UPDATE: We tried the steps that @profile2 suggested! My daughter removed me as a contributor, waited about 20 minutes, then added me again. I got a new email invitation, cleared my browser cache, and THIS TIME IT WORKED! I can now see her application and the parent contribution section to complete. I think the issue was either the system glitch they mentioned or possibly that I was clicking the old link from the first email. Either way, if anyone else has this problem, try having your student remove and re-add you as a contributor! Thank you all for your help!

So glad you got it resolved! This has been such a common issue this FAFSA cycle. For anyone else reading this thread who might run into the same problem, I'd also suggest checking that your student didn't accidentally add you as a "stepparent" or other contributor type instead of "parent" - I've seen that cause similar dashboard issues where nothing shows up. The remove/re-add solution seems to work for most of these invitation glitches though. Good luck with the rest of the process!

Just wanted to share that I went through something very similar last year with my divorced parents and my college costs. One thing that really helped us was sitting down together (even though they're divorced) to strategically plan who would apply for what loans based on their individual credit scores and income situations. My mom had better credit, so she took the larger Parent PLUS loan, while my dad took a smaller one. We also discovered that some schools will let you appeal your financial aid package if you can demonstrate that your family's financial situation has changed - like in your case where your son is no longer attending his original school, which might free up some family resources for your daughter's education. Also, don't forget to have your daughter file for work-study if her school offers it! It's not a huge amount of money, but every little bit helps with those living expenses. Good luck navigating this - the Parent PLUS loan system is definitely confusing when you're dealing with divorced parents!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and this thread has been so helpful! My parents divorced when I was in high school, and now I'm starting my sophomore year at a private university. What we learned from our first year is that communication between divorced parents (even when it's difficult) really does make a huge difference in maximizing your financial aid options. One thing I wanted to add that I haven't seen mentioned yet - if either parent remarries, that can actually complicate the Parent PLUS loan situation because the stepparent's income might be considered for some calculations, but they can't take out Parent PLUS loans themselves. Just something to keep in mind if that applies to your situation. Also, I'd highly recommend looking into your state's 529 plan options if you haven't already. Even though it's late in the game, some states offer tax deductions for contributions that can help offset some of the costs, and you can use the funds right away for tuition payments. The financial aid process is so overwhelming, especially when you're dealing with divorced parents and multiple kids. Hang in there - it sounds like you're being really proactive about exploring all your options!

I'm a newcomer to this whole process and honestly feeling pretty overwhelmed! My parents keep asking me when I'm going to start my FAFSA and I've been putting it off because I thought it would be this huge complicated thing. But reading through all these comments actually makes me feel more prepared. It sounds like even though it's not as "simplified" as the marketing made it seem, it's still way better than the old system. Can someone confirm - do I need to have my parents' most recent tax return completely finished before I can start, or can I use estimates and update it later?

As someone who just went through this process last month, I can confirm that the "simplified" FAFSA is definitely better than the old version, but the marketing around it was pretty misleading. The automatic tax import is a huge time-saver - I didn't have to manually type in dozens of numbers from my parents' 1040. However, we still spent about an hour gathering asset information (checking account balances, investment values, etc.) because that stuff obviously isn't on tax returns. One tip that helped us: before you start, gather all your financial documents first - recent bank statements, investment account statements, and your parents' tax return. Having everything ready made the process much smoother. And don't stress too much about getting exact numbers for assets - as of the day you file is fine, you don't need to calculate average balances or anything complicated like that. The reduction from 108 to 36 questions is real though - my older brother's FAFSA from a few years ago was definitely more of a marathon!

As someone who just went through the FAFSA nightmare myself, I can't stress enough how valuable this thread is! I had a different issue (verification documents kept getting "lost" in their system) but the patterns are so similar - endless hold times, sudden disconnections, and zero helpful communication. What finally worked for me was a combination of the early morning calling strategy (thanks Avery!) and documenting absolutely everything for my school's financial aid office. They were able to work with incomplete FAFSA data while I kept fighting the system. For anyone still struggling - don't give up, and definitely lean on your school's financial aid counselors. They've seen it all and often have workarounds that aren't obvious to us students. This community sharing real solutions is honestly a lifesaver when the official channels fail us!

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - this thread has been incredibly valuable! I'm a transfer student dealing with my first FAFSA application and was completely overwhelmed by all the horror stories I'd been hearing. But seeing concrete solutions like the Claimyr service, the congressional representative option, and the early morning calling strategy gives me actual hope that there are ways to navigate this mess. I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference and really appreciate how supportive everyone has been in sharing what worked for them. It's amazing how much more helpful this community discussion is than anything I've found on the official FAFSA website!

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this exact situation last year with my daughter. Those "You Don't Qualify" messages on studentaid.gov are basically meaningless - they're just generic placeholders while the system processes everything. My daughter had an SAI of around 14,000 and we saw the same confusing messages, but she ended up receiving unsubsidized loans at every school she applied to, plus need-based grants at two of them. The key thing to remember is that each school determines your aid package independently based on their own cost of attendance and aid policies. Some schools took 6+ weeks to send their financial aid letters even after receiving the FAFSA data, so patience is definitely required. One tip: if any of his schools use their own financial aid forms (CSS Profile, etc.), make sure those are submitted too - sometimes delays happen when schools are waiting for multiple documents. You're doing everything right by checking each school's portal. The real answers will come from those individual award letters, not from the FAFSA website itself.

I went through this exact same panic last year with my twin sons! Seeing those "You Don't Qualify" messages under both loans and grants made me think we'd made some terrible mistake on the FAFSA. But everyone here is absolutely right - those messages are just generic placeholders while the system processes everything. Both my boys had SAIs around 16,000-17,000 and initially saw the same confusing messages. Fast forward a few weeks, and they both received unsubsidized loan offers at every school they applied to, plus one son got a small Pell Grant at his higher-cost school and the other got merit aid. The hardest part is just waiting for each school to process everything and send their award letters. Some schools were super quick (2 weeks) while others took almost 2 months. And you're right to be confused - the whole system could definitely be clearer about what those early messages actually mean (or don't mean). Hang in there! With that SAI, your son will definitely qualify for federal loans at minimum, and possibly more aid depending on where he's applying.