I'm also a first-generation college student dealing with similar transportation challenges! Reading through all these responses has been so helpful. One thing I wanted to add - if you're worried about budgeting your financial aid refund properly, consider setting up a separate savings account just for your educational expenses like transportation. That way you can transfer your estimated transportation costs there when you get your refund, and it helps ensure you don't accidentally overspend on non-school related things. I learned this the hard way my first semester when I wasn't tracking my spending well enough. Also, definitely look into those student transit discounts mentioned earlier - I was able to save almost $200 per semester once I found out about them! It's great that you're asking these questions upfront rather than figuring it out as you go like I did.

Hey Natasha! I'm also a first-gen college student and went through this exact same confusion last year. Transportation costs are absolutely covered under your financial aid - it's actually one of the standard categories included in your Cost of Attendance (COA) calculation. Your bus passes and occasional Uber rides for late classes are completely legitimate uses of your FAFSA funds. What really helped me was understanding the process: your financial aid gets applied to tuition and required fees first, then any remaining amount becomes your "refund" that you can use for other educational expenses like transportation, books, housing, and food. Since you mentioned you live 45 minutes from campus, transportation is clearly a necessary educational expense for you. Don't stress about keeping detailed receipts unless your school specifically asks for them (which is rare). Just keep your spending reasonable and school-related. A monthly bus pass is perfect, and using rideshare when public transit doesn't align with your class schedule makes total sense. One tip: check if your school has negotiated student discounts with local transit authorities - many do, and it could save you a significant amount each semester. ¡Buena suerte with your first year, and don't hesitate to reach out to your financial aid office if you have more questions!

I went through this exact situation with my son last year! He switched from pre-med to computer science and I was panicking about losing aid. The good news is that federal FAFSA aid (Pell Grant, Direct Loans) stayed exactly the same because dependency status doesn't change based on major or timeline. However, he did lose a $2,500 STEM scholarship that was specifically for pre-med students. My advice: have your daughter email her financial aid advisor directly - I found email got better responses than phone calls. Ask for a written breakdown of which aid components might be affected by the major change. Most schools have a "change of major" checklist that includes financial aid implications. Also, business admin might actually open up NEW scholarship opportunities that weren't available for nursing students, so it could work out in her favor!

I'm in a similar boat with my daughter who's considering switching from education to marketing! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. One thing I'd add is to check if her current school has a "major exploration" or academic advising center - ours does and they actually have a financial aid liaison who specializes in helping students understand the aid implications of major changes before they make the switch. They were able to run scenarios showing exactly which scholarships she'd keep vs. lose, and even helped identify new ones she could apply for in her new major. It might be worth asking if your daughter's school has something similar - could save a lot of stress and uncertainty!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same issue with Nelnet - got three different payment notices in the past two weeks even though my StudentAid.gov account clearly shows I'm in forbearance under SAVE. What really helped me was calling early in the morning (around 7:30 AM EST) when they first open - I got through in about 20 minutes instead of the usual hour+ wait times. The representative confirmed it's a widespread system error affecting thousands of SAVE plan borrowers and that they're working on a fix. For anyone still struggling to get through, I also recommend using their secure messaging system on the Nelnet website. It takes 1-2 business days to get a response, but at least you'll have written documentation of your inquiry and their response. I asked them to confirm my forbearance status in writing and got a detailed email back within 24 hours. @Jamal Washington - definitely don't panic! Your income and family size should absolutely qualify you for $0 payments. This is 100% a servicer system issue, not a problem with your actual loan status.

I'm new to this community but dealing with something very similar! I've been on the SAVE plan since February and just got a confusing email from Nelnet yesterday saying I owe $298 by next week. Like you, my StudentAid.gov account shows I'm in forbearance status, so I was completely panicked. Reading through everyone's responses here has been such a huge relief! It sounds like this is definitely a known issue with Nelnet's system sending incorrect automated payment notices to SAVE borrowers who should be in forbearance. I'm planning to try calling them early tomorrow morning (thanks for that tip @Justin Evans!) and will also send a message through their secure portal to get written confirmation. It's so frustrating that we have to deal with this stress when we're already struggling financially - that's exactly why programs like SAVE exist in the first place! @Jamal Washington - I hope you get this sorted out quickly. From everything people are saying here, it sounds like you're definitely entitled to $0 payments with your income and family situation. Stay strong!

I went through this exact situation with my daughter last semester! The "Action Required" status popped up in February even though she'd been getting aid since fall. It turned out they needed updated bank statements because there was a discrepancy in our reported assets from when we filed the FAFSA vs. what showed up during their automated cross-check with IRS data. What really helped me was downloading the FSA mobile app - sometimes the specific requirements show up there more clearly than on the website. Also, if you have a FSA ID, you can message them directly through the portal instead of calling. The response time is usually 3-5 business days, which is often faster than waiting on hold for hours. One thing that caught me off guard - they wanted bank statements from the EXACT date we filed the original FAFSA, not current ones. So if you filed in October, they want October bank statements even if it's now March. Keep that in mind when gathering documents! The whole process took about 2 weeks to resolve once I submitted everything, and her spring aid wasn't affected at all.

I'm dealing with this same nightmare right now! My son got the "Action Required" status two weeks ago and it's been so stressful trying to figure out what they actually want. The lack of specific information in these notices is honestly ridiculous - how are we supposed to fix something when they won't tell us what's wrong? After reading through all these responses, I'm feeling a bit more hopeful that it's probably something simple and won't affect his current aid. I'm going to try calling his school's financial aid office first thing tomorrow morning like someone suggested, and also check that FSA mobile app to see if the requirements are clearer there. It's both frustrating and reassuring to see how common this is - frustrating that the system is so confusing, but reassuring that other people have gotten through it successfully. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips!

As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through this entire discussion with fascination and relief! My daughter is facing the exact same situation - she's managed to save $8,700 from her job at a local bookstore, and I've been losing sleep wondering if this hard-earned money would hurt her chances for financial aid next year. This thread has been absolutely invaluable in helping me understand that there are actually protections in place for families like ours. The automatic zero SAI provision is something I had never heard of before, but given our low family income, it sounds like we might qualify - which would make her savings completely irrelevant to the calculation! What I find most reassuring is how many people have shared real, positive outcomes even when their students had significant savings. It's clear that the FAFSA system, while complex, does consider the whole financial picture rather than just punishing students for being responsible savers. I'm definitely taking everyone's advice and calling our school's financial aid office before making any decisions. No point in panicking over hypothetical scenarios when I can get concrete answers about our specific situation. My daughter needs a laptop anyway, so if strategic timing makes sense after talking to the financial aid counselor, we'll consider that approach. Thank you all for creating such a supportive, informative discussion. You've transformed what felt like a financial aid crisis into a manageable situation with clear next steps!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this discussion! My daughter is in almost exactly the same situation - she's saved about $10,500 from working at a local retail store throughout high school, and I've been absolutely panicking about how this might impact her financial aid eligibility. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such an eye-opener. I had no idea about the automatic zero SAI provision before finding this thread - it sounds like it could be a complete game-changer for low-income families like ours. Our family income definitely falls in that lower range where we might qualify, which gives me so much hope! What I appreciate most about this discussion is how it's moved from initial fear to practical, actionable advice. The consistent recommendation to contact the financial aid office directly before making any major decisions really resonates with me - why stress over hypothetical scenarios when you can get definitive answers about your specific situation? I'm also reassured by all the real examples people have shared of students with significant savings who still received substantial aid. It's clear that the system looks at the whole financial picture, not just one component. My daughter definitely needs a laptop for college and we'll need to buy textbooks anyway, so if the financial aid counselor confirms that strategic timing makes sense for our situation, we'll consider that approach. But first, I'm calling the financial aid office Monday morning to check on our automatic zero SAI eligibility. Thank you all for creating such a supportive, knowledgeable community. You've transformed what felt like a crisis into a manageable situation with clear next steps!