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UPDATE: I got through to someone at FSA using that Claimyr service another commenter suggested. It worked surprisingly well - I got a call back in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. They found our application in their system! Apparently it was flagged for a verification issue unrelated to the signature problem. The agent reset something on their end and said it should reappear in our account within 24 hours. I'll update again tomorrow to let everyone know if it worked. Thanks for the help, everyone!
FINAL UPDATE: Our application is back! It showed up this morning with a status of "Processing" and all our information intact. The agent was right - they hadn't lost our data after all. Such a relief not having to start over. For anyone else having this problem, definitely try contacting FSA directly before assuming you need to start over. And that Claimyr service was definitely worth it to avoid the hold times.
Has anyone found any clear information about how they calculate the SAI with parental assets? I know they have some kind of protection allowance, but the numbers I'm seeing online are from previous years. Our family has some savings for emergencies and my mom is worried it will prevent me from getting any aid at all.
Yes, there's a protection allowance for parents' assets in the SAI formula. For 2025-2026, parents' assets are assessed on a sliding scale starting at 12% above the protection amount. The protection amount varies based on the parents' age and whether they're married or single. Roughly, if your parents are in their 40s-50s, the protection amount is around $10,500 for single parents and $21,000 for married parents (these numbers adjust annually). Assets above that amount only count partially against your aid eligibility. Definitely don't empty savings accounts - the formula is designed to protect reasonable emergency savings.
Update: I just found another really useful section on the site that explains the differences between the SAI and old EFC calculations. For those confused about the changes, there's a whole comparison chart at studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/topic/fafsa/article/sai-vs-efc that breaks it down. Apparently some types of income are treated completely differently now!
i just remembered that my kids account last year got verified faster after we called and mentioned the deadline. might be worth trying that?
UPDATE: Just wanted to update everyone who helped. My daughter called the Federal Student Aid Info Center this morning (had to try several times to get through) and explained the situation. They verified her identity and were able to add the schools directly! No need to wait for the account verification. The representative said the schools should receive her FAFSA information within 3-5 business days. Such a relief! Thanks for all the help and suggestions.
just wondering im in similar situation but were doing the css profile too for some schools. does anyone know if the preliminary estimates include css profile info or just fafsa? thx
Great question. Schools that require the CSS Profile typically will want that data for even preliminary estimates, as it collects more detailed financial information than FAFSA. If you've completed the CSS Profile already, they can use that information while waiting for your FAFSA to process. If you haven't completed it yet, I would prioritize doing so if you want accurate preliminary estimates from those institutions.
Update: I called three schools today based on the advice here. Two were really helpful! They asked for our AGI from last year's taxes, number of people in household, and number in college. One school gave us a rough estimate range, and the other actually walked through specific amounts for different types of aid they'd likely offer. The third school refused to give any numbers without the processed FAFSA. Now I need to call the other two tomorrow. I also tried the Net Price Calculators as suggested, but the information they asked for was pretty basic and I'm not sure how accurate the results will be. At least it's a starting point though!
Jessica Nolan
UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at Federal Student Aid this morning! It turns out there was a discrepancy between the tax information we entered and what the IRS had on file. The representative helped us correct it right on the call. She said we should see our SAI score within 3-5 business days. I've already contacted the school with the subscription service, and amazingly, they agreed to extend our refund deadline by two weeks due to the FAFSA issues! I'm so relieved we'll be able to make an informed decision now. Thank you all for your advice and support!
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Angelina Farar
•That's great news! I'm glad you got it sorted out. This is a common issue with the new FAFSA - the direct IRS data transfer doesn't always match perfectly with what applicants enter manually. It's good to hear the school was accommodating with the deadline extension too!
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Sebastián Stevens
•so lucky!! ive been trying to call for 2 weeks still cant get through
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Bethany Groves
@user7 - Seriously, try the Claimyr service I mentioned. It's the only reason I got through after weeks of trying. The FAFSA situation this year is unprecedented, and normal methods of contact just aren't working.
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