not to be that person but the old FASFA system worked fine i dont understand why they had to change everything!! my older brother went to college last year and got his financial aid package in february. now im stuck waiting and stressing about how im going to pay for school. classic government making everything worse when they try to "fix" it

Just wanted to share some hope - I finally got my aid package this week after submitting in December! My SAI was around 5200 and I'm starting in fall. The package was actually better than I expected - they increased their institutional grant amounts to offset some of the changes from the new SAI calculation. For anyone still waiting, here's what helped me get answers: I emailed my admissions counselor (not financial aid) and explained that I was committed to attending but needed clarity on timing due to the aid delays. They connected me directly with a senior financial aid counselor who could give me a realistic timeline. Sometimes going through admissions gets you to someone with more authority to actually help. Also, don't give up on calling! I know it's frustrating but I called at 8am right when they opened and got through immediately. Early morning seems to be the best time to avoid hold times.

can someone just say if pell grants still consider multiple students? or did they change that also?

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's incredibly stressful when financial aid changes like this hit without warning. I went through something similar last year when my oldest started college, though not quite this dramatic. A few things that might help while you're working on appeals: 1. Document EVERYTHING - save all your communication with schools, keep records of your calls/emails 2. Ask each school's financial aid office if they have a "sibling enrollment verification form" - some have created these specifically for this issue 3. Consider reaching out to your state's higher education agency - some states are advocating for affected families 4. Look into payment plan options at both schools to spread costs while appeals are processed Also, don't give up on getting through to FSA - try calling right when they open (8am EST) or late in the day around 7pm. The hold times are brutal but sometimes you can get through. You're not alone in this - so many families are facing the same shock. Keep advocating for your kids and don't be afraid to escalate to financial aid directors if the initial staff can't help.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I've made an appointment with the financial aid office for next Monday and started drafting an appeal letter. I'm going to document everything and push for at least a partial restoration of her previous aid package. It's frustrating that colleges can just change the rules without warning, especially since we plan our family finances around these aid packages. I'll update this thread after the meeting to let you know how it went in case others are facing the same issue.

I'm so sorry this is happening to your family! As someone new to navigating financial aid, this is exactly the kind of situation I'm terrified of encountering. It sounds like you're taking all the right steps though - documenting everything, scheduling that in-person meeting, and preparing an appeal letter. One thing I'm wondering about - have you checked if other students at the same university are posting about similar cuts on social media or student forums? Sometimes when schools make widespread changes like this, students organize together to push back more effectively. There might be strength in numbers if this is affecting a large portion of the student body. Also, is there a student advocacy office or ombudsman at the university who could help navigate this process? Some schools have these resources specifically for situations where students feel they're not getting fair treatment from administrative offices. Keeping my fingers crossed that your Monday meeting goes well! Please do update us - this information could be invaluable for other families facing similar situations.

After you get this sorted out, make sure to compare offers from different schools! My daughter's SAI was around 6800 and the Pell Grant amounts varied by school - some gave the exact federal amount while others somehow provided a bit more. Don't assume all financial aid offers are created equal!

I went through something similar with my son's aid package last year! With an SAI of 7100, you should definitely be getting a Pell Grant - even if it's small. The fact that they included federal loans but not Pell is a red flag that something got mixed up in their processing. When you call the financial aid office, I'd suggest asking them to confirm they have your complete FAFSA on file and to walk through how they calculated your daughter's aid eligibility. Sometimes there are verification requirements that can hold up certain types of aid while allowing others to be processed. Don't worry about sounding stupid - this is exactly the kind of question financial aid offices expect and are there to help with!

Welcome to the community, Avery! I'm also new here and currently going through this exact same FAFSA editing struggle with my son's application. This thread has been absolutely amazing - I was at my breaking point before finding all these detailed solutions from other community members! I completely relate to your frustrating helpline experience. The advice to "delete your FSA ID and start over" is absolutely terrible - that would have been a disaster! It's really unacceptable that we're getting such unreliable and potentially harmful advice from the official support channels. The FAFSA Review sidebar method is definitely the key to solving this! I just used it successfully yesterday to fix multiple errors in my financial information section. When you log into StudentAid.gov and access your FAFSA, look for that sidebar on the left - you'll see all your sections listed with completion status indicators. Click directly on "Financial Information" and you'll be able to edit everything you need. A few specific tips that really helped me: make sure to hit the "Edit" button at the bottom of the section to unlock any fields that appear grayed out, avoid including cents in dollar amounts (no decimal points!), and double-check that you're using 2023 tax information. The Firefox browser recommendation is spot-on too - much better performance than Chrome. You're absolutely going to get this sorted out before your deadline! This community has been such a lifesaver when the official channels completely failed us. The screenshot tip is brilliant too - I wish I had started doing that from the beginning. Don't hesitate to come back if you run into any other roadblocks - everyone here is incredibly supportive and helpful. Good luck with your daughter's application!

Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and currently dealing with the exact same FAFSA editing nightmare with my son's 2025-2026 application. I made several major errors in the parent financial information section and have been completely stuck for days trying to figure out how to fix them without starting over. This thread has been absolutely incredible - reading through everyone's detailed solutions and experiences has given me so much hope! Like so many others, I had no idea the FAFSA Review sidebar even existed. I've been frantically clicking around the main navigation for hours and getting absolutely nowhere. The step-by-step instructions from community members here are clearer and more helpful than anything I could find through official channels. I also experienced the same nightmare with the helpline - called multiple times, waited over an hour each time, and got completely different (and unhelpful) advice from each representative. One even suggested I wait until the application "timed out" which made no sense with our approaching deadline. It's honestly shocking how unreliable the official support system is. I'm about to try the FAFSA Review sidebar method right now, along with switching to Firefox and taking screenshots as recommended by other members. The specific tips about not including decimal points in dollar amounts and confirming I'm using 2023 tax information are exactly what I needed to hear. With our priority deadline coming up soon, I was really starting to panic, but this community has provided actual working solutions when the official help channels completely failed us. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and detailed instructions - this community support has been absolutely invaluable for struggling parents like me navigating this confusing system!