This thread has been so validating - I thought we were the only ones dealing with this nightmare! My daughter's SAI went from $9,800 to $16,500 this year, which is completely devastating for our family budget. What's really hitting me hard is realizing that we're only halfway through her degree program and now facing two more years of these inflated costs. I've already started the appeal process with her school after reading the advice here, and I'm also looking into those departmental scholarships for her nursing program. Has anyone successfully gotten their school to honor previous aid estimates for returning students? I feel like there should be some kind of grandfathering clause for students who started under the old formula. This policy change is going to force so many students to drop out or transfer to cheaper schools mid-degree, which seems like the opposite of what financial aid is supposed to accomplish.

This is absolutely heartbreaking to read through all these comments. I'm a financial aid administrator at a mid-size state university, and I can tell you we've been completely overwhelmed with appeals this year. The elimination of the sibling discount has been devastating for families with multiple students - we're seeing SAI increases of $5k-15k per family, which is simply not sustainable for most middle-income households. What's particularly frustrating is that while the FAFSA "simplification" was supposed to help students, it's actually created more barriers for the families who need aid most. We've had to completely restructure our institutional aid programs and set aside emergency funds just to help students stay enrolled. For those of you in the appeals process - please don't give up. Document everything, emphasize your status as continuing students, and ask specifically about emergency aid funds. Most schools are taking these appeals very seriously because we understand this isn't a reflection of your family's ability to pay, but rather a flawed policy implementation. We're fighting for you behind the scenes and pushing for legislative fixes to address these unintended consequences.

As a fellow academic advisor who's dealt with this exact issue multiple times, I wanted to add one more critical point - make sure your student understands that once the dependency status is corrected and parent information is added, their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or Student Aid Index (SAI) will likely change significantly. This means their aid package might look completely different, and they should be prepared for that adjustment. I always tell my students in this situation to run the Net Price Calculator on their target school's website using the correct dependency status and parent financial info BEFORE making the correction. This gives them realistic expectations about what their aid will actually look like. It prevents the shock of seeing a much higher EFC after correction and helps them plan accordingly. Also, if your student is at a community college, remind them that Pell Grant eligibility might be affected by the correction, but community college costs are typically low enough that they'll still have good options even with parent contribution factored in.

Just wanted to follow up with an update for anyone following this situation - my student successfully got through to FSA this morning using the 8 AM call strategy that was suggested here! The whole process took about 45 minutes on hold, but the agent was incredibly helpful and walked them through the dependency status reset step by step. They were told the system would be updated within 24-48 hours, and then they'll have access to make the corrections. The agent also provided a case reference number and said to mention it if they need to call back about this issue. One thing that really helped was having all the information ready beforehand - the agent asked for the student's FSA ID, Social Security Number, date of birth, and details about why the dependency status was incorrectly marked. Having the screenshots of the original submission (as suggested by Fatima) was also really useful for reference. I'll update this thread once the correction process is complete, but wanted to share this progress since so many people provided helpful advice. The collaborative knowledge here really made the difference in knowing exactly what steps to take!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to express my gratitude for this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion! My partner and I are going through our first FAFSA experience with our daughter who's a high school senior, and we were completely thrown off by the one-parent requirement. Like so many others here, we initially thought the system was broken or we were missing something critical. Reading through everyone's experiences - from seasoned parents to the financial aid professional - has been such a relief and confidence booster. The key insight that joint tax filing still captures both parent incomes while only requiring one parent to handle the form completion makes total sense now. It's funny how a "simplification" can initially cause more stress when you're expecting the familiar process! This community discussion perfectly demonstrates why parent forums are so valuable - real experiences from people who've actually navigated these changes. Thank you all for taking the time to share your knowledge and help anxious first-time families like ours understand these important updates to the FAFSA process.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful for this comprehensive discussion! My wife and I are first-time FAFSA parents with our twin boys who are high school seniors, and we were completely confused by the one-parent requirement. We actually spent an hour searching online trying to figure out if we were doing something wrong or if this was some kind of system error. Reading through all these experiences from other parents and especially the insights from the financial aid professional has been incredibly reassuring. The explanation that our joint tax return still captures both of our incomes while streamlining the actual form completion process finally makes perfect sense. It's interesting how many of us had the same initial reaction of thinking something was broken! This thread has given us the confidence to move forward with our boys' applications. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping nervous parents like us navigate these changes - this community is exactly what we needed to find during this stressful process!

UPDATE: We figured it out! After trying several suggestions here, we discovered the problem. My daughter had entered my email correctly, but when she originally set up her FSA ID account, she had listed me with a slightly different name than what I used when creating my own account (she put "Robert" while my account uses "Bob"). When we called FSA using the Claimyr service someone recommended (which worked great - got a callback in about 30 minutes), the agent explained that the system was trying to match both the email AND name exactly. The agent canceled the pending invitation, my daughter sent a new one with my name exactly as it appears on my FSA ID, and I finally received the email within minutes! For anyone else having this issue, make sure the parent's name matches EXACTLY on both sides.

This is such valuable information - thank you for sharing the solution! I'm a newcomer here dealing with the same frustrating issue. My son sent me an invitation over a week ago and I never received it. After reading through all these responses, I'm realizing there could be multiple issues at play. I'm going to check: 1. Whether he entered my name exactly as it appears on my FSA ID (like Hazel discovered was the problem) 2. If he selected the correct relationship type (parent vs legal guardian as Nasira mentioned) 3. Try the Claimyr callback service if we can't get through to FSA directly It's honestly ridiculous that such a critical system has so many technical glitches, but at least this community is helping each other figure out workarounds. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and solutions!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive discussion! I'm dealing with the same Parent PLUS loan and off-campus housing situation for my daughter starting college this fall, and this thread has been more helpful than countless hours of trying to navigate school websites and financial aid phone trees. I wanted to add something that might help other families - I just learned that some schools have "Parent PLUS loan specialists" who are separate from the general financial aid counselors and focus specifically on the unique aspects of parent borrowing. When I finally connected with one at my daughter's school, they explained that parents can actually request a "disbursement schedule consultation" where they'll walk you through exactly when funds will be available throughout the academic year and help you plan for those upfront costs. They also mentioned that if you're concerned about the gap between when rent is due and when loan funds arrive, some schools will allow you to request "emergency disbursement" of a portion of your PLUS loan (usually up to $2,000) about 2 weeks before the regular disbursement if you can show documentation of urgent housing expenses like security deposits or first month's rent. One thing I'm still trying to figure out - has anyone dealt with Parent PLUS loans when the student has a meal plan even though they're living off-campus? I'm wondering if this affects the cost of attendance calculation or the housing allowance in any way. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this community has been a lifeline for navigating this complex process!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how incredibly helpful and detailed this entire discussion has been! I'm in the exact same situation with my son starting college in Fall 2025, and this thread has provided more clarity than weeks of trying to piece together information from various sources. I wanted to share something I just discovered that might help other families - when I contacted my son's financial aid office, they mentioned they have a "Parent PLUS loan handbook" specifically for families dealing with off-campus housing situations. This handbook includes sample timelines, budgeting worksheets, and even template letters for requesting cost of attendance adjustments. They email it to families upon request, but it's not prominently advertised on their website. I also learned that some schools offer "financial aid mentorship programs" where they pair first-time college families with experienced families who have successfully navigated the PLUS loan and off-campus housing process. The mentor family can provide practical tips about timing, budgeting, and working with landlords who may not be familiar with student loan disbursement schedules. One question I have - has anyone dealt with Parent PLUS loans when the student is considering a gap semester or study abroad program that might affect their housing situation? I'm wondering how flexible these loans are if plans change mid-year. Thank you all for creating such an invaluable resource for families like mine who are navigating this process for the first time. This community has been absolutely incredible!