I had this exact same problem when helping my nephew with his FAFSA last month! The school search feature is honestly terrible. What finally worked for me was using the federal school code method that others mentioned, but I also want to add that sometimes you need to be really specific with the campus name. For Penn State, make sure you're looking for "Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus" for University Park specifically. I also found that if you're still having trouble, try doing the search late at night or early morning when fewer people are using the system - I swear it works better then! The whole FAFSA process is so unnecessarily complicated, but don't give up. Your son's financial aid depends on getting this right!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and reading through this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about using federal school codes instead of searching by name - that's going to save me so much time. My daughter is a junior in high school and we're just starting to research colleges, but I'm already feeling overwhelmed by all the financial aid requirements. One question I have after reading all these helpful responses: is there a good resource or guide that walks you through the entire FAFSA process step by step? I want to be prepared when it's time to actually fill it out next year so we don't run into these same search issues. Also, should I be creating accounts or gathering documents now, or is it too early to start that process?

Hey everyone! As someone new to this whole process, I just wanted to say thank you for all the detailed advice in this thread. Reading through everyone's experiences has really helped clarify things for me. Based on all the responses here, I'm definitely going to complete my MPN first on studentaid.gov before accepting any loans on my school portal. It sounds like that's the safer approach to avoid any potential delays with disbursement. I'll make sure to have my reference information ready beforehand and plan to do it on my computer rather than mobile. Quick follow-up question - after you complete the MPN, about how long should I wait before accepting the loans on my school portal? Is it okay to do it the same day, or should I give it 24 hours for everything to sync up in the system?

This thread has been super helpful! I'm also going through this process for the first time and was feeling pretty overwhelmed about the whole MPN timing thing. Based on everyone's advice, I'm definitely going to complete my MPN first before accepting loans on my school portal. It makes total sense that having the federal requirements handled upfront would prevent any disbursement delays. I really appreciate all the practical tips people have shared - especially about having reference information ready, using a computer instead of mobile, and doing it early morning on weekends to avoid site traffic. One thing I'm wondering about - if I complete my MPN this weekend, will my school's financial aid office be able to see that it's done when they're back on Monday? Or does it take some time for that information to show up in their system?

Hannah, I'm new to this community but wanted to jump in because I went through something very similar with my Chapter 35 benefits! Reading your original post brought back all the confusion and stress I felt when my aid package didn't show any VA benefits either. Everyone here has given you absolutely fantastic advice - the separation between VA and FAFSA systems is SO poorly explained to students and families. What really helped me was creating a simple tracking document with all my important dates and deadlines once I started the process. I tracked when I submitted my 22-5490, when I contacted the school's Veterans Services office, expected processing times, etc. It helped me stay on top of everything when there were so many moving pieces. One thing I'd add that I learned the hard way: when you do get your Certificate of Eligibility, take a photo or scan it before you bring it to your school's Veterans Services office. I had a minor panic when I thought they had lost mine (they hadn't, but it was temporarily misplaced), and having that digital backup gave me peace of mind. The monthly payments really are a game-changer once everything gets set up! And you're asking all the right questions - you're going to navigate this just fine. This community has been such a great resource for so many students dealing with these kinds of confusing financial aid situations. Welcome to the group! 😊

Hannah, I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how valuable this entire thread has been! As someone who's currently navigating the financial aid process for the first time myself, reading through all the advice you've received has been incredibly eye-opening. The fact that VA benefits and FAFSA operate as completely separate systems is mind-blowing - you'd think federal agencies would at least communicate with each other! But it sounds like you've gotten some absolutely stellar guidance from people with real experience navigating these systems. I'm particularly grateful for all the practical tips that have been shared here - things like the "VA pending" policies, keeping detailed records for next year's FAFSA, and even the tip about creating a tracking spreadsheet. These are exactly the kinds of real-world details that official websites and school counselors never seem to mention. Even though I'm not eligible for VA benefits myself, this thread has taught me so much about how complex and fragmented the financial aid landscape really is. It's made me realize I probably need to dig deeper into my own aid package to make sure I'm not missing anything important. Thank you for asking the question that sparked such an informative discussion! I hope everything goes smoothly with your VA application process, and I'd love to hear updates on how it all works out. This community seems like such a supportive place for students trying to figure out these confusing systems! 🎓

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress - the FAFSA delays this year have been absolutely brutal for families trying to make college decisions! I went through something similar with my nephew last year (pre-FAFSA disaster) and here's what we learned: Merit scholarships for incoming freshmen almost never transfer if you do community college first. They're specifically designed to get students to enroll directly. However, I'd strongly recommend calling UConn and asking about: 1. Deferring enrollment for one year while keeping the merit award (some schools allow this) 2. Their specific transfer scholarship amounts - you might be surprised 3. Whether they have guaranteed transfer agreements with local CCs that come with scholarship opportunities Also, don't panic about the $20k gap until you see your full aid package! With a $12,500 merit award plus need-based federal and institutional aid, you might find it's much more affordable than you think. The new SAI calculations are supposed to be more generous for middle-income families. Hang in there - you're being a great advocate for your daughter by getting all the facts before making this huge decision!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My daughter got a $10,000 merit scholarship from her dream school but we're still waiting on our FAFSA after submitting it in January. The not knowing is the worst part - how are we supposed to make such a huge financial decision in the dark? Reading through all these responses has been so helpful. I had no idea that merit scholarships usually don't transfer if you go the community college route first. That's definitely something we need to factor into our decision making process. @Savannah Vin I'm so glad you were able to get through and get some answers! It gives me hope that persistence will pay off. I'm going to try that Claimyr service today - at this point I'm willing to try anything to get someone on the phone who can actually help us. The extended deadline option sounds like a huge relief. I think I'm going to call my daughter's school tomorrow and ask if they're offering the same flexibility. This whole FAFSA rollout has been such a nightmare for families, but it's encouraging to see schools recognizing that and trying to accommodate students who are caught in the middle of it all.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful I found this thread! I'm a California student who just started my FAFSA application and hit the exact same wall with this benefits question. My family has been on Medi-Cal for about 4 years, but I was completely baffled when I couldn't find it anywhere on the form. I actually spent about an hour going back and forth between sections thinking I was looking in the wrong place! Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it's such a relief to know that so many other California students have dealt with this same terminology confusion. The explanation that Medi-Cal is just California's version of the federal Medicaid program makes perfect sense now, but wow, they really should make that connection more obvious on the forms. What really caught my attention was learning from @Madison King about how correctly indicating these benefits can impact your Student Aid Index through the simplified needs test. I had absolutely no idea these weren't just basic demographic questions! As someone from a low-income family, knowing that getting this right could potentially mean more financial aid is huge. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and advice - this community is amazing for helping students navigate these confusing processes. I'm heading back to my FAFSA now to make sure I check the Medicaid box correctly!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful I found this discussion! I'm a California student who literally just encountered this exact same confusion 30 minutes ago while working on my FAFSA. My family has been on Medi-Cal for several years, but when I got to the federal benefits section, I was completely stumped because I couldn't find "Medi-Cal" listed anywhere. I was actually leaning toward checking Medicare because I thought maybe it was just a broader category for government health programs - I'm so glad I decided to search for help first! Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly enlightening, especially learning that Medi-Cal is simply California's name for the federal Medicaid program. The terminology really is unnecessarily confusing! What's really opened my eyes is discovering from @Madison King's professional insight that these benefit questions aren't just demographic checkboxes - they can actually impact your Student Aid Index and potentially qualify you for the simplified needs test. As a student whose family really depends on financial aid, knowing that I almost made a mistake that could have cost us thousands in aid is both scary and motivating. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and corrections - it's so comforting to know that even experienced students have struggled with this same issue. I'm going back to my FAFSA right now to make sure I correctly indicate Medicaid. This community is a lifesaver for navigating these complex processes!