That's a huge relief! Thank you so much for checking on this. I'll try to be patient for another couple weeks.

I'm dealing with this exact situation too! My son's FAFSA was processed in early March but my daughter's has been sitting "In Progress" since mid-February. Reading through these comments has been so helpful - I had no idea about the batching system or that renewals might take longer. The lack of communication from FSA is definitely frustrating, but it's reassuring to know this seems to be a widespread issue rather than something specific to our applications. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

That's exactly what I suspected! The 30% reduction is unfortunately a common shortcut some offices use when they're overwhelmed. I'm glad they're reviewing it again. The proper approach should be similar to what College A did - projecting your actual expected income for the year based on unemployment. Keep us posted on the outcome!

Wow, this is such a helpful thread! I'm a high school counselor and I see families dealing with this exact situation every year. The inconsistency between schools on appeals is one of the most frustrating parts of the financial aid process. Miles, I'm so glad you were able to get through to College B and discover the issue with how they calculated your income adjustment. That 30% reduction vs. complete removal makes a huge difference in SAI calculation and explains the different Pell Grant outcomes perfectly. For other families reading this - don't be afraid to ask specific questions about HOW they calculated your appeal adjustment. Schools should be able to explain their methodology, and if it seems unreasonable compared to your actual circumstances, push back politely but firmly.

You've got it exactly right! That's a perfect summary of your situation. One small additional tip: when you file in October 2025, make sure to submit your FAFSA as early as possible. Some state aid and institutional aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so earlier submission can sometimes mean better aid packages. Also, don't let the complexity discourage you - while the rules seem overwhelming at first, you're clearly on top of understanding your specific situation. Having all that documentation ready and knowing about the professional judgment option puts you in a much better position than many families who go into this process unprepared. Good luck to your daughter with her college applications and the financial aid process!

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone new to the FAFSA process, I'm in a somewhat similar situation - my husband and I are getting married next year and I have a daughter from a previous relationship whose father hasn't been involved. Reading through all these responses has really helped me understand what to expect. One thing I'm curious about that I didn't see addressed: if the new spouse has their own children who are also college-aged, does that affect the calculation at all? Does the FAFSA consider household size when determining aid, or is it strictly based on the parents' income regardless of how many kids they're supporting? Also, does anyone know if there are any resources or workshops specifically for families with complicated situations like remarriage and absent parents? It seems like there should be more guidance available for these common scenarios!

My daughter's situation was exactly like this last month! Her SAI changed by about $1200 after corrections and only one school adjusted their offer (and it was only by about $400). Most schools build in a little buffer for these kinds of changes. The most important thing is that you got it fixed before final aid packages go out!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact same thing with my son two weeks ago! The "corrections needed" status is definitely confusing but it's totally normal. What helped me understand it was thinking of it like a draft vs. final version - schools get the draft (which is still useful for them to start planning) while you work on the final version. The key thing is to make those corrections as soon as possible because some schools have earlier deadlines for finalizing aid packages. Also, don't panic if you see multiple correction requests over time - sometimes fixing one issue reveals another that needs attention. The system is definitely not perfect but it does work eventually!

Summarizing what everyone has said: 1. Only your mom is legally responsible to the Department of Education 2. The divorce court may create a separate agreement between your parents 3. For future FAFSAs, you'll report the parent you live with more (or who provides more support) 4. Your FAFSA SAI calculation will change if you're only reporting one parent's income instead of two I'd recommend having your mom login to studentaid.gov to confirm she's the only one on the loan and to understand her repayment options going forward.

I'm going through something similar with my parents' separation. One thing that helped me was getting everything in writing from my loan servicer about who's actually responsible. You can also check your mom's Federal Student Aid account to see all the loan details and payment history. The divorce might actually help with your future FAFSA if you end up reporting just one parent's income instead of both - could potentially increase your aid eligibility depending on their individual financial situations.