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the whole system is TRASH!!! i never got ANY emails for my son's fafsa and missed his priority deadline. called FSA 6 TIMES and they kept saying "it's coming" but nothing ever did. ended up having to drive to his school's financial aid office and do it from their computers with their help. DON'T TRUST THE EMAILS JUST GO IN PERSON IF YOU CAN!!!
I'm sorry you had that experience. For anyone reading this thread: if you're approaching an important deadline and haven't received the parent email, you can also try an alternative solution: you and your student can sit down together with both of your FSA IDs ready, and complete the application in one session. The student completes their part, then immediately hands the device to the parent who logs in with their own FSA ID to complete the parent section. This bypasses the email invitation process entirely.
UPDATE: Mystery solved! Turns out my son didn't actually finish his portion - he thought he submitted but only saved his progress. When we logged back in together, there was a big "CONTINUE" button on his dashboard. After he completed the final steps and properly invited me, I got the email within an hour. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! For anyone else having this issue, definitely double-check with your student that they fully completed their part and didn't just save their progress.
Thanks for posting this update! This is actually one of the most common issues we see with the parent email invitation process. The FAFSA redesign for 2025-2026 has made the submission vs. save distinction more clear than previous years, but students still miss it. For future applicants reading this thread: there should be a confirmation page and email if the student section was properly submitted.
did u check if there's actually an email too? i found out they emailed my son with the specific correction (not me, the parent, even tho im the one who filled everything out 🙄) and he never told me bc he doesn't check his email lol
Omg you might be onto something! My daughter is terrible at checking her email too. I'm going to have her log in and check right now. Thanks for the suggestion!
After you've checked all the suggestions above, I strongly recommend trying again with the Claimyr service that was mentioned. I've heard from several financial aid advisors that it's currently the most reliable way to reach FSA. The new FAFSA system has created unprecedented call volumes and their call center simply can't handle it. Also, contact your daughter's college financial aid office directly. They often have dedicated channels to FSA and can sometimes see more details about what's flagged in your application. Many schools are being flexible with deadlines this year because of all the FAFSA issues.
That's a relief to hear about schools being flexible. I'll definitely contact her university's financial aid office tomorrow. And yeah, at this point I'm willing to try that Claimyr service because nothing else has worked. Thanks again for all your help!
my kid's SAI was like $56,000 even though we don't make anywhere near that much money. the whole system is BROKEN.
That sounds unusually high. You might want to check if there was an error in your application. Common mistakes that inflate the SAI include reporting retirement assets as investments, counting the same income twice, or not properly entering household size. You can submit a correction to your FAFSA if you find errors.
Does anyone know if we need to wait for the SAI to show up before colleges can offer financial aid packages? My son's #1 choice is asking for his "official SAI" but we only have an estimate from their net price calculator.
Yes, colleges need the official SAI from the processed FAFSA before they can finalize aid packages. The net price calculator is just an estimate. Once your FAFSA is processed and the SAI is generated, schools automatically receive this information if your son listed them on his FAFSA. If his application shows as 'processed' but the school says they don't have it, you may need to check if the school's code was correctly entered on the FAFSA.
For the professional judgment appeal, most schools have a specific form on their financial aid website. If not, you'll need to write a formal letter explaining your circumstances and provide documentation. Focus specifically on circumstances that weren't captured in your FAFSA/CSS Profile, like that $18k medical expense. Regarding private loans - be extremely cautious. Interest rates are typically higher than federal loans, and they lack the protections and flexible repayment options of federal loans. Make sure you understand the total cost over the life of the loan. Have you considered: 1. Work-study programs at your school? 2. Asking if your dream school has an installment payment plan to break up the remaining costs? 3. Checking if your state has any grants or scholarships you might qualify for? 4. Looking into outside scholarships from community organizations, employers, etc.? Sometimes a combination of solutions works best. Also, don't overlook smaller departmental scholarships within your intended major - many students don't apply for these, so competition can be lower.
Update: Thanks everyone for the advice! I spent yesterday writing a formal appeal letter and gathering all our medical bills from last year. I also found two departmental scholarships I'm eligible for that could cover about $3,500 total. My parents agreed to help me cover $5k per year if I maintain a 3.5 GPA. With the unsubsidized loan and hopefully a successful appeal, I might be able to make this work. Still nervous about the whole situation but at least I have a plan now.
That sounds like a great plan! Be sure to keep in touch with the financial aid office throughout your college career - sometimes more aid becomes available later in the year, and your circumstances might change. Also, once you're enrolled, you may find additional opportunities like campus jobs, research assistantships, or resident advisor positions that can significantly reduce costs. Good luck with your appeal!
QuantumQueen
i went thru this last month for my son at state university. his school financial aid office told me they need the fafsa NOW but the plus loan later. the email they sent was super confusing tho!!!!! also make sure you know what your efc/sai is before you apply for the plus because you might not need as much as you think
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Nia Davis
•Great point about checking your SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) first. The amount you're eligible to borrow through Parent PLUS can be up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial aid received, but you shouldn't borrow more than necessary given the interest rates.
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Mateo Martinez
Update from my daughter's financial aid office: They told me the 2024-2025 Parent PLUS application will be available starting April 28th, 2024. So just a couple more weeks to wait. I also asked about whether my daughter needed to complete any additional forms for her school specifically, and they said yes - many schools have their own supplemental forms beyond the federal requirements, so it's worth checking your portal or contacting your financial aid office directly.
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Luca Ferrari
•This is super helpful! I just checked her student portal and there IS a school-specific financial aid form that wasn't mentioned in any of the emails. Going to complete that today - thank you for the reminder!
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