I'm currently going through my own SAP appeal process and wanted to add something that really helped me - if your school has a financial aid workshop or counseling appointments available, definitely try to schedule one before submitting your appeal. At my school, they had a financial aid counselor review my draft appeal letter and documentation before I officially submitted it. She caught a few things I missed and helped me strengthen my explanation. Some schools also have writing centers that can help with appeal letters if you're not sure how to structure it. Also, since you mentioned you're in nursing school - many nursing programs have their own student success coordinators who are familiar with SAP issues. They might be able to provide a letter of support or connect you with resources specific to nursing students. Your situation sounds very promising given your GPA and proximity to graduation. The fact that you've been successful since returning to the nursing program is exactly what they want to see. Best of luck with your appeal!

I went through a SAP appeal last year and it was approved! One thing that really helped me was creating a timeline showing my academic journey - including the reasons for my major changes and how my grades improved once I found the right program. For your appeal, I'd definitely include: - Your current nursing program GPA (if it's different/higher than your overall GPA) - A letter from your nursing advisor confirming you're in good standing and on track for May graduation - Documentation showing you've been successful since re-entering the nursing program in fall 2023 The fact that you're so close to graduation with a solid GPA works strongly in your favor. Financial aid offices generally want to help students cross the finish line when they can demonstrate they're on the right track. Just be thorough with your documentation and honest about your journey - they've seen it all before and understand that students sometimes need time to find their path. You've got this! Being one semester away with a 3.4 GPA puts you in a much better position than many SAP appeals they review.

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I'm really grateful to have found such a supportive group of parents dealing with similar FAFSA challenges. I'm actually in almost the exact same boat - my daughter was initially planning on an out-of-state school but just got accepted to our state university. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening! I had no idea that the federal FAFSA amount stays consistent regardless of school choice, but that in-state schools often have access to so many additional funding opportunities through state grants and institutional aid. The advice about updating the FAFSA to include the new school code and scheduling an in-person meeting with financial aid is exactly what I needed to hear. I'm also planning to research our state's specific grant programs - it sounds like many states have substantial aid available that I wasn't even aware of. One thing I'm curious about - for those who made the switch from out-of-state to in-state plans, did you find the transition easy for your student emotionally? My daughter had her heart set on the out-of-state experience, so I'm trying to help her see all the benefits of staying closer to home with better financial support. Thanks for creating such a valuable resource for navigating these complex decisions!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I'm really amazed by how helpful and knowledgeable everyone has been in this thread. I'm actually dealing with a very similar situation with my son who was originally accepted to an out-of-state school but just got into our state university as well. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational - I had no idea that the federal FAFSA amount stays the same regardless of which school you choose! The information about state-specific grants and the importance of meeting with financial aid counselors in person is exactly what I needed to hear. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about updating our FAFSA to include the in-state school code and scheduling that face-to-face meeting with their financial aid office. It sounds like there could be significant additional funding available through state programs that I wasn't even aware of. One question I have - for those who've successfully navigated this transition, how long did it typically take to receive a complete financial aid package from the in-state school after updating your FAFSA? I want to make sure we have realistic expectations about timing as we make this important decision. Thanks so much for creating such a supportive space to work through these complex financial aid challenges!

Update: It went back to "processed" today! That was much faster than I expected after reading some of your comments. All 3 new schools now show up in his account too. Thanks everyone for the help and reassurance!

That's awesome that it resolved so quickly! This thread has been really helpful - I'm bookmarking it in case I run into the same issue when my daughter applies next year. It's so reassuring to see how the community comes together to help each other navigate this confusing process. Thanks for sharing the update!

Thanks for all the helpful responses! Just to confirm what I'm understanding: neither my 401k loan nor my Roth IRA withdrawal (since it was just contributions) need to be reported as income on the FAFSA since neither showed up as taxable income on my tax return. I'll keep documentation ready in case we get selected for verification, but it sounds like I've been worrying unnecessarily. This definitely helps me feel more confident about completing my daughter's FAFSA application correctly!

That's exactly right! You've got a good understanding of the rules now. Since neither transaction appears as taxable income on your tax return, you don't need to report them on FAFSA. One small tip for peace of mind: when you submit your FAFSA, make a note in your records about these transactions and keep your documentation handy (401k loan agreement, Roth IRA statements showing contribution history). That way if you do get selected for verification, you'll have everything ready to go and can quickly resolve any questions. Good luck with your daughter's financial aid application! The new FAFSA system can definitely be confusing, but you're handling it correctly.

New member here dealing with the exact same issue! Submitted my FAFSA in late November and it's been stuck on pending for over 3 months now. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about checking spam folders for verification emails or that there could be "silent holds" not showing in the portal. I've been calling FSA almost daily with zero luck, so I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service @Alejandro Castro mentioned. Also planning to contact my school's financial aid office tomorrow to document the delay like @Maggie Martinez suggested. It's both reassuring and scary to see how many of us are dealing with this nightmare. My parents are getting really anxious about planning for Parent Plus loans and I'm worried about scholarship deadlines, but reading everyone's experiences here gives me hope that schools are being flexible. Has anyone heard any recent updates from the Department of Education about timeline for November/December submissions? Thanks for sharing all your advice and experiences - at least we know we're not suffering through this alone!

Just joined this community because I'm dealing with the exact same FAFSA disaster! Submitted mine in early December and it's been stuck on pending for almost 3 months now. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about checking spam folders or that there could be silent verification holds not showing up in the portal. I've been calling FSA practically daily with zero success, so I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service @Alejandro Castro mentioned. Also planning to contact my school's financial aid office tomorrow morning to document the delay like @Maggie Martinez suggested. It's both comforting and terrifying to see how widespread this issue is. My parents are starting to stress about Parent Plus loan planning and I'm worried about scholarship deadlines, but reading everyone's experiences here gives me hope that most colleges are being understanding. Has anyone gotten any recent timeline updates from the Department of Education about when December submissions might actually get processed? Thanks for all the helpful advice - at least we know we're not alone in this mess!