As a newcomer to this community, I'm deeply grateful to have found this discussion during such a challenging time. I'm also a single parent navigating FAFSA after losing my husband, and my daughter is starting college applications soon. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea about the significant difference between parent and student asset assessment rates until seeing it explained so clearly here. Like many others, we put her life insurance proceeds into an account in her name, thinking we were doing the right thing, but now I understand how this could impact her aid eligibility at that 20% rate. It's heartbreaking that families who've already suffered such tremendous loss face these additional financial complexities when trying to help our children access education. The practical advice shared here about professional judgment requests, the Claimyr service, and proper documentation is invaluable information I never would have found through official channels. Thank you to everyone, especially the financial aid advisor, for creating such a supportive and informative space. Knowing we're not alone in facing these challenges while grieving makes such a difference during this overwhelming process.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful to have found this incredibly informative discussion right when I need it most. I'm also a single parent facing the FAFSA process after losing my spouse two years ago, and my son is applying to colleges for next fall. Like so many others who have shared here, I had absolutely no understanding of how differently parent versus student assets are assessed - the 20% rate for student assets compared to around 5.64% for parent assets is a crucial distinction that seems buried in the complexity of the system. We also received life insurance proceeds that went into an account in his name, and he receives Social Security survivor benefits. Reading everyone's experiences has been both heartbreaking (knowing so many families face these same challenges) and incredibly educational. The detailed explanation from the financial aid advisor about reporting life insurance as assets versus Social Security as untaxed income has clarified so much confusion I had. I'm definitely going to look into the professional judgment process and try the Claimyr service to actually reach someone at FSA. It's deeply frustrating that families who have already endured such loss face additional financial hurdles in accessing education, but I'm so grateful for this community's knowledge and support during what feels like an impossible process to navigate alone.

PA parent here! Just wanted to chime in with some encouragement - I submitted my FAFSA on March 15th and finally got my PHEAA eligibility email yesterday (April 2nd). My son qualified for $4,100 in PA State Grant funding with an SAI of about 1,950. So for those who submitted in mid-March, it looks like they're getting to us now! One thing I learned from calling (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned - totally worth it) is that PHEAA is also dealing with some students who had to resubmit their FAFSA due to the correction issues earlier this year, which is adding to their workload. But the rep assured me they're working overtime to get caught up before the May 1st college decision deadline. @Lucas Parker - given that you submitted almost 3 weeks ago, I'd expect you should hear something very soon! Keep checking that portal daily.

PA parent here with a similar situation! I submitted my FAFSA on March 8th and have been anxiously waiting for the PHEAA eligibility email too. My daughter's SAI came back around 2,100 so I'm cautiously optimistic about qualifying for the PA State Grant. Reading through all these experiences has been so helpful - it's reassuring to know we're not alone in this frustrating waiting game! I created my PHEAA Account Access login after seeing the recommendations here and have been checking daily. Still showing "under review" but at least I know to look there first before the email arrives. The timeline updates from everyone who's recently received their awards are really encouraging. It sounds like they're making steady progress through the February/March submissions. I'm trying to stay patient but it's so hard when we need to make college decisions soon! Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and tips.

This thread has been a goldmine of information! I'm currently going through this exact situation with my son's aid package. One thing I'd like to add that might help other parents - I called three different schools my son was accepted to and asked specifically about their policies regarding Parent PLUS loans and institutional aid. Two schools confirmed that PLUS loans wouldn't affect their need-based grants, but one school said they do a "resource review" after any additional loans are taken and could potentially adjust aid. It really does vary by institution! I'd strongly recommend getting their policy in writing via email rather than just a phone conversation. That way you have documentation if any issues arise later. Also, for those worried about the interest rate on PLUS loans, some schools offer payment plans that might be worth exploring as an alternative if you can manage the monthly payments without borrowing.

Most school payment plans do charge a small enrollment fee (usually $25-75 per semester), but it's often much less expensive than taking out a loan when you factor in interest over time. The payment plans typically spread your balance over 4-10 monthly installments throughout the semester. Some schools even offer interest-free payment plans, which can be a great alternative to PLUS loans if you have the monthly cash flow. I'd recommend calling the bursar's office (not just financial aid) to ask about payment plan options - they sometimes have different programs available that the financial aid office doesn't always mention. It's worth comparing the total cost of a payment plan fee versus the interest you'd pay on a PLUS loan, especially for smaller amounts.

Yes, ideally all contributors should complete their sections within 14 days of receiving the invitation. While there's no strict deadline from FAFSA itself, many schools have priority filing deadlines for maximum aid consideration. The system will send automatic reminders to contributors who haven't completed their sections.

As someone who just went through this process with my stepdaughter, I can confirm what others have said - your husband definitely needs to complete his contributor section, but it's not a separate application. One thing I'd add is to make sure he has all his tax documents ready before he starts, especially his W-2s and 1099s if applicable. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool works best when you have everything organized beforehand. Also, don't panic if the system seems slow or glitchy - we had to log out and back in a few times, but it saved our progress each time. The whole process took us about 30 minutes once we had all the paperwork ready.

As a high school senior who just went through this exact nightmare last month, I can totally relate to your panic! My FAFSA disappeared for almost a week and I was convinced I'd have to start over completely. What really helped me was keeping detailed records - I screenshotted everything including the confirmation page, saved the confirmation email, and even took a photo of my computer screen showing the "Application Processing" status before it vanished. When I finally got through to FSA (took about 8 tries over 3 days), having that confirmation number was crucial. The agent was able to pull up my application immediately and confirmed it was just a display issue. She also mentioned that if you submitted before the application disappeared, you're in much better shape than people whose applications are getting lost during the submission process itself. Definitely don't wait - call FSA and email your school's financial aid office today with your confirmation info. Most schools are being super understanding about these technical issues since they're affecting so many students nationwide.

I'm a financial aid officer at a large state university and I want to add some important information for anyone still dealing with this issue. We've been tracking these FAFSA disappearance cases closely and have found that approximately 15% of applications submitted between late February and mid-March experienced this glitch. The good news is that in every single case we've investigated, the application data was still intact in the federal system - it's purely a dashboard display problem. However, I strongly recommend that affected students do two things immediately: 1) Contact FSA to get written confirmation that your application exists and is being processed, and 2) Submit a "FAFSA Technical Issue Report" to your school's financial aid office along with your confirmation email. This creates a paper trail that protects you if there are any deadline concerns. Most schools have extended their priority deadlines by 2-3 weeks specifically because of these widespread technical problems, but you need to notify us proactively. Don't assume we know about your individual situation unless you tell us.