This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar boat with a family income around $175k and was also told by our financial planner to skip the FAFSA. But reading all these responses, especially the real examples of people missing out on merit scholarships, has completely changed my mind. I had no idea that so many schools require it for ALL institutional aid, not just need-based. The fact that the new version is so much simpler makes this a no-brainer. Question for those who've done it recently - do you need to complete it before applying to schools, or can you do it after your student gets accepted? Want to make sure I don't miss any deadlines!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works in college admissions - even if your family income seems "too high" for need-based aid, there are some surprising exceptions worth considering. Some private colleges have need-based aid programs that extend much higher than you'd expect (I've seen families making $250k+ still receive some institutional aid at very expensive schools). Also, if you have multiple kids in college at the same time, your Expected Family Contribution gets split between them, potentially making you eligible for aid you wouldn't qualify for with just one student. And here's something most people don't know - some schools use FAFSA data for their work-study programs even for students who don't qualify for other need-based aid. Work-study jobs are often the best on-campus employment opportunities and can provide valuable career-building experience. The bottom line is that completing the FAFSA keeps all doors open, and at 20-30 minutes, it's one of the highest ROI activities in the college process!

I had this exact same issue when I was filling out my FAFSA! The wording is super confusing but everyone here is right - it's asking for STATE residency, not immigration status. I put the date my mom moved to our state and had zero problems. My financial aid office even confirmed this was correct when I asked them about it later. Don't let this stress you out too much - you're definitely not alone in being confused by this question! The FAFSA could really use clearer language on this part.

Hey! I went through this same exact situation last year and I totally understand the panic. The FAFSA wording is SO misleading - it sounds like they're asking about immigration status but they're really just asking when your parent started living in your current state. I put the date my mom moved to our state (she's also undocumented) and everything went through fine. I even got selected for verification later and they never questioned that date at all - they only wanted tax documents and household info. You're not lying by putting the state residency date, that's literally what they're asking for! The whole system is just poorly worded. Don't let this one confusing question derail your whole application - you've got this!

This exact same thing happened to us! My son and I were both logged in at the same time working on different sections, and when I submitted the parent portion, it somehow triggered the whole application to submit without his signature. We were so confused when we got that rejection email. Thankfully we were able to fix it by having him log back in with his FSA ID and complete the signature process. The new FAFSA system definitely has some coordination issues when multiple people are working on it simultaneously. For anyone else dealing with this - make sure to coordinate who submits when, or better yet, complete it together on one device to avoid this glitch!

Wow, this thread has been super helpful! I'm a high school senior getting ready to fill out my FAFSA with my parents next month, and reading about all these submission glitches is making me nervous but also better prepared. It sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Don't work on it simultaneously from different devices, 2) Make sure both parent and student complete ALL sections before anyone hits submit, 3) Keep FSA IDs separate and don't mix them up, and 4) Double-check every question including that drug conviction one someone mentioned. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - hopefully by the time I apply they'll have fixed some of these bugs, but at least now I know what to watch out for!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for such a comprehensive and helpful discussion! I'm just starting to research college financing options for my daughter who's a high school junior, and this thread has answered so many questions I didn't even know to ask. The consensus that you can absolutely have multiple Parent PLUS loans for different children with no aggregate family limit is incredibly reassuring. I was really concerned there might be some kind of cap that would prevent us from helping both our kids through college. I'm particularly grateful for all the practical tips shared here - filing FAFSA early, maintaining good credit between applications, keeping detailed records of each loan, and considering different repayment options. The strategy about splitting loans between parents is brilliant and something I'll definitely discuss with my spouse. One question I have for those with experience: when you're planning ahead like this, do you recommend starting to improve credit scores well before the first PLUS loan application? I want to make sure we're in the best possible position when the time comes, especially knowing we'll potentially need approval for multiple loans over the years. This community is already proving to be such a valuable resource - the real-world experiences and honest advice shared here are exactly what parents need when navigating this complex process. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful I found this thread! My daughter is a high school senior and we're just starting to navigate the FAFSA and financial aid process for the first time. My son is two years behind her, so reading about everyone's experiences with multiple Parent PLUS loans is exactly what I needed. The information about there being no aggregate limit across children is such a relief - I was genuinely worried we might be limited in how much we could borrow total. And all the practical advice about maintaining good credit, keeping detailed records, and the strategy of potentially having different parents as borrowers is incredibly valuable. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who've been through this process multiple times, do you find that schools are consistent in their financial aid packages year over year? I'm trying to budget for both kids, but I'm not sure if I should expect similar aid amounts each year or if there's typically a lot of variation. Also, has anyone found it helpful to have conversations with the financial aid offices at prospective schools about your family's situation with multiple children? I'm wondering if being upfront about having another child coming through the pipeline might influence how they structure aid packages. Thank you all for sharing such detailed and honest experiences - this community is already proving to be an invaluable resource as we start this journey!

This entire thread has been so validating! I've been dealing with a nearly identical situation with my son's FAFSA - filed separately, family size showing as 2 instead of 4, and no change in SAI after making corrections online. What's really frustrating is that I've spent hours on hold with FSA just to be told "it will update eventually" while watching deadlines approach. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me a clear action plan. I'm going to call the financial aid office tomorrow and specifically request: 1. The calculation breakdown showing what family size was used 2. Manual SAI recalculation with correct family size of 4 3. Written confirmation of the corrected Pell Grant amount If that doesn't work, I'll have my son call directly, and as a last resort, we'll make an in-person visit with all documentation in hand. The potential $3,000+ difference in aid is absolutely worth the fight. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - especially @Kai Santiago for the professional insights and @Nia Jackson for the in-person visit strategy. It's ridiculous that we need a support group just to get basic FAFSA calculations right, but I'm grateful this community exists!

As a newcomer to this community, I have to say this thread has been incredibly eye-opening and frankly quite concerning. I'm just beginning the FAFSA process for my daughter and had no idea about these family size calculation issues, especially for parents who file separately. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that the 2024-2025 FAFSA has some serious systemic problems. The fact that so many families are dealing with thousands of dollars in incorrect aid calculations due to what appears to be a known glitch is really troubling. It shouldn't require this level of advocacy and persistence just to get accurate financial aid calculations. That said, I'm incredibly grateful for all the practical advice shared here - from requesting specific calculation breakdowns to making in-person visits with documentation. The step-by-step strategies from @Kai Santiago and @Nia Jackson especially seem like they could save families months of frustration. For those still fighting these issues, it sounds like the key is being very specific about what you're requesting and not accepting vague answers about "automatic updates." The difference between family sizes of 3 vs 4 or 2 vs 4 clearly has major financial implications that are worth pursuing until resolved correctly. I'll definitely be taking screenshots of everything when we submit our FAFSA and checking the SAR immediately for accuracy. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community support seems essential for navigating these bureaucratic challenges!