This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone completely new to financial aid, I had no idea what SAI even meant, let alone that a 0 was actually the best possible outcome. What's amazing is seeing how @A Man D Mortal's genuine question sparked such a comprehensive discussion covering everything from federal vs institutional aid to practical tips like document organization and verification preparation. The mix of perspectives - current students, parents, recent grads, and even someone working in admissions - makes this such a complete resource. I'm particularly grateful for all the actionable advice that's been shared: the spreadsheet tracking system, email filters, proactive document gathering, and the emphasis on understanding each school's specific requirements beyond just federal aid. As a first-gen student myself, these are exactly the kinds of practical tips that aren't always obvious but make such a difference. It's also really encouraging to see how supportive this community is. Financial aid can feel so overwhelming when you're starting from scratch, but seeing people share their experiences and genuine willingness to help makes the whole process feel much more manageable. Thank you to everyone who contributed - this discussion is going to help so many students understand their options and navigate the financial aid process with more confidence!

This thread has been such an incredible resource! As someone who just submitted my FAFSA and is waiting for results, reading through all the experiences and advice shared here has been invaluable. @A Man D Mortal - congratulations on your 0 SAI! It's amazing how your initial question has created this comprehensive guide that will help so many students. The journey from confusion to understanding that's documented throughout this thread is exactly what first-gen students like myself need to see. I'm taking detailed notes on all the practical strategies everyone has shared - the organizational systems, proactive document gathering, understanding the differences between federal and institutional aid, and the importance of following up with each school's specific requirements. The tip about calling financial aid offices directly rather than just relying on websites and emails is something I definitely wouldn't have thought of on my own. What strikes me most is how much this community cares about helping each other succeed. Financial aid can feel so overwhelming when you're navigating it alone, but seeing everyone share their real experiences - both successes and challenges - makes the whole process feel much more manageable. Thank you to everyone who contributed their knowledge and time to make this such a valuable discussion. This thread is going to help countless students understand their SAI results and feel more confident about pursuing higher education!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely amazed by the depth of knowledge and real-world experience shared in this thread! The breakdown of FAFSA asset vs income weighting has been incredibly enlightening - I had no idea that assets are only assessed at 5.64% maximum while income can be assessed at rates up to 47%. This completely transforms my understanding of how aid eligibility actually works. @Tate Jensen - huge congratulations to your daughter on that phenomenal $80K merit scholarship! That's truly exceptional. Following your questions about aid stacking has been so educational, and I can tell you're asking all the right questions about how merit awards interact with need-based aid. The practical advice everyone has shared is invaluable - from optimal times to call financial aid offices (right at 8 AM or during lunch hours) to the importance of documenting every conversation. I'm definitely going to create that tracking spreadsheet mentioned by @Zara Mirza to stay organized when navigating this process myself. One insight that really resonated was the suggestion to frame discussions as "comparing offers" rather than "requesting more aid" - such a smart psychological approach that likely yields better results. And learning about professional judgment reviews for special circumstances and state aid programs as additional funding sources has opened my eyes to options I never knew existed. This thread has provided me with such a comprehensive roadmap for approaching financial aid strategically. Thank you to everyone who has generously shared their expertise and experiences - this community is proving to be an incredible resource for families navigating the complexities of college financing! 🙏

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for the wealth of information in this thread! The breakdown of how FAFSA weighs assets vs income has been such an eye-opener - I had no idea assets are only assessed at 5.64% while income can be up to 47%. This completely changes my perspective on how savings actually impact aid eligibility. @Tate Jensen - congratulations on your daughter's amazing $80K merit scholarship! That's absolutely incredible. Your questions about aid stacking have been so helpful to follow, and it's clear you're advocating wonderfully for your daughter. The practical tips everyone has shared are invaluable - from the best times to call financial aid offices to creating tracking spreadsheets for different school policies. I'm particularly interested in the suggestion about professional judgment reviews for special circumstances, as that seems like an underutilized option many families might not know about. One thing I'm curious about - for families just starting this process, would you recommend reaching out to schools' financial aid offices with hypothetical questions before even applying, or is it better to wait until after acceptance? I want to understand aid policies early but don't want to seem presumptuous. This community is such an amazing resource for navigating what can feel like an overwhelming maze of financial aid rules and deadlines. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences! 🙏

I'm brand new to this community and facing the exact same dilemma! My daughter will be classified as a junior for 2025-26 due to all her AP credits, even though she's only been physically on campus for one year. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I was really anxious about selecting the wrong classification and potentially impacting her financial aid. After reading through everyone's experiences and the detailed explanations from the financial aid professionals, I feel much more confident about using her official academic standing from the university. The information about federal loan limits being tied to grade level is eye-opening - I had no idea that juniors could borrow up to $7,500 versus $6,500 for sophomores! I'll definitely verify with her school's financial aid office to be absolutely certain, but the consensus here seems very clear: go with whatever classification appears on the official transcript for the upcoming academic year. It's so reassuring to see how many families are navigating this same confusing situation with advanced credits. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this community is amazing for newcomers like me who are just trying to figure out the FAFSA process!

I'm completely new to this community and the FAFSA process, and I'm so grateful to have found this thread! My son is in the exact same situation - he'll be classified as a junior for 2025-26 due to his dual enrollment credits from high school, even though he's only been on campus for one year. I was really stressing out about which classification to select because I didn't want to accidentally mess up his financial aid eligibility. After reading through all these detailed responses, especially from the financial aid professionals who commented, I feel so much more confident about using his official academic classification from the university. The information about federal loan limits being tied to grade level has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea that juniors could borrow up to $7,500 compared to $6,500 for sophomores! That extra $1,000 could really make a difference. I'm definitely going to call his financial aid office tomorrow to double-check everything, but the consensus here is so clear and reassuring. It's amazing how many families are dealing with this same confusing situation with advanced credits from high school. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and expertise - this community has already been such a valuable resource for navigating these tricky FAFSA questions!

As a newcomer to both this community and the FAFSA process, I cannot thank everyone enough for this discussion! I was literally about to call the help line in frustration because I couldn't find the housing question anywhere. Like so many others here, I spent way too long clicking through every section convinced I was missing something obvious. It's such a relief to discover that the question is now school-specific under the "School Selection" section - that actually makes logical sense once you know where to look! This thread has been more helpful than any official FAFSA guide I've found. The explanations about how housing selection affects Cost of Attendance calculations have also been incredibly educational. Thank you to this supportive community for helping newcomers like me navigate these confusing interface changes!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I'm so thankful I found this thread! I was experiencing the exact same frustration - couldn't find the housing question anywhere and was starting to think there was something wrong with my application. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring, especially knowing that both first-time filers and people familiar with the old FAFSA are finding the new interface confusing. I just went back and successfully located all my housing options under each individual school selection. The school-specific approach actually makes perfect sense once you understand it, but wow, it's definitely not where you'd expect to find it! This community has been so helpful in explaining not just where to find things, but also how the housing selection impacts financial aid calculations. Thank you all for being so supportive to newcomers navigating these changes!

Update: I was able to start the first consolidation application online! Found the section where you can select specific loans. Now I'm stuck on the income verification part though - it's asking for my AGI from my tax return but I can't remember which line that's on. Also, does anyone know how long the entire consolidation process takes from application to completion?

This thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation but with three kids' Parent Plus loans. One thing I learned from my loan servicer is that you can actually call them directly (not just FSA) to get help with the consolidation process. My servicer was Great Lakes and they were much easier to reach than the federal helpline. They walked me through which loans belonged to which kid based on the disbursement dates. Also, make sure you download and save copies of all your loan documents before starting the consolidation - once they're consolidated, the original loan details disappear from your account history. This saved me when I needed to reference the original terms later for tax purposes.