One other important thing to note: If UAB has already requested verification, make sure you're monitoring your son's student portal AND email for notices. Alabama schools often communicate verification requirements through the school's system rather than through the Federal Student Aid portal. Also, if you resolve the federal verification first, many Alabama schools will simplify the state verification process and potentially just require the additional state forms rather than duplicating documentation efforts.

The Alabama SAI will always differ somewhat from the federal calculation due to the state's inclusion of additional assets (like home equity). However, resolving federal verification will ensure your base financial data is correct. Once that's done, the Alabama differential should only reflect their additional factors, not errors in the underlying data. So yes, definitely resolve the federal side first, then address any remaining state discrepancies afterward with the financial aid office at UAB.

One important thing to remember is that the Parent Plus loan isn't directly tied to the SAI calculation or the initial financial aid package. Once your son receives any financial aid offer from a school, you can apply for the Parent Plus loan separately to cover remaining costs up to the cost of attendance. Even if there are delays with the initial aid package, you'll typically have time to complete the Parent Plus application before payment is due. The Parent Plus application process is separate from the FAFSA and usually takes just 3-5 business days for credit approval.

I submitted my FAFSA on January 22nd and just received my SAI yesterday. The entire financial aid process seems much slower this year with the new system. Once we got the SAI, I immediately called my daughter's top choice school and they confirmed they had received the information. One suggestion - check your spam folder regularly. My SAI notification went to spam, and I only found it when I manually checked. Also make sure your contact information is up to date on studentaid.gov.

Something to keep in mind - your daughter's financial aid package will likely improve after freshman year. The loan limits increase ($6,500 for sophomore year, $7,500 for junior/senior years). Additionally, once she's on campus and established, she'll have more opportunities for departmental scholarships and upper-level work opportunities that often pay better than first-year work study positions. Also, don't overlook outside scholarships! Local community organizations, parent employers, and industry associations often offer scholarships that have much less competition than national ones. Even small scholarships of $500-$1000 can add up quickly.

Based on your SAI, your family is expected to contribute about $31,422 per year toward college costs. Any college with a cost of attendance higher than that amount means your daughter would have demonstrated need. For example: If a college costs $50,000/year total (tuition, room, board, etc.): - Your demonstrated need would be $18,578 ($50,000 - $31,422) - This can be filled with various aid types (loans, work-study, grants) If a college costs $25,000/year: - You'd have no demonstrated need since your SAI exceeds the cost - You'd still get the unsubsidized Direct Loan ($5,500) since that's not need-based This is why you might see very different packages from different schools depending on their total cost.

Why not just claim all 4 on your taxes next year? That's what my sister did lol

One additional point about the new FAFSA system: Make sure you list any child support you receive (if applicable) in the "Untaxed Income" section. This helps establish your financial responsibility for the children not claimed on your taxes. Also, if your divorce decree specifies who pays for college, have that document ready as some schools will want to see it during their professional judgment review process.

one more thing nobody mentioned - if ur working for government or non-profit u might qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness on Parent Plus Loans but only after consolidation and only on ICR. Its complicated but worth it if u qualify,

Based on the information you've shared, here's what I recommend: 1. First, consolidate your Parent Plus Loans through studentaid.gov into a Direct Consolidation Loan 2. Immediately apply for Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) 3. Consider whether filing taxes separately from your spouse would benefit you (run the numbers both ways) 4. Set up autopay for the 0.25% interest rate reduction 5. Mark your calendar to recertify your income annually With part-time income of $28k, your ICR payment could be significantly lower than the standard payment, possibly in the $200-300/month range if you file taxes separately. If you file jointly, it would be higher based on combined income. Remember that you'll need to recertify your income every year, and if your income increases, so will your payments. The loans would be eligible for forgiveness after 25 years of payments, though the forgiven amount would be taxable income. Do you know which loan servicer you have? That can sometimes affect the quality of service and information you receive.