided to take a gap year, so I totally understand the shock you're feeling right now. One thing that really helped me was creating a spreadsheet of ALL possible funding sources - federal loans, state grants, institutional aid, department scholarships, local community scholarships, work-study, etc. It helped me see the bigger picture beyond just the Pell Grant loss. Also, when you meet with financial aid, ask them to walk you through exactly how your aid package will look for the full year. Sometimes the initial shock of losing Pell feels worse than the actual financial reality once you see what other aid you qualify for. And definitely don't overlook smaller, local scholarships! I found three $1000 scholarships through my hometown community foundation that nobody else had applied for. They're not huge amounts individually, but they add up. You've got a solid plan forming from all the great advice here. The fact that you're being proactive and reaching out shows you're going to figure this out!

Just wanted to share an update and some hope for others dealing with this! After reading all your suggestions, we tried several things at once: my dad lifted his credit freezes (thanks Zoe!), updated his address with his bank, and tried accessing his account from the library computer. Something worked because his verification finally went through this morning after 3 weeks of waiting! I'm not sure which specific fix did it, but I suspect it was the credit freeze issue since that seemed to be the most immediate change. For anyone else stuck in this situation, definitely check those credit bureau freezes first - it's something that's easy to overlook but seems to be a common cause. Also huge thanks to Mei Lin for the tip about contacting the school's financial aid office directly. Even though my dad's verification came through, having that extension gives me so much peace of mind. The financial aid advisor I spoke with said they're seeing this issue with about 15% of contributor accounts this year, so you're definitely not alone if you're dealing with this. Don't give up! Keep trying different solutions and definitely reach out to your schools for help while you're troubleshooting.

Congrats on getting it resolved! This thread has been so helpful - I'm bookmarking it for sure. The credit freeze issue seems to be way more common than people realize. I work at a bank and we see customers all the time who forget they have freezes in place, then wonder why various verification systems aren't working. For anyone still dealing with this, you can usually check and temporarily lift credit freezes online at each bureau's website (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion). It's free and takes like 10 minutes per bureau. Just remember to put the freezes back in place once your FAFSA verification goes through! Also wanted to add that if you're really stuck, some community colleges and public libraries offer free FAFSA assistance sessions where volunteers help troubleshoot these kinds of technical issues. Might be worth looking into if you're in a rural area without easy access to your school's financial aid office.

I'm so sorry for your loss - I can't imagine how difficult this must be while also trying to navigate financial aid. I went through something similar when my father passed away during my senior year of college. A few additional tips that helped me: 1) When you call the financial aid offices, ask to speak with a "financial aid counselor" rather than just any representative - they're typically more knowledgeable about special circumstances. 2) If possible, try to get any verbal agreements or instructions in writing via email for your records. 3) Some schools have grief counseling services that can also help connect you with additional campus resources you might not know about. The process is frustrating, but the financial aid staff generally want to help once they understand your situation. You're doing everything right by asking questions and preparing documentation. Your son is lucky to have such a dedicated advocate.

I'm so deeply sorry for your loss. Losing a spouse is devastating, and having to navigate FAFSA on top of everything else must feel overwhelming. I want to share something that might help with the immediate stress - you absolutely can and should file the FAFSA now rather than waiting. Here's what I'd recommend: 1) File the 2025-2026 FAFSA using your current single/head of household status and estimate your income based on what you expect to earn this year (without your husband's income). 2) Immediately after submitting, contact each school's financial aid office to request both a Professional Judgment Review AND ask about dependency override options as others mentioned. 3) Prepare a packet with: death certificate, recent pay stubs, a letter explaining your circumstances, and your 2023 joint tax return for comparison. The key thing to remember is that financial aid offices deal with these tragic situations regularly and they have processes in place to help. Don't let anyone make you feel like you're asking for special treatment - you're dealing with a legitimate change in circumstances that the system is designed to accommodate. Take it one step at a time, and remember that advocating for your son's education is a beautiful way to honor your husband's memory.

Thank you everyone for the incredibly helpful advice! I've talked with my cousin and we're going to: 1) Gather all the documentation about her mom's death and dad's work situation, 2) Contact each school's financial aid office directly to explain the situation before submitting the FAFSA, and 3) Look into those special circumstances forms that several of you mentioned. Also going to try that Claimyr service to speak directly with an FSA agent since we've had no luck getting through on our own. I'll update here if we find a solution that might help others in similar situations!

I went through something very similar with my younger sister a few years ago. Her biological dad passed away when she was 16, and our mom remarried. The stepdad was financially well-off but made it clear he wasn't paying for college. What saved us was being proactive with the schools she applied to. Here's what worked: We called each financial aid office in early fall (way before FAFSA deadlines) and explained the situation. Most schools have seen this before and have specific procedures. Three out of four schools she applied to were able to work with us through their "professional judgment" process. The key was having documentation ready - death certificate, proof of the stepdad's refusal in writing (we had him sign a simple statement), and letters from us explaining the family dynamics. One school even told us they could treat it as if mom was unmarried for financial aid purposes once they reviewed everything. Your cousin shouldn't give up - the system has more flexibility than it appears on the surface, but you have to know how to navigate it. Start making those calls to financial aid offices now!

UPDATE: First, thank you all SO MUCH for the helpful suggestions! I finally got through to FSA after using that Claimyr service someone recommended (it actually worked!). The agent confirmed it was exactly what @profile2 suggested - the marriage date in December 2023 was causing a flag since we filed jointly that year. They helped me submit a correction with a special note explaining the situation, and the agent said they'd expedite the review since my daughter's aid deadline is coming up. The status now shows "Correction Processing" so fingers crossed it will be fixed in a few days. Will update when we know for sure!

Wow, this thread is incredibly helpful! I'm a high school counselor and I've had several families dealing with this exact same issue this year. The 2025-2026 FAFSA rollout has been especially buggy with these hidden validation errors. I'm definitely going to share the Claimyr service with my families - the FSA phone lines have been completely overwhelmed this season. It's so frustrating that the system shows "processed successfully" when there are actually blocking issues. Thank you everyone for sharing your solutions - I'm going to create a checklist for my families based on all the common causes mentioned here (marriage date discrepancies, household size vs tax dependents, hyphenated names, incomplete contributor sections, etc.).