Your SAI of 4444 is actually really promising! I'm a current college sophomore who had a similar SAI (around 4200) when I applied. Here's what I ended up getting: - Full Pell Grant ($6,895 at the time) - $3,500 subsidized Stafford loan - $2,000 work-study - $4,500 institutional grant from my school My total cost of attendance was about $28,000, so I only had to cover around $11,000 out of pocket, which my family managed through a small parent PLUS loan and some savings. A few tips from my experience: 1. Apply for your school's work-study ASAP once you're enrolled - good campus jobs fill up fast 2. Look into your state's TAG or Cal Grant programs if you're in CA, or similar programs in other states 3. Some schools offer emergency grants throughout the year if your situation changes You're definitely not in panic territory! Being first-gen is tough, but you're asking all the right questions. Feel free to reach out if you want to chat more about the process!

Your SAI of 4444 is actually really good news! I'm a junior at a state school and had an SAI of around 5000 when I applied. Here's what that got me: - About $4,800 in Pell Grant - $3,500 subsidized loans - $2,500 work-study eligibility - $6,000 institutional need-based grant from my university My school costs about $24,000 total, so after all aid I'm paying around $7,200 out of pocket which my family covers with a small payment plan. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - definitely fill out the CSS Profile if any of your schools require it. That's how many private schools determine their institutional aid, and it can make a huge difference in your package. Also, as a first-gen student, look for specific first-generation scholarships at your schools - many have them and they're often less competitive than you'd think! You're definitely in a good position with that SAI. The key is to compare all your aid offers once they come in and don't be afraid to ask schools about appealing if one offer is significantly lower than others.

You're getting excellent advice here! I went through this same situation two years ago with my daughter. Since you have primary custody (98% is way more than the 50%+ threshold needed), you're definitely the right parent to complete the FAFSA. Your ex's income and his new wife's income are completely irrelevant for federal aid calculations. A few practical tips from my experience: 1. Keep good records of the child support you receive - you'll need the annual total as untaxed income 2. The health insurance he provides doesn't get reported anywhere on the FAFSA 3. You won't need any documentation FROM him to complete your FAFSA - just your own tax returns and records The scary stories you've heard about listing the wrong parent are real, but you're clearly the custodial parent here so no worries! Focus on getting YOUR financial documents together and don't let the stress overwhelm you. The fact that you're starting early and asking questions shows you're on the right track. Your daughter is lucky to have such a proactive parent advocating for her!

I'm also dealing with a similar divorced parent situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just wanted to add one more thing that my daughter's high school counselor mentioned - make sure to keep copies of everything you submit for your records. She said sometimes families get selected for verification and you'll need to provide additional documentation to prove the information you reported on the FAFSA. Having everything organized from the start makes that process much smoother if it happens. Also, don't forget that you can make corrections to the FAFSA after you submit it if you realize you made a mistake - it's not set in stone! You're doing great by planning ahead and asking these questions early.

This is such an informative thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation but from a slightly different angle - my daughter is considering an accelerated program but hasn't committed yet. Reading everyone's experiences here is making me realize we need to ask way more detailed questions upfront before she enrolls. One thing I'm curious about - for those of you who went through this, did the accelerated program end up being worth the potential financial aid complications? I mean, obviously getting a master's degree faster is appealing, but I'm wondering if the stress of navigating all these aid issues outweighs the benefits of finishing sooner. Also, has anyone had experience with how this affects things like work-study eligibility or other campus-based aid programs? I know Pell Grants and loans are the big concerns, but I'm wondering if there are other aid programs that might be impacted by mixed enrollment status that we should be thinking about.

This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm a junior in college myself and had no idea accelerated programs could be so tricky with financial aid. Reading everyone's experiences is making me realize I need to do way more research before I apply to any of these programs. One thing that's really standing out to me is how much the burden seems to fall on students and families to figure all this out. Like, shouldn't the schools be required to provide clear, written information about financial aid implications when they're marketing these accelerated programs? It seems crazy that families are discovering these potential issues after enrollment or even mid-program. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference. The tips about getting everything in writing, monitoring degree audits, and checking state aid rules are things I never would have thought to ask about. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences - this is the kind of practical advice that's so much more valuable than anything in the official program brochures!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who's navigating this right now! My daughter is also in her 5th year after taking a medical leave, and we've found that staying in close communication with the financial aid office has been key. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - some schools have "return from leave" checklists that include financial aid steps, so definitely ask if your daughter's school has one of those. It helped us make sure we didn't miss any deadlines or requirements. Also, if her SAI was around 4500 before, that should put her in a good position for continued Pell Grant eligibility assuming your family's financial situation hasn't changed dramatically. The medical leave actually worked in our favor because it "paused" her progress toward the lifetime limits everyone mentioned. Hang in there - it's stressful but totally manageable with the right information!

As someone who went through this exact situation with my son two years ago, I want to reassure you that you're absolutely on the right track! He took a medical leave during his junior year for anxiety/depression treatment and ended up graduating in 5.5 years total. A few things that really helped us: - File the FAFSA as early as possible (October 1st) - don't wait! - Keep copies of all medical documentation from her leave, even if you don't need it for FAFSA directly - Ask the financial aid office specifically about "satisfactory academic progress" status when she returns - this was the one hiccup we had - Look into whether her school has any emergency/hardship funds specifically for students with medical situations The federal aid continued exactly the same for us through year 5, and honestly the medical leave "reset" helped him finish strong academically too. Your daughter's SAI of 4500 should still qualify her for significant Pell Grant funding. You've got this - it's more common than you think and the system is designed to support students like your daughter who need extra time due to medical circumstances!

I had almost the exact same experience last year! The website froze during my submission and I panicked thinking I'd have to start over. Here's what I learned - if you see "Processing" status anywhere on your My FAFSA page, your application definitely went through successfully. The system is just really bad at giving clear confirmation when there are technical glitches. A few things that helped me verify everything was submitted: - Check your FSA ID dashboard - it shows all applications by year - Look for your DRN (Data Release Number) on the My FAFSA page - Make sure your school codes are still listed correctly The Student Aid Report usually shows up within 3-5 business days, and that's your official confirmation. If you're still worried, your school's financial aid office can also confirm they received your data even before the federal site updates. The whole process is anxiety-inducing but sounds like you're all set! The "continue" button is misleading - it doesn't mean your app is incomplete.

I'm a high school senior dealing with this exact same issue right now! Just submitted my FAFSA two days ago and had the same website crash experience - it froze right after I clicked submit and I've been panicking ever since. Reading through everyone's responses here is such a huge relief! I had no idea that "Processing" status was actually the confirmation I needed to see. I just logged in and checked my My FAFSA page and it does say "Processing" at the top, plus I found the "View Details" section that shows all my info is there. I also didn't know they changed from EFC to SAI - thanks for explaining that! Going to check my communication preferences right now to make sure notifications are turned on. This whole process is so much more stressful than I expected, but knowing that basically everyone goes through these same technical issues and anxiety makes me feel so much better. Definitely going to take screenshots of my processing status like someone suggested, and I'll call my college's financial aid office if I don't hear anything by next week. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver!