I went through this exact same situation last year and it was so stressful! Just wanted to add that even though your SAI is around 15k, you might still qualify for some state aid depending on which school your daughter chooses. The TAG thresholds vary significantly between community colleges, state universities, and private institutions. Also, don't forget about the NJ Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) if your daughter might qualify - that has separate income requirements and application deadlines. The waiting game with NJFAMS is the worst part, but it really does eventually sync up with your FAFSA info. Hang in there!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! My daughter's FAFSA was processed about a month ago and still nothing showing up in NJFAMS for 2025-2026. It's such a relief to see I'm not the only one experiencing this delay. Our SAI came back around 12k, so we're in a similar boat wondering if we'll qualify for any state aid. The uncertainty is really stressful when trying to compare financial aid packages from different schools. Thanks for posting this - all the responses have been really helpful in understanding that this is just how the system works unfortunately. Definitely going to bookmark that Claimyr service in case I need to actually reach someone at HESAA later!

my dads undocumented too and i just put when he started living in our state. nobody ever followed up or asked for proof so dont stress

I had this exact same issue when I was filling out my FAFSA! The wording is super confusing but everyone here is right - it's asking for STATE residency, not immigration status. I put the date my mom moved to our state and had zero problems. My financial aid office even confirmed this was correct when I asked them about it later. Don't let this stress you out too much - you're definitely not alone in being confused by this question! The FAFSA could really use clearer language on this part.

UPDATE: I tried at 11:30pm last night and IT WORKED! Got through the entire application without a single error. For anyone else struggling with this - try late night hours when fewer people are on the system. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

As someone who just went through this nightmare last month, I can confirm the late night strategy works! I had the same exact error for 4 days straight, tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, even using my school's computers. Finally got through at 1:30am on a Tuesday night. The system is definitely overwhelmed during normal hours. One tip that helped me: save your progress frequently once you do get in, even if it's working smoothly. I saved after every single section because I was so paranoid about losing my work again. The whole FAFSA rollout has been a disaster but at least there are workarounds. Good luck everyone!

This whole thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm a first-time parent navigating this process and I had no idea about so many of these practical solutions. The tip about calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly (1-800-433-3243) and the fact that they can manually trigger re-transmissions is exactly what I needed to know. I've been banging my head against the wall trying to reach our school's financial aid office. I'm definitely going to have my son check the "My Aid" section on studentaid.gov to see the transmission status, and try that manual "send to additional schools" option if needed. The completion certificate backup plan is brilliant too. One quick question for those who have been through this - when you called the FSA Information Center, did you need any specific information ready besides your child's FSA ID? Want to make sure I'm prepared before I call. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! As someone new to this process, I've learned so much from everyone's experiences. The systematic approach that's emerged from all these suggestions is really helpful: 1. First verify the counseling was completed correctly (right type, right school code, student's own FSA ID) 2. Check transmission status in the "My Aid" section on studentaid.gov 3. Try the manual "send to additional schools" option for already completed counseling 4. Print the completion certificate as backup proof 5. Call FSA Information Center (1-800-433-3243) if school can't resolve it - they can see system issues and manually trigger re-transmission 6. For Parent PLUS "missing" status, look for decline option in student portal The tip about calling early morning (8 AM) and asking about batch processing schedules is brilliant too. It's frustrating that none of this practical information is readily available in official help resources, but this community has created such a comprehensive troubleshooting guide. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share what actually worked for their families - it's going to save so many other parents from weeks of stress and confusion!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I feel much better now. Going to make sure their filed tax information is accurate and matches what we put on the FAFSA. Sounds like the actual tax debt won't be an automatic disqualifier as long as they filed properly. And I'll definitely keep all our documentation handy in case we get selected for verification.

Great summary of all the advice here! Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - when you're filling out the FAFSA, make sure to use the exact same figures that appear on your parents' filed tax return (lines 11, 37, etc.). Even small discrepancies can trigger verification requests. Since your parents are already on an IRS payment plan, that actually shows they're being responsible about their tax obligations. You should be all set for your application!