To summarize what everyone's saying: 1. FAFSA dependency status won't change due to major changes or extended time in school 2. Federal aid (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) eligibility continues as long as she maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress 3. School and program-specific scholarships may have major requirements and could be affected 4. She should meet with her financial aid office and get written confirmation of how her specific aid package will be impacted 5. There may be additional paperwork required for the major change As long as she's proactive about speaking with financial aid and understanding any scholarship requirements, this shouldn't be a financial disaster. Many students change majors without major aid disruptions.

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 a college financial aid counselor and wanted to add some additional context that might help. The 2025-2026 FAFSA rollout has been particularly challenging due to the major system overhaul. Here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. **Timeline expectations**: While the normal processing time is 3-5 days, we're seeing 7-10 days regularly due to the high volume and system issues. 2. **Mobile app vs website**: The mobile app has had more display issues than the website version. If you submitted through the app, try logging into studentaid.gov through a desktop browser to check your SAI. 3. **For urgent deadlines**: Most colleges have received guidance from the Department of Education about these delays and have contingency plans. When you contact your financial aid office, mention specifically that you're dealing with the "2025-2026 FAFSA SAI display issue" - they'll know exactly what you're talking about. 4. **Verification flags**: If you're selected for verification, your SAI might show as "pending" or not display at all until verification is complete. Check your to-do list on the portal. Don't panic - virtually every school is dealing with these same issues with multiple students. The system will catch up!

As someone who went through this exact same nightmare last year (though it was way less chaotic then), I want to share what finally worked for me when my SAI wasn't showing up. Try logging out completely from studentaid.gov, clearing all your cookies and browser data, then logging back in using a different browser entirely - sometimes it's just a caching issue. Also, if you have the FSA ID app on your phone, try checking through that too since it sometimes syncs differently than the website. One thing that saved me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all my FAFSA-related activities - submission date, confirmation numbers, when I checked for updates, etc. It helped me stay organized when talking to financial aid offices and proved I had been checking regularly. Most importantly, don't let anyone make you feel like this delay is your fault - the new system really is having major issues this year and you're definitely not alone in this struggle!

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this thread has been for someone going through their first FAFSA application. I submitted mine about 6 days ago and it's been showing "In Process" status - I was starting to get anxious wondering if I had made some kind of mistake. Reading through Collins' detailed journey from initial worry to successful resolution has been such a relief! The professional insights from Misterclamation Skyblue about how the processing stages actually work, along with Vince Eh's clear timeline breakdown, have completely changed my understanding of what's normal. It's amazing to see how welcoming and supportive this community is to newcomers who are navigating this stressful process for the first time. I feel so much more confident now knowing that 6 days is still very early in the timeline and that there are proven resources like Claimyr and clear action steps available if needed later on. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such an informative space - I'm looking forward to being part of this community and hopefully helping other first-time applicants once I get through my own FAFSA journey!

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been for someone like me who's going through the FAFSA process for the first time. I submitted my application about 4 days ago and it's been showing "In Process" status - I was already starting to worry that maybe I had filled something out incorrectly. But reading through Collins' complete journey from being stuck in "In Process" to getting it successfully resolved, plus all the professional insights from Misterclamation Skyblue about how the system actually prioritizes applications, has been such a huge relief! Vince Eh's detailed timeline breakdown is exactly what I needed to understand that 4 days is still very early in the process. It's amazing to see how supportive and welcoming this community is to newcomers who are trying to navigate what can feel like such a confusing and stressful maze. I feel so much more confident now knowing that there are clear steps to take if needed later, and resources like Claimyr available if calling becomes necessary. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and creating such an informative and supportive space - I'm really looking forward to being part of this community and hopefully helping other first-time applicants once I successfully get through my own FAFSA journey!

Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I now understand that we need to include both our information even though we file taxes separately. I'll make sure to have both our 2023 tax returns, W-2s, and asset information ready when we sit down to complete the application. And I'll be careful to enter the rental property information correctly. It's such a relief to get this clarified before we start the application process. I was worried we'd make a mistake and delay my son's financial aid. You've all been incredibly helpful!

Glad to see you got all the info you needed! Just wanted to add one quick tip from my experience - when you're entering the rental property value, make sure you use the current fair market value, not what you originally paid for it. The FAFSA instructions can be a bit unclear on this. Also, if you have any mortgage or loans against the rental property, subtract that debt from the market value before entering it in the assets section. This helped reduce our expected family contribution slightly. Good luck with your son's application!

Here's a step-by-step process that worked for several of my advisees: 1. First, check what you've already been awarded versus your annual limit (Dependent students: 1st year $5,500, 2nd year $6,500, 3rd+ year $7,500; Independent students: add $4,000-$5,000 to those amounts) 2. Make an appointment with a financial aid counselor (not just at the front desk) 3. Before your appointment, prepare a detailed monthly budget showing the gap between your costs and current aid 4. Ask specifically about a "Cost of Attendance adjustment" or "Budget Appeal" 5. Provide documentation for any costs exceeding their standard estimates 6. If denied, ask about alternative payment plans which might spread costs over the semester Just be aware that each school has different policies, and there are federal limits they cannot exceed for Direct Loans regardless of your need.

I'm new to this whole financial aid process and reading through everyone's experiences is both helpful and terrifying! I'm in a similar situation where my initial award doesn't cover nearly enough. Quick question - when you're documenting additional expenses for a Cost of Attendance appeal, do things like textbooks and lab fees count if they weren't included in the original estimate? Also, has anyone had success appealing based on inflation/rising costs since the FAFSA was filed? Everything seems to cost more now than when I filled out my forms back in the spring. Thanks for all the detailed advice everyone - this community is a lifesaver!