I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation! My estimator showed an SAI of $3,900 with about $3,800 in Pell Grant eligibility, but my processed FAFSA came back with an SAI of $5,700 and only $2,200 in Pell. That's a difference of nearly $1,600 in aid! Like so many others here, I also have missing tax information on my processed form. I spent hours on the phone with FSA and they basically acknowledged there were "system issues" but couldn't give me any real timeline for when things would be fully fixed. What's really stressing me out is that I'm supposed to make my college decision by May 1st, but I have no idea what my actual financial aid will look like. I've been accepted to my dream school but the current aid package based on the higher SAI makes it barely affordable. I'm definitely submitting corrections on March 30th as soon as the window opens. Has anyone had any luck getting schools to hold off on final aid calculations until after corrections are processed? I'm worried about missing out on other aid opportunities while waiting for this mess to get sorted out.

This whole situation is such a nightmare for so many families! I'm seeing the same pattern everyone else is describing - my estimator showed an SAI of $4,500 but my processed FAFSA came back at $6,100, which dropped my expected Pell Grant by over $1,000. What really gets me is that we were told to use the estimator for planning purposes, and now it turns out those numbers were basically meaningless. I've been working extra hours to save money for college based on what I thought my aid would be, and now I'm scrambling to figure out how to cover the gap. I'm definitely going to submit corrections on March 30th since I also have missing tax data, but I'm not holding my breath that it will fix everything. At this point I just want some transparency from the Department of Education about what went wrong with the estimator tool and how they plan to help students who made decisions based on inaccurate information. Has anyone tried contacting their representatives about this? It feels like this is affecting enough students that it should be getting more attention at a policy level.

As someone who's just starting to navigate the federal loan system, this whole discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea how complex the administrative side of student loans could be. The fact that entities can change names or restructure internally while still being part of the same federal system is something I never would have understood without reading through this thread. It's really smart that you actually read through your MPN carefully - I'll admit I probably just skimmed mine when I signed it. This makes me want to go back and review all my loan documents more carefully so I understand exactly what I agreed to. Thanks for sharing your experience and the follow-up - it's really helpful to see how these kinds of concerns can be resolved by going directly to the official sources!

As someone who's completely new to federal student loans, this entire thread has been such a lifesaver! I was actually starting to panic because I noticed similar changes in my loan documentation and didn't understand what was happening. Reading through everyone's explanations about how the federal loan system works administratively really put my mind at ease. It's so easy to assume something suspicious is going on when you're not familiar with how these government entities can restructure internally. @Gemma Andrews, I really appreciate that you asked this question and then followed up with the official answer you got from FSA - it shows the importance of going directly to the source when you're unsure about something this important. This whole discussion has motivated me to be more proactive about understanding my loan terms and knowing where to get reliable information when I have concerns!

I'm a college sophomore and have been helping my younger siblings with their FAFSA applications, so I've seen this process from both sides now. The save feature is absolutely one of the most dependable parts of the entire system - I've never had it fail across multiple applications over the years. What I tell everyone is to think of the FAFSA like a really important online shopping cart that you're building over time. You wouldn't expect Amazon to delete your cart if you left to go find your credit card, right? Same principle here. The Department of Education knows that gathering financial documents is complex and often requires coordination between family members, so they built the system to accommodate that reality. One additional tip I'd share: when you log back in, take a quick minute to review the sections you've already completed before moving forward. Sometimes seeing your progress visually can help you feel more confident and organized as you tackle the remaining sections. You're doing great by being thorough with your documentation - that attention to detail will serve you well throughout college!

I'm a parent who's been through this process with two kids now, and I want to echo what everyone else is saying - you're absolutely fine! The FAFSA save feature is incredibly reliable. In fact, I'd be more worried if you tried to rush through the entire application without double-checking all your information. Taking the time to gather the correct tax documents shows you're being responsible about the process. I've saved and returned to FAFSA applications probably a dozen times across my kids' college years, and never once had an issue with lost data. Your friend's advice is not only wrong, it's potentially harmful - rushing through financial aid applications can lead to costly errors that might affect your aid package. Take your time, be thorough, and submit when you have everything correct. That's exactly how the system is designed to work!

Thanks everyone for the super helpful explanations! I just went through my daughter's award letter again and now I understand - the subsidized loans ($5,500) are offered to her directly based on our FAFSA, while the Parent PLUS loan ($18,000) that I was approved for is completely separate and in my name. It makes total sense now why they're listed separately on her award letter. I'm going to try calling FSA using that service someone mentioned to confirm everything before we accept the awards. Really appreciate all the help!

Great to see you got it all sorted out! Just wanted to add one more tip - when you do accept those awards, make sure to keep track of the disbursement dates. Parent PLUS loans typically get sent directly to the school and any excess gets refunded to you, while your daughter's subsidized loans will be credited to her student account. The timing can sometimes be different between the two types of loans, so it's good to know when to expect everything to hit. Good luck with everything!

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!