Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation last year! The FAFSA requirement for Parent PLUS loans caught us completely off guard too. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned - make sure you have all your tax documents ready before starting the FAFSA. The new system uses the IRS Data Retrieval Tool which can pull your tax info directly, but if that doesn't work for any reason, you'll need to input everything manually. Also, don't forget that Parent PLUS loans have higher interest rates than student loans (currently around 8.05% vs 5.5% for undergrad Direct loans), so definitely take advantage of those unsubsidized loans Chloe mentioned first. Good luck with the process - you've got this!

As someone new to this whole process, I'm finding this thread incredibly helpful! My daughter is starting college in the fall and I had the exact same confusion about FAFSA vs Parent PLUS loans. The financial aid office at her school also gave me conflicting information initially. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear that the FAFSA is definitely required first - no way around it. I'm curious though, for those who've been through this - is there any advantage to completing the FAFSA earlier in the year (like January/February) versus doing it now closer to the deadline? I'm wondering if we should get ahead of this for next year to avoid the stress. Also, thank you to everyone who shared the processing timelines - that really helps with planning!

Hey @Ravi Kapoor! As someone who works in college financial aid, I wanted to jump in and clarify a few things. Your zero SAI is absolutely fantastic news - it means you qualify for maximum federal aid! However, I want to set realistic expectations: while you'll get the full Pell Grant (~$7,395) and qualify for subsidized loans, most students with zero SAI still have some costs to cover. Here's what I recommend: (1) Look for schools that meet 100% of demonstrated need - these will give you the best packages, (2) Apply to a mix of public and private schools since aid can vary wildly, (3) Check if your state has additional need-based grants, and (4) Don't forget about work-study earnings which can help with personal expenses. Also, when you get your aid offers, focus on the "net price" (what you actually pay) rather than the total aid amount. Some schools inflate their aid numbers by including loans you have to repay. Your zero SAI puts you in the best possible position for aid - now it's about choosing schools strategically. You're going to do great! 🎓

Hey @Ravi Kapoor! First off, huge congratulations on getting a zero SAI! 🎉 That really is the best possible outcome for financial aid eligibility. I totally understand the confusion though - the whole system is pretty counterintuitive where lower numbers are actually better! As a fellow first-gen student who went through this process, I wanted to add a few things that haven't been mentioned yet: (1) Make sure to complete your FAFSA verification quickly if selected - delays can cost you aid, (2) Look into your state's Cal Grant or equivalent programs (many have separate applications with earlier deadlines), (3) Consider applying to schools in different states that offer good aid to out-of-state students with high need, and (4) Don't overlook community college honors programs that have guaranteed transfer agreements with four-year universities. One thing that really helped me was joining Facebook groups for accepted students at each school I was considering - current students often share real experiences about what their actual costs ended up being with similar SAI numbers. The zero SAI opens doors, but doing your homework on each school's aid policies will help you walk through the right ones! You're already asking all the right questions, so I know you'll figure this out. 💪

btw make sure u actually get confirmation that northeastern received the fafsa! my brother's school said they never got his even tho we added them and it said processing completed. had to call fsa and have them manually send it again

I went through this same situation last month when I had to add two schools after my initial FAFSA was processed. The good news is that it definitely processes faster the second time! Mine took about 5 days compared to the original 3+ weeks. The system just needs to authorize the new school to access your existing data rather than recalculating everything from scratch. One tip - keep checking both studentaid.gov AND your email because sometimes the email notification comes before the website updates. Also definitely call Northeastern's financial aid office like others suggested - most schools are being really understanding about FAFSA delays this year and may give you extra time if needed.

Just wanted to chime in as another PA student who went through this same confusion! One thing I learned the hard way is that even if your PHEAA approval letter doesn't explicitly mention FAFSA, you should always double-check your student portal to make sure all your aid requirements are met. Sometimes there are holds or missing documents that aren't obvious from the initial approval. Also, if you're taking summer classes at a different school than your main campus, make sure both schools are communicating about your aid - I had issues with that once where my home school had all my info but the summer host school didn't receive the transfer properly. Hope everything works out for your summer registration!

Welcome to the community! I'm new here but I've been dealing with similar FAFSA and state aid confusion myself. Reading through this thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the PA State Grant form being separate from the FAFSA! I'm in a different state but we have similar issues with our state aid agency requiring both federal and state applications. One thing that helped me was creating a checklist of all the different deadlines and requirements since they can vary so much between programs and schools. It sounds like you're getting great advice here about checking which aid year your summer classes fall under. That seems to be the key issue that trips up a lot of students. Good luck with getting everything sorted out!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - the divorce/FAFSA situation is incredibly stressful! I went through something similar when my divorce was finalized mid-academic year. A few practical tips from my experience: 1. **Priority order**: Start with your son's top choice schools first when contacting financial aid offices. Some schools are much more generous with professional judgment adjustments than others. 2. **Documentation prep**: Get multiple copies of everything ready - divorce decree, recent pay stubs, bank statements, and a letter from your ex's attorney or court documentation showing no support obligations. Having everything organized will speed up the process. 3. **Business account reporting**: Unfortunately yes, you do need to report those business accounts. I learned this the hard way too. The FAFSA considers any accounts in your name as your assets, regardless of their business purpose. 4. **Timeline management**: Don't wait for the FAFSA corrections to process before submitting special circumstances forms to schools. Do both simultaneously to avoid delays. The good news is that with your actual income of $28K, your contribution should drop dramatically once the adjustments are made. Hang in there - it's fixable, just takes some persistence!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and wanted to share what I've learned from my financial aid advisor. The key thing is to act quickly on both fronts - the FAFSA corrections AND the special circumstances appeals. For the FAFSA corrections, definitely don't try to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool again. You'll need to manually enter just your portion of the 2021 income. If you filed jointly, you might need to get a tax transcript and calculate what portion was actually yours versus your ex's. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you're also updating your dependency status correctly. Since you're divorced, only YOUR income should count as the custodial parent, not your ex's. This is a separate issue from the special circumstances review. Also, regarding your eBay business - you mentioned putting $0 for business value, which is correct for the FAFSA since you have no employees. But for your taxes, make sure you're tracking all business expenses properly. This can help reduce your adjusted gross income, which will ultimately help with your Expected Family Contribution. The system is definitely frustrating, but don't give up! With your actual income of $28K, you should qualify for significant aid once everything is corrected.