Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! I had the same confusion with my FSA ID from when my oldest applied in 2021. Here's what worked for me: 1. Log into your existing FSA ID account BEFORE starting any applications to make sure everything still works 2. Update your phone number if it's changed - they use 2-factor authentication now 3. Your twins will each need their own FSA ID, but they can create those during the application process 4. When you start each twin's FAFSA, you'll link your existing parent FSA ID during the contributor section One thing that caught me off guard - with twins applying in the same year, make sure to indicate on each application that you have "2" students in college. This can significantly help with your aid eligibility under the new SAI system! The schools will verify this with each other, but it's important to be consistent on both applications. Good luck with the process - having twins apply at once is stressful but you've got this!

As a parent who just went through this process with my second child, I can confirm you definitely use the same FSA ID! One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're planning to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (which I highly recommend), make sure your FSA ID account has the exact same name as what's on your tax return. I had a small discrepancy (I had my middle initial in my FSA ID but not on my taxes) and it caused the data retrieval to fail. Had to call and get my FSA ID name corrected before I could proceed. It's a small detail but can save you a lot of headaches during the application process!

I'm in a similar boat with my son who just got his financial aid package! His SAI came out to 22,000 and we're looking at an out-of-state school that costs about $38K total. Like you, we got pretty much just the standard federal loans and work study - no institutional grants at all. One thing that helped me understand it better was learning that SAI is basically the government saying "we think your family can afford to pay this much per year toward college" - but that doesn't mean schools will automatically fill the gap between SAI and their cost. Especially for out-of-state students, public universities often prioritize their limited aid dollars for in-state residents. I've been researching external scholarship opportunities since the school aid was so disappointing. Have you looked into scholarships specific to her major or from local organizations in your area? Sometimes those can help bridge some of that gap. Also, some schools have emergency aid funds or additional scholarship rounds in the summer - might be worth asking about! The whole process is so much more complicated than I expected when we started this journey. Hoping you find some solutions that work for your family!

The sticker shock is so real when you first see these numbers! I went through this exact same confusion last year with my daughter's SAI. One thing that really helped me was understanding that SAI replaced the old EFC (Expected Family Contribution) system, but it works similarly - it's essentially the government's calculation of what they think your family can reasonably contribute each year. Here's what I learned the hard way: out-of-state public schools often have very limited institutional aid for non-residents. They're primarily funded by taxpayers from their own state, so they prioritize helping in-state students first. The federal aid (loans and work-study) you received is pretty standard regardless of which school you attend. A few things that might help: - Call the financial aid office and ask if there are any merit scholarships your daughter might still qualify for based on her academic record - Ask about tuition reciprocity programs if you live in a neighboring state - Look into whether she could establish residency after her first year (though this is getting harder at most schools) - Consider having her take a gap year to work and save money, then reapply with updated financial info The system definitely feels broken when you're dealing with it for the first time. Don't be afraid to advocate for your family - financial aid offices sometimes have additional funds they can allocate to students who ask!

I went through something very similar last semester! My school incorrectly sent a $2,100 balance to collections that I had already paid through my parent PLUS loan. What really helped speed things up was getting my congressperson's office involved. I know it sounds dramatic, but they have a direct line to the Department of Education and can push through corrections much faster than going through normal channels. I called my representative's local office, explained the situation, and they had someone from their constituent services team contact the FSA on my behalf. My FAFSA dashboard was updated within 3 business days after that. The key is framing it as an urgent educational access issue rather than just a billing dispute. Also, make sure you screenshot your current FAFSA dashboard showing the incorrect status - you'll want proof of the error timeline if there are any future complications with your aid eligibility.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress right now! As someone who just went through the financial aid process myself, I can't imagine how panicked you must be feeling with registration coming up so soon. From reading all these responses, it sounds like there are several really good strategies to try. The insider info from Mateo about Form ED-1038 seems super important - I had no idea schools had to submit specific forms to different systems. And Javier's suggestion about contacting your congressperson's office is brilliant - I never would have thought of that! One thing I'm wondering - have you checked if your school has an emergency financial aid fund or hardship assistance program? Some schools can provide temporary bridge funding while situations like this get resolved, especially when it's their error. It might be worth asking your financial aid office about that as a backup plan. Really hoping this gets sorted out quickly for you! Keep us updated on what works - this thread is going to help so many people dealing with similar situations.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works in higher education financial aid. While Parent PLUS loans do go under your FSA ID and are your responsibility, one thing that often gets overlooked is that some schools offer payment plan options that can help reduce the amount you need to borrow. Instead of taking out the full $23k, you might be able to set up a monthly payment plan with the school for part of that gap and only borrow what you absolutely need. Also, don't forget to check if your son qualifies for any work-study programs - that income doesn't count against financial aid eligibility and can help chip away at costs. The key is to exhaust all other options before committing to large Parent PLUS loans since they do have higher interest rates and fewer repayment options compared to student loans.

As a newcomer to this community, I've been following this thread closely since I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter starting college in the fall. The information about Parent PLUS loans being tied to the parent's FSA ID and the credit check requirements has been eye-opening. I'm particularly interested in what Ethan mentioned about payment plans - I had no idea schools offered these as an alternative to borrowing the full gap amount. One question I haven't seen addressed yet: if you do take out a Parent PLUS loan, are there any tax implications parents should be aware of? I've heard conflicting information about whether the interest is tax-deductible like other student loan interest. Also, for those who have gone through multiple years of Parent PLUS loans, do you find the application process gets easier, or do you have to go through the full credit check each year? Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's helping families like mine make much more informed decisions!

I'm a new parent going through this process too and feeling pretty overwhelmed by all the potential technical issues everyone's mentioning! It sounds like there are so many things that can go wrong - email filtering, browser compatibility, timing issues, etc. For those of you who successfully got through the invitation process, what would you say is the single most important thing to do first to avoid these common pitfalls? I want to make sure my daughter and I tackle this the right way from the start rather than having to troubleshoot problems later when we're getting close to deadlines.

As a parent who just went through this exact process with my daughter two weeks ago, I can definitely relate to the confusion! One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also make sure your son saves his progress frequently while filling out his portions of the FAFSA. We learned the hard way that if the session times out while he's working on his sections, it can sometimes mess up the contributor invitation system and require starting over. Also, when you do get the invitation email, don't wait too long to respond - I think there's some kind of expiration window, though I'm not sure exactly how long. The good news is that once you get past all these technical hurdles, the actual parent sections are pretty straightforward if you have your tax documents ready. Hang in there - it's definitely more complicated than it should be, but you'll get through it!