UPDATE: I just received a memo from Federal Student Aid today about this multiple flag issue. They've implemented a new review process starting April 30th that will consolidate all verification flags into a single comprehensive review. If your application was flagged multiple times before April 30, you should receive an email with consolidated verification instructions within 5-7 business days. This won't automatically clear existing flags, but it should prevent new ones from appearing after you've submitted documentation. I recommend waiting for this consolidated email before submitting additional documents if possible.

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! My son's FAFSA has been flagged THREE times since mid-April - first for income verification, then for dependency status, and now for some "institutional verification" that I don't even understand. Each time we submit documents, a new flag appears 1-2 weeks later. It's absolutely maddening! What's really frustrating is that each college portal shows different information about what's needed, and the studentaid.gov site seems to update at random times. I've been keeping a spreadsheet tracking every document we've submitted and when, because I'm starting to lose track of what we've already sent where. The worst part is watching other families get their financial aid packages while we're still stuck in verification limbo. My son's top choice school said they can't process ANY aid until ALL verification is complete, so we have no idea what our actual costs will be. Really hoping this new consolidated review process that @Hattie Carson mentioned actually works!

That's such helpful advice, thank you! Her SAI is 8200 and I know she qualifies for at least some subsidized loans. I'll call tomorrow and ask for their off-campus COA number so we can start calculating. Really appreciate the concrete formula!

Hey Alexis! I went through this exact situation with my son last year. Here's what worked for us: while you technically can't get the PLUS loan approved without the award letter, you CAN start the application process early. Make sure both you and your daughter have your FSA IDs ready, and definitely call the financial aid office (try early morning around 8am - that's when I finally got through). The key thing is getting your daughter's housing status updated in their system ASAP. Once that's done, they can give you an estimated COA for off-campus living. In our case, the off-campus COA was actually higher than dorms, which helped with the loan amount. Also, talk to the apartment landlord about the situation - many of them deal with students and understand the financial aid timeline. We were able to put down a smaller "good faith" deposit while waiting for the loan to process, then paid the full amount once everything cleared. Don't stress too much - June 1st is still doable if you start making calls tomorrow!

One more preparation tip: Help your daughter start thinking about her college list in terms of financial fit, not just academic and social fit. Some key financial categories to consider: 1. Safety-affordable (schools where she's likely to be admitted AND you can afford without aid) 2. Match-affordable (good chances + affordable with expected aid) 3. Reach-affordable (harder to get into but still affordable if admitted) Many families focus only on admission chances but forget the affordability part of the equation, which leads to tough conversations later. Running net price calculators for representative schools now (junior year) can help set realistic expectations before senior year applications.

As a newcomer to this process, I'm finding all this information incredibly valuable! I had no idea there were so many different deadlines and requirements to track. My son is also a junior (class of 2025) and I've been putting off thinking about financial aid because it seemed overwhelming. Reading through these responses, it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1. Start preparing NOW even though we can't submit until October 2024 2. Create FSA IDs for both parent and student 3. Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator to get ballpark numbers 4. Research which schools need CSS Profile vs just FAFSA 5. Look into merit scholarship deadlines (apparently these can be much earlier!) One question I haven't seen addressed - for divorced parents, how does that complicate the FAFSA process? I saw @Elin Robinson mentioned it was "extra complicated" but didn't get details. My ex and I are on decent terms but our finances are completely separate now. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this thread is a goldmine of practical advice!

Just want to echo what others have said - the FAFSA for grad school is easier administratively (no parent info), but worse financially (mostly just loans with higher interest rates). One thing no one mentioned is income-based repayment plans for after graduation. If you're going into a field that might not pay a ton compared to your debt, look into PAYE, REPAYE, and other IBR options. Some MBA programs also have loan forgiveness programs for graduates going into non-profit or public service careers.

Congratulations on your MBA acceptance! As someone who just went through this process for my graduate program, I can confirm the major differences others have mentioned. One additional tip: check if your MBA program offers any merit-based scholarships that don't require the FAFSA at all. Many business schools have scholarships based on work experience, GMAT scores, or specific career tracks that can significantly reduce your need for loans. Also, if you're currently employed, see if your company has tuition reimbursement programs - some will pay for an MBA if you commit to staying for a certain period after graduation. The combination of employer assistance and targeted scholarships can sometimes cover a huge portion of costs without touching federal loans.

UPDATE: I finally found the information! Thanks everyone for your help. For anyone else looking, the federal deadline for 2026-2027 FAFSA is June 30, 2027, but the California state deadline is March 2, 2026. I also discovered that some schools have much earlier priority deadlines for maximum aid consideration (some as early as December/January). I'm creating a calendar with all these dates now. The advice about calling with Claimyr might come in handy later when I actually start filling out the form and inevitably run into questions. This whole process feels unnecessarily complicated but I'm glad this community exists to help navigate it!

So glad you found the info you needed! Your experience really highlights how unnecessarily complex the whole system is. Creating that calendar is smart - I wish someone had told me to do that when I first started this process. One tip for when you do start filling out the form: save your progress frequently and don't try to complete it all in one sitting. The site has a tendency to time out if you're on it too long, and nothing's worse than losing all your work. Also, make sure you have all your tax documents ready before you start - the form will ask for specific line numbers from your tax returns. Good luck with your transfer applications! The financial aid maze gets easier once you've navigated it the first time.