This is such a valuable discussion! I'm a sophomore and just realized I should probably check on this before my junior year aid package comes out. After reading through everyone's experiences, it seems like the main takeaway is that while federal law only requires entrance counseling once per loan type, schools can definitely add their own requirements on top of that. I'm curious - for those whose schools require annual counseling, do they make you go through the full federal entrance counseling module again, or do they have their own shortened version? I'm wondering if it's the same 20-30 minute process each time or if schools create their own streamlined versions for returning borrowers.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a transfer student starting my senior year and was completely confused about whether I needed to redo entrance counseling since I completed it at my previous school three years ago. Reading through everyone's experiences really drives home the point that you have to check with your specific school rather than just relying on federal guidelines. It's frustrating that there isn't more standardization across institutions, but I guess it makes sense that schools with higher default rates would want additional safeguards. I'm definitely going to call my new school's financial aid office this week to get clarity on their policies before my aid disburses. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't find in official FAQs!

Just wanted to add that if you're using the new contributor system, make sure to save your FSA ID login info somewhere safe! I made the mistake of forgetting mine halfway through the process and had to go through the whole identity verification again. Also, a heads up - the system sometimes takes 24-48 hours to process contributor invitations, so don't panic if your kids can't immediately access your information after you submit it. Plan for a little buffer time before their deadlines just in case there are any technical hiccups.

As someone who's been helping families navigate FAFSA for years, I just want to emphasize something that's gotten lost in all the discussion about timing - make sure you're consistent not just with income figures, but also with asset reporting! I've seen families get flagged because they reported different bank account balances or investment values between siblings' applications. The snapshot date for assets should be the same for both kids, typically the date you first submit a FAFSA. Also, if you have a 529 plan that benefits both children, make sure you're reporting it consistently on both applications. The new contributor system helps a lot, but asset consistency is still something you need to watch manually.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really inspired by how much support and practical advice everyone has provided here. Reading through all these responses, it's clear that Sofia has gone from feeling helpless to having a comprehensive action plan with multiple strategies to pursue. One thing I wanted to add that might help with the timing pressure: if you do end up needing to pay the deposit to secure his spot, many credit cards offer 0% APR promotional periods for new cardholders. While it's not ideal to put educational expenses on credit, it could buy you the 2-3 months needed for the appeal process without accruing interest charges. Just make sure you have a plan to pay it off once your situation stabilizes. Also, document your job search efforts as part of your appeal package. Screenshots of job applications, rejection emails, and salary ranges from current postings in your field can strengthen your case that your income reduction isn't temporary. This shows you're actively working toward financial stability but at a lower income level than 2023. The transformation in your confidence from the original post to your recent responses is remarkable. You went from feeling completely stuck to having a strategic approach with backup plans. Your son is lucky to have such a determined advocate fighting for his future.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by the incredible support and expertise everyone has shared here! Sofia, reading through your journey from that initial panic to now having a comprehensive action plan is truly inspiring. I wanted to add one more resource that might help: many states have College Goal programs or similar initiatives that provide free financial aid counseling. These counselors are independent from the schools and can sometimes intervene on your behalf or provide additional strategies you haven't considered. A quick Google search for "[your state] college financial aid assistance" might turn up some helpful resources. Also, since you mentioned your son has had his heart set on this school for years, consider having him write a brief letter to include with your appeal explaining what this opportunity means to him and his academic goals. Sometimes putting a face and story to the numbers can help financial aid officers remember they're dealing with real families, not just paperwork. The fact that you've gone from feeling completely stuck to having multiple advocacy strategies, backup plans, and a support network here shows incredible resilience. Your son is seeing firsthand what it means to fight for your goals and not give up when facing obstacles. That's a valuable lesson that will serve him well in college and beyond. Keep us posted on how your calls go tomorrow - we're all rooting for you!

As someone who just went through this exact same process with my twin daughters, I can definitely relate to the confusion! Both of my girls work part-time jobs and made between $6,000-$8,500 last year. I was initially worried about the same thing - it felt like the FAFSA was ignoring their income entirely. But after speaking with a financial aid counselor at our local community college, I learned that the new system is actually much more student-friendly than the old one. The student income protection allowance is higher now, and like others have mentioned, only income above that threshold gets assessed at 50%. What really helped me was realizing that for dependent students, parent income and assets are weighted much more heavily in the SAI calculation than student income. So even if your son's $8,200 does have a small impact, it's likely to be under $300 total effect on his aid eligibility. The stress of not knowing is definitely worse than the actual financial impact!

I'm going through this exact situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! My son is 20, still my dependent, and made about $8,900 last year from his retail job. I had the same panic when I filled out the FAFSA - it felt like they were completely ignoring his income and I was convinced I had done something wrong. After reading all these responses about the student income protection allowance and how the IRS Data Retrieval Tool works, I finally understand why the form focuses so heavily on parent information. It's because that's what actually drives the calculation for dependent students! Based on what everyone is saying, it sounds like only about $1,300 of his income would even be above the protection threshold, so maybe $650 total impact on his SAI. That's so much better than I was fearing! Thank you all for explaining this - I was literally losing sleep over whether I had messed up his financial aid chances.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! I've been trying to add schools to my processed FAFSA for the past few days and keep getting stuck in that endless financial page loop. It's such a relief to read through this thread and realize it's not just me - I was starting to think I was completely incompetent with technology! I've tried all the usual fixes (different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode) but nothing has worked. The fact that Quinn was able to get it resolved by actually reaching an FSA agent gives me hope that there's a real solution. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service since I've already spent way too much time on hold with no success. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's so helpful to know this is a confirmed system glitch and that we're not alone in dealing with this frustration. Fingers crossed I can get this sorted out before my deadlines!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I just started experiencing this exact same loop issue yesterday when trying to add two more schools to my already processed FAFSA. I was getting so frustrated thinking I was doing something wrong, but reading through everyone's experiences makes me feel so much better knowing it's a widespread system glitch. I've already tried the basic troubleshooting steps (different browsers, clearing cache) with no success, so I'm definitely going to skip straight to trying the Claimyr service to reach an FSA agent. It's such a relief to know there's actually a solution and that agents can fix this on their end. Thanks Quinn for following up with the successful resolution - it gives all of us hope that we can get this sorted out before our deadlines! This community support during FAFSA season is invaluable.