This entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently stuck in the exact same situation with my daughter's Parent PLUS application - empty dropdown, unhelpful customer service, the whole nine yards. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear this is a widespread issue that FSA should really address better. I'm going to work through the checklist that's emerged from this discussion: 1) Verify her school is actually listed on her FAFSA (not just submitted), 2) Check her enrollment status with the school directly, 3) Give it 3-5 business days for systems to sync up, and 4) Contact the financial aid office for the paper form backup plan if needed. It's frustrating that we have to crowdsource solutions like this, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their real-world fixes. This is way more helpful than anything I got from the official support channels!

I'm experiencing this exact same issue right now! My son is starting his junior year and I've been trying to complete his Parent PLUS application for two weeks. The school dropdown has been completely empty every time I try. After reading through all these responses, I realize I never actually verified that his school is listed on his FAFSA - I just assumed it was since he's been attending there for two years. I'm going to have him log in and double-check that tonight. It's so frustrating that the FSA phone support doesn't walk parents through these basic troubleshooting steps. This thread has been more helpful than three different phone calls to their helpline! I'll definitely try the financial aid office route if the FAFSA fix doesn't work within a few days. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences and solutions!

Sofia, I completely understand your frustration! I went through this exact same situation with my son last year and felt like I was going crazy trying to figure out what was wrong. One thing that really helped me was understanding that the Cal Grant system runs on a completely different timeline than what feels logical to anxious parents. Here's what I learned: The March 2nd deadline is just for SUBMISSIONS - the actual processing doesn't even begin until mid-to-late March when CSAC has collected all the GPA verifications from every high school in California. Then they have to match up FAFSA data with GPA data with student records, which takes weeks. Your WebGrants dashboard will likely stay blank until late April or May - this is totally normal! I checked mine obsessively last year and nothing appeared until May 15th, then suddenly my son's Cal Grant A award was there. Since your daughter's school confirmed they submitted her GPA on Feb 28th and you completed FAFSA in early February, you've done everything right. The $15,000 University Grant from UCLA might actually already be factoring in your potential Cal Grant - definitely ask them about this when you call. Try not to stress about the college decision deadline. Most schools, especially UCs, are very understanding about Cal Grant timing issues and will extend deadlines if needed. You're in great shape - just stuck in the awful waiting period that every California family has to endure!

Sofia, I can totally relate to your stress! I went through this same situation with my twin daughters last year and was pulling my hair out by March. Here's what I wish someone had told me then: The WebGrants dashboard being completely blank in March is actually NORMAL - not a sign that something went wrong! CSAC processes applications in huge batches and most families don't see anything until late April/early May. I literally checked that dashboard every single day for two months and nothing appeared until May 12th, then BAM - both daughters' Cal Grant A awards showed up overnight. Since your daughter's school confirmed they submitted her GPA verification on Feb 28th and you got your FAFSA done in early February, you're actually ahead of the game! Many families scramble to meet that March 2nd deadline. That $15,000 University Grant from UCLA is actually a really positive sign - many UCs will estimate your total need and provide institutional aid upfront, then later supplement or replace portions with Cal Grant money once it's confirmed. Definitely ask UCLA's financial aid office tomorrow if that amount already accounts for an anticipated Cal Grant or if it would be additional. Also, don't hesitate to ask UCLA for a brief extension on your decision deadline if you need it. They deal with this Cal Grant timing issue every single year and are usually very accommodating. You're doing everything right - just stuck in California's notoriously slow financial aid timeline! Hang in there!

As a newcomer here, I really appreciate all the detailed advice everyone has shared! This conversation has been super helpful in understanding the timing issues with FAFSA and gap years. It sounds like the consensus is to wait until your son has more concrete plans rather than filling it out now. The point about military benefits being separate from FAFSA really clarifies things too. Good luck with whatever path he chooses - both the Air Force and community college are great options!

As someone new to this community, I wanted to add that it's also worth considering that if your son does end up going the Air Force route, many service members complete their degree while active duty using Tuition Assistance, then save their GI Bill benefits for after service (maybe for a higher degree or to transfer to dependents). This could actually work out better financially than the traditional college path! The military education counselors are really good at helping map out these strategies once he's in. But like everyone said, definitely no need to do FAFSA now if he's taking the gap year.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Applied for Parent PLUS loan last week and still showing "processing" - it's so nerve-wracking not knowing what's happening. My son's SAI also came back much higher than we expected ($11,800) and we're scrambling to figure out the gap funding. From what I've been reading here, it sounds like 5-7 business days is pretty normal for approval, so hopefully we'll both hear something soon. The credit requirements seem less scary than I initially thought based on what others have shared. Fingers crossed for both of us! This whole financial aid process is way more stressful than anyone warned me about.

Just wanted to share my recent experience to hopefully ease some anxiety! I submitted my Parent PLUS application for my daughter's junior year about 2 weeks ago and got approved in 6 business days. Like you, I had some concerns about credit issues - I had a couple 30-day late payments on a credit card from early 2023 when I was going through a job transition. The "processing" status really doesn't give you any useful information, which is so frustrating! Mine showed processing right up until the day it switched to approved. I found that logging into the FSA website early in the morning (around 6-7 AM) seemed to show updates faster than checking during peak hours. Your SAI being higher than expected is unfortunately becoming the norm with the new FAFSA formula. We're dealing with similar sticker shock. The good news is that based on what others have shared here about the credit requirements, your 2023 late payments probably won't be an issue if they weren't 90+ days delinquent. Hang in there - the waiting is definitely the hardest part of this whole process!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and reading through this thread has been both helpful and terrifying! My son will be starting college next year and I'm realizing I have no idea how any of this works. Can someone explain what SAI actually stands for and how it's different from the old EFC? I keep seeing people mention these numbers but I don't understand how they're calculated or what makes a "good" vs "bad" SAI. Also, is there a resource that explains all these different types of aid (Pell, PHEAA, institutional grants, etc.) in simple terms? I feel like I'm already behind and my son hasn't even submitted his FAFSA yet!

Don't give up hope yet! I went through something very similar with my daughter last year. Her SAI was 6,950 and we initially got the same response from our state school. However, after filing a Professional Judgment appeal due to my husband's reduced work hours (he's in construction and winter was brutal), they recalculated her SAI to 5,200 and she ended up qualifying for about $2,800 in Pell Grant plus some state aid. The key is having solid documentation - pay stubs showing the income change, any unemployment documentation if applicable, and a clear letter explaining how your circumstances changed after the tax year used for FAFSA. Also, don't just rely on the school's financial aid office - call PHEAA directly at 1-800-692-7392. Sometimes the school's information isn't current or they miss things. One more tip: if Penn State doesn't work out financially even after appeals, consider having your daughter start at a community college for prerequisites and then transfer. Many vet programs accept community college credits and it can save thousands while you work on improving your aid situation for her junior/senior years.