This whole FAFSA "simplification" has been a DISASTER. First they delay the form until January, then the system crashes constantly, and now families with multiple students are getting LESS aid than before. How is that an improvement??? The Department of Education should be ASHAMED of themselves for how they've handled this. Families are making college decisions RIGHT NOW without knowing what aid they'll receive! The worst part is the complete LACK OF TRANSPARENCY about these formula changes. They sold it as "simplification" but didn't clearly explain that it would HURT families with multiple college students!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm everything others are saying is accurate. The elimination of the sibling adjustment has been devastating for families like ours. Here's what actually worked for my family: I created a spreadsheet showing our old EFC vs. new SAI calculations and included it with every financial aid appeal. I also researched each school's endowment and recent tuition increases to tailor my appeals - schools with larger endowments were more responsive to requests for additional institutional aid. One thing that helped was getting a letter from my high school counselor explaining that our family's financial circumstances were identical to the previous year, which helped demonstrate that the SAI increase was purely due to the formula change, not actual financial improvements. The appeals process took about 6-8 weeks at most schools, so start ASAP. Also, don't just email - call and speak to someone directly. The financial aid officers I spoke with were generally sympathetic once they understood the situation. Good luck, and don't give up! This change has hurt so many families that schools are starting to develop better processes to address it.

btw has anyome noticed the SAI calcs r totally different this yr? our expected contribution went up like 5k from last yr with basically same income??

As someone who just went through this decision process last year, I want to echo what others have said about maxing out Direct Student loans first. The math really is compelling - that 2%+ interest rate difference adds up to thousands over a 10-year repayment period. One thing I didn't see mentioned yet: if your daughter qualifies for subsidized loans (based on financial need), those are even better since the government pays the interest while she's in school. My son got $3,500 in subsidized and $2,000 unsubsidized for his freshman year. Also, regarding your refinance concerns - the Parent PLUS inquiry will likely cause a temporary small dip in your credit score, but if you're not planning to refinance for several months, that should recover. However, the ongoing monthly payment obligation will definitely factor into your debt-to-income ratio, which lenders scrutinize heavily for mortgage refinancing. We ended up doing exactly what you're considering - daughter took max student loans, we help with payments, and avoided Parent PLUS entirely. So far it's worked out well financially and she's building her credit history with on-time payments.

So glad you got this sorted out! Just wanted to add - when comparing financial aid packages, make sure you're looking at the net price (total cost minus all aid) rather than just the aid amounts. Sometimes a more expensive school ends up being cheaper after aid. Also, keep an eye out for renewable scholarship requirements - some merit aid has GPA requirements to maintain eligibility all four years. Your daughter sounds like she's worked hard, so I'm sure she'll have great options!

Don't feel embarrassed at all! The FAFSA process is incredibly confusing and you're definitely not the first parent to mix up numbers on those forms. An SAI of 9,834 is actually in a pretty good sweet spot - not so low that you're struggling financially, but low enough that your daughter should qualify for meaningful aid. I'd also recommend having her apply for outside scholarships if she hasn't already - sites like Fastweb and Scholarships.com have tons of options, and even small $500-1000 scholarships can really add up. Best of luck with the aid packages!

California families are lucky - you have some great state aid programs! The Cal Grant program is substantial (up to $12,848 for private schools, $5,742 for UC/CSU). The key deadline to remember is March 2nd for Cal Grant - that's the postmark deadline for your FAFSA and GPA verification form. You'll also want to look into the Middle Class Scholarship if your family income is under $177,000. It can cover up to 40% of tuition at UC/CSU schools for middle-income families who don't qualify for other need-based aid. One California-specific tip: make sure your daughter's high school counselor submits her GPA verification form by the March 2nd deadline too. Students sometimes focus on getting their FAFSA done but forget this requirement, and without both pieces, you can't get Cal Grant funding. The California Student Aid Commission website (csac.ca.gov) has a great timeline and checklist specifically for California students. Since you're starting early, you have plenty of time to understand all the moving pieces!

One thing I'd add as a junior parent who went through this last year - don't forget about merit aid opportunities! While everyone focuses on need-based aid through FAFSA, many schools offer merit scholarships that aren't tied to financial need at all. Some merit scholarships have earlier deadlines than regular admissions (like November 1st for priority consideration), and many require separate applications or essays. Start researching merit opportunities at your daughter's target schools now, because junior year grades and test scores matter a lot for merit aid. Also, encourage your daughter to take the PSAT in October if she hasn't already - National Merit scholarships can be huge, and some states have lower cutoff scores than others. Even if she doesn't make National Merit, many schools offer automatic merit aid based on GPA/test score combinations. The beauty of merit aid is that it's renewable each year (usually with GPA requirements) and reduces your need for loans. Sometimes merit aid can actually make a more expensive private school cost less than a public school, so don't rule out schools based on sticker price alone!

btw make sure u have ALL ur tax info ready b4 u start!! sooo annoying if u get halfway thru and realize u need some random form

As someone who just went through this process with my oldest last year, I can confirm that the student absolutely needs to be the one to create the account and start the FAFSA! I made the mistake of trying to help too much initially and it created confusion. Here's what worked for us: My daughter created her FSA ID first, then I created mine. She started the application under her login, filled out all her personal info, and then when it came to the parent contributor section, she invited me to complete my portion. The system walked us through it pretty clearly once we got the initial setup right. Don't stress too much about the process itself - the new FAFSA is actually more user-friendly than the old one. Just make sure you follow the correct order: daughter creates FSA ID → you create FSA ID → daughter starts application → you complete contributor sections when prompted. Good luck!