As someone who just went through this process, I wanted to add that it's also worth asking about their appeal process when you call tomorrow. Even if your aid does change (which sounds unlikely based on what others have shared about your income level), most schools have a formal appeals process where you can request additional consideration if there are special circumstances they didn't account for. Also, I found it really helpful to ask for everything in writing when I spoke with financial aid. They were happy to email me a summary of our conversation including which parts of my package were guaranteed vs. estimated. Having that documentation made me feel much more secure about my decision. One last thing - if this is your top choice school and the aid works out, make sure to ask about their renewal requirements for the aid. Some merit scholarships require maintaining a certain GPA, and it's good to know those details upfront. Sounds like you're being really smart about planning ahead! Hope everything works out perfectly for you! 🤞

Reading through all these responses has been so helpful! As someone who's currently dealing with the same anxiety about aid packages potentially changing, I wanted to add that it's also worth checking if your school participates in any special programs that might affect your aid. For example, some colleges participate in initiatives like the "No Barriers" or "Yellow Ribbon" programs, or have special partnerships with community organizations that provide additional funding sources. These sometimes don't show up in initial estimates but can be factored in after FAFSA processing. Also, with your family income at $62k, you might want to ask specifically about state aid programs in addition to federal aid. Many states have their own grant programs for middle-income families that colleges sometimes don't include in early estimates because they're waiting for state funding confirmations. When you call tomorrow, it might also be worth asking if they have any work-study positions available - even if it's not included in your aid package, it could help bridge any gaps if there are small changes to your grants. Most schools set aside work-study funds separately from their main aid budgets. Best of luck with your call tomorrow! From everything everyone has shared, it sounds like you're in a really good position with your income level and early FAFSA submission. 🍀

I went through this exact situation with my stepfather last year! A few additional tips that helped us: 1) Submit the FAFSA as soon as possible with the 000-00-0000 for his SSN - don't wait because the verification process can take weeks. 2) Start gathering all his income documentation NOW (pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements) because you'll likely need them for verification. 3) Consider reaching out to multiple schools on your daughter's list - some are more experienced with these situations and can provide better guidance. 4) Keep detailed records of all your communications and document submission dates in case you need to appeal any delays. The system isn't perfect, but it does work eventually. You've got this!

I'm in a similar situation with my husband who's on a work visa! One thing that really helped us was creating a checklist of all required documents before starting the FAFSA. For non-citizen spouses, you'll likely need: his work authorization document (I-94, EAD card, etc.), any tax returns filed with ITIN, pay stubs from the past few months, and bank statements. Also, when you use 000-00-0000 for his SSN, make sure to keep screenshots of each page you submit - this helped us tremendously when we had to explain the situation during verification. The financial aid officers were actually really understanding once they saw we had all our documentation organized. Don't panic about the deadline - even if verification takes time, most schools will give you a provisional aid package while it's being processed!

As a newcomer to this community and the whole FAFSA world, I can't even begin to express how much this thread has helped me! I received that exact same terrifying email yesterday despite our FAFSA showing "processed" since February with a clear SAI number. I literally had a panic attack thinking we had somehow destroyed our son's college prospects. I've been calling FSA nonstop for two days with absolutely no success - the hold times are brutal and then you just get disconnected. It's completely unacceptable that families are being put through this emotional torture because their automated email system is broken. The fact that so many other newcomers here are experiencing the identical situation really drives home how massive this system failure is. Reading through everyone's experiences has been more informative and reassuring than anything from the official channels. The breakdown from the financial aid office worker about trusting the SAI number and processed status over the emails was incredibly helpful. I'm screenshotting our status right now and definitely joining the "ignore panic emails" club. Thank you all for sharing and creating such a supportive space - this community is truly a lifeline when you're navigating this FAFSA disaster as a first-timer!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly grateful I am to have found this thread! I received that exact same panic-inducing email this morning telling me our FAFSA wasn't submitted, even though it's been showing "processed" since early March with our SAI number clearly displayed. I honestly thought I was losing my mind or that we had somehow catastrophically failed our daughter's financial aid. I've been frantically calling FSA all day but can't get through - the wait times are absolutely insane and then you just get disconnected anyway. It's beyond frustrating that families are being subjected to this kind of stress over what turns out to be a massive system glitch. The fact that their automated email system is sending false alarms while parents are worried sick about their children's college funding is completely inexcusable. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been infinitely more helpful than anything I could get from the official channels. The breakdown from the financial aid office worker about trusting the processed status and SAI number over the automated emails was especially reassuring. I'm taking screenshots of everything right now and will definitely be ignoring any more of these erroneous panic emails. Thank you all for sharing your stories and creating such a supportive space - this community is truly a lifesaver when you're trying to navigate this FAFSA disaster as a first-timer!

Just a quick update for anyone finding this thread later: The Department of Education acknowledged this contributor link bug in their latest system update notes. They're supposedly rolling out a fix in the next 2 weeks. Until then, the workarounds mentioned here are your best bet - either having the student enter the information manually or trying to get an agent to reset your contributor access.

I had the exact same issue last month! What finally worked for me was logging into my FSA ID first in a separate browser tab, then clicking the contributor link while already logged in. For some reason the system couldn't authenticate me properly when I clicked the link directly from the email while logged out. Also make sure you're not using any browser extensions that might block cookies or trackers - I had to disable my privacy extensions temporarily. The whole FAFSA system is so finicky this year, but don't give up! Your financial information is crucial for maximizing your daughter's aid eligibility.

I went through a very similar situation two years ago when I lost my job right after submitting my son's FAFSA. I received a $38,000 severance package and was terrified about how it would affect his aid. Here's what I learned: definitely report both the job loss and the settlement to each school individually. I contacted 6 different schools and got 6 different responses - some counted the full severance as one year's income, others spread it over 2-3 years, and one school even excluded a portion of it from their calculation entirely. The key is being proactive and honest from the start. I provided my termination letter, severance agreement, unemployment documentation, and a detailed letter explaining my situation. Most schools were surprisingly understanding and worked with me through their professional judgment process. Don't let fear of the settlement amount keep you from reporting the job loss - that change in circumstances could significantly help your aid eligibility. Just be prepared that each school will handle it differently, so you'll need to have individual conversations with each financial aid office.

I'm a financial aid administrator and want to add some clarity to this discussion. You're absolutely required to report both changes, and here's the process I recommend: Contact each school's financial aid office and request their "Special Circumstances" or "Professional Judgment" form. You'll need to provide documentation including your termination letter, settlement agreement, and a detailed explanation of your situation. The settlement will likely be counted as untaxed income, but many schools have flexibility in how they treat it - especially when it's clearly related to job displacement rather than a windfall. Some schools may spread it over multiple years or exclude portions meant to cover specific expenses like health insurance continuation. The key is framing your request properly: emphasize that this is income replacement during your job search, not additional income. Also, timing matters - submit these forms as soon as possible since aid adjustments can take several weeks to process. Each school will make independent decisions, so don't assume what one school decides will apply to others. Most importantly, non-disclosure isn't worth the risk - verification processes can catch unreported income and result in serious penalties.