I'm going through something similar right now with my daughter's FSA ID! We accidentally put her full first and middle name together in the first name field during the college fair registration process. Reading through all these responses has been so reassuring - I was worried we'd have to start completely over. It sounds like the name correction process through studentaid.gov is pretty straightforward. I'm planning to have her Social Security card, birth certificate, and driver's license all handy when we make the changes just to triple-check everything matches exactly. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is such a lifesaver for navigating all these financial aid complexities!

This thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation but with my daughter's last name - we accidentally included her hyphenated last name but forgot the hyphen (so it shows as "SmithJones" instead of "Smith-Jones"). From reading all these responses, it sounds like I need to fix this through the same process on studentaid.gov before we submit the FAFSA. I'm assuming the same rules apply for last names as first names when it comes to matching the Social Security card exactly? Has anyone dealt specifically with hyphenated name corrections?

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share something that helped us navigate a similar situation. Have you looked into your state's Promise Program or similar statewide scholarship initiatives? Many states now offer "last dollar" scholarships that cover remaining tuition costs after federal and institutional aid for students meeting certain criteria. These programs often have different income thresholds than FAFSA and might help bridge part of your gap. Also, since your daughter is interested in nursing, I'd strongly recommend checking with the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). Both offer scholarship programs specifically for aspiring nurses, and the application pools tend to be smaller than general healthcare scholarships. One thing we discovered during our search is that many nursing schools have "bridge agreements" with local community colleges that guarantee admission and credit transfer for students who complete their prerequisites with a certain GPA. This could be a great way to reduce costs for the first two years while still ensuring she gets into her preferred nursing program. Finally, don't overlook asking about sibling discounts or family plan rates if you have other children who might attend college in the coming years. Some schools offer these but don't advertise them widely. Every discount helps when you're facing such a significant gap!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share something that might help with your nursing school funding challenge. Have you looked into your state's workforce development grants specifically for healthcare workers? Many states offer these to address nursing shortages, and they're often separate from traditional financial aid with different eligibility requirements. Also, I'd suggest checking with local medical device companies, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare technology firms in your area. Many of these businesses offer educational partnerships or internship programs with tuition assistance that people don't think to explore. They're always looking for students who might eventually work in healthcare settings where their products are used. One thing that worked for a friend of mine was reaching out to nursing faculty at both schools your daughter is considering. Sometimes professors know about research grants, small departmental scholarships, or industry connections that can provide funding opportunities. Faculty often have insights into creative funding solutions that admissions and financial aid offices might not mention. The community college pathway really is worth serious consideration for nursing - the clinical skills are what matter most to employers, and you can often get the same quality hands-on training while saving thousands on prerequisites. Plus, many hospitals actually prefer hiring nurses who have diverse educational backgrounds and real-world experience from working during school. You're being smart to explore every option before taking on massive debt. The nursing field has good earning potential, but starting a career with $100K+ in loans can really limit your daughter's choices about where and how she wants to work after graduation.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now with my daughter starting college in the fall! Reading through all these responses has been so eye-opening. I had no idea that Parent PLUS loans would show up on MY credit report and not hers - I honestly thought it would be the other way around since it's for her education. The timing advice about getting pre-approved for a mortgage before taking out the Parent PLUS loan is brilliant. We're also planning to buy a house next year, so I'm definitely going to call our lender this week to discuss our options. Has anyone here had success with credit unions offering better terms than traditional banks for education loans? I keep seeing mixed information online about whether their rates are actually better. Also, for those who mentioned scholarship applications - are there any specific websites or resources you'd recommend for finding scholarships that are still accepting applications for fall 2025? We applied to several earlier this year but didn't have much luck, and I'm wondering if there are less competitive local ones we might have missed.

I'm also navigating this for the first time with my son starting college this fall, and this thread has been incredibly educational! I had the same wrong assumption that Parent PLUS loans would somehow be tied to my son's credit rather than mine. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from speaking with our financial planner - if you're planning to buy a house, it might be worth exploring whether you can time your home purchase for this spring/early summer before taking out the Parent PLUS loan for fall semester. Even though the loan won't be disbursed until August/September, some lenders will count the approved loan amount in your DTI calculations once you've completed the application process. Also, has anyone looked into employer tuition reimbursement programs that might apply to dependents? I just discovered that my company offers up to $2,500 per year for employees' children, but I had to specifically ask HR about it since it wasn't in our standard benefits package. It's not huge, but every little bit helps when you're trying to minimize borrowing. The advice about getting pre-approved for your mortgage first is something I'm definitely going to follow. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so helpful to hear from people who've actually been through this process!

This is such a great discussion! As a newcomer to the FAFSA process, I'm really appreciating all the detailed advice here. I'm in a similar situation where I want to minimize borrowing but wasn't sure about the flexibility of accepting partial amounts. Based on everyone's experiences, it sounds like starting with just subsidized loans is definitely doable and smart. I'm particularly glad to learn about the importance of tracking expenses throughout the semester and understanding those processing deadlines. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who have gone through this process, do you recommend setting up some kind of emergency buffer in your budget calculations? Like, if my monthly expenses are running about $200 over what I initially budgeted, should I request the unsubsidized portion when I hit that threshold, or wait until I'm closer to actually running out of money? I want to be conservative but also not stress myself out by cutting it too close to those deadlines everyone mentioned. Thanks for all the insights!

This is such a smart approach! I'm actually a junior who did exactly this my sophomore year. One thing I'd add that I learned from experience - when you're tracking your expenses to decide if you need that unsubsidized loan later, don't forget to factor in unexpected costs that tend to pop up mid-semester. For me it was a laptop repair and some medical bills that weren't in my original budget. I ended up requesting the unsubsidized portion in October, and the process was super smooth - just filled out a form at financial aid and had the money within about 10 days. The key is really staying on top of your spending patterns early in the semester so you can spot trends before you're in a tight spot. Also, totally agree with what others have said about those processing deadlines - my school's cutoff was 3 weeks before finals, so definitely check your specific school's policy. You're being really responsible by starting with just the subsidized loans!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately not new to FAFSA frustrations! Reading through all these responses, it sounds like you have several good options to try before starting completely over. I'd recommend trying the Claimyr service that Fiona mentioned first - if an agent can manually locate and push through your existing application, that would save you from missing the priority deadline. If that doesn't work, definitely call RISD's financial aid office directly before resubmitting. Many schools are being flexible with deadlines this year given all the system issues, and they might be able to work with you on the timing. Document everything - dates you called, who you spoke with, reference numbers if they give you any. The fact that Pratt received your 2023-24 FAFSA is actually useful information - it proves you did submit something successfully, just the wrong year somehow got processed. That might help when explaining the situation to financial aid offices. Good luck! This whole FAFSA rollout has been such a mess, but it sounds like you're being persistent and that's what it takes this year.

As someone who just went through a similar nightmare with my twin daughters' FAFSAs, I wanted to share what finally worked for us. We had the exact same issue - submitted in December, got confirmation emails, then complete radio silence from the system showing no record. After weeks of frustration, I discovered that creating a paper trail is crucial. I sent a certified letter to Federal Student Aid (830 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002) documenting our submission date, confirmation numbers, and the technical issues we encountered. Include screenshots of any confirmations you received and print out that glimpse of the SAR you mentioned seeing. Within 10 business days of sending that letter, we received a callback from FSA with our daughters' applications magically "found" and processed. Apparently there's a whole department that handles these technical glitches, but you have to formally document the issue to get escalated to them. Also, definitely reach out to your state's Department of Education - many states have FAFSA hotlines that can advocate on your behalf with federal aid offices. Rhode Island's higher ed department might be able to help push things through faster than going through federal channels alone. The paper trail approach might take a bit longer than resubmitting, but it preserves your original December submission date which could be important for priority deadlines. Worth trying before starting completely over!