Welcome to the community! This thread has been such a goldmine of practical advice. As another parent just starting to navigate this process, I want to echo what others have said about the summer timeline for essay prep - it really does seem ideal. One thing I've learned from reading everyone's experiences is that organization is absolutely crucial. Between FAFSA deadlines, admission essays, scholarship applications, and potential verification requirements, there are so many moving pieces. I'm particularly grateful for the clarification that FAFSA itself doesn't require essays - that was a major source of confusion for me too! And the point about middle-income families often seeing better results from merit scholarships versus need-based aid is something I hadn't considered but makes total sense given the new SAI calculations. For anyone else just starting this journey, it sounds like the key steps are: 1) Get FAFSA submitted correctly and early, 2) Focus on quality scholarship essays tailored to specific programs, 3) Stay organized with deadlines, and 4) don't be afraid to reach out for help when the system gets overwhelming (like with that Claimyr service for getting through to FSA). Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to figure this out from official websites alone!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion! I'm a parent of a junior who will be going through this process next year, and I was completely overwhelmed by how FAFSA, college essays, and scholarship applications all fit together. Reading through all your responses has been like getting a masterclass in college financial aid strategy. The clarification that FAFSA itself doesn't require essays was huge for me - I had been stressing about that unnecessarily. And the distinction between need-based aid (tied to FAFSA/SAI scores) versus merit scholarships (requiring separate essays) finally makes sense. I'm especially grateful for the practical tips like: - Creating a scholarship calendar with all deadlines - Developing a master document to customize for different scholarship prompts - Starting essay drafts over the summer before senior year - Focusing on quality over quantity for scholarship applications The resource recommendations (College Essay Guy, Fastweb, individual university financial aid websites) are exactly what I was looking for. And honestly, knowing about potential challenges like verification requirements and those terrible FSA wait times helps me feel more prepared. This community seems like such a supportive place for parents navigating this complex process. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences - it's invaluable for those of us just starting this journey!

So glad to see this issue got resolved! As someone who just went through the FAFSA process myself, I can totally relate to that panic when deadlines are looming and the system isn't cooperating. The step-by-step sequence that @f5e271ef49cd shared is golden - I'm bookmarking this thread in case I run into similar issues when helping friends or if we need to do corrections later. It's crazy how specific the logout/login order needs to be, but hey, whatever works! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions here.

This thread is such a lifesaver! I'm currently dealing with the exact same parent signature loop issue and was getting so stressed about missing deadlines. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions gives me a roadmap to follow. I'm going to try the specific logout/login sequence that @f5e271ef49cd shared first, and if that doesn't work, I'll move on to the other suggestions like creating a new FSA ID or contacting FSA directly. It's reassuring to know this is a widespread issue and not just something I'm doing wrong. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and helping each other out!

Congrats on getting it sorted out! Just wanted to add something that might help others reading this thread - if you run into issues with consortium agreements in the future, many schools also have "visiting student" or "transient student" options where you can officially enroll at your home school but take classes at another institution. It's basically another way to make sure all your credits count toward your enrollment status. The paperwork is sometimes easier than consortium agreements, though it depends on the schools involved. Worth asking about if you ever face this situation again!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation two summers ago! It's great that you got the consortium agreement started - that's definitely the right path. One thing I learned the hard way is to also confirm with Community College A that they understand their role in the consortium process. Sometimes the community college side gets confused about reporting enrollment to your home school. I had to call my CC three times to make sure they were properly communicating my enrollment status to my university. Also, since you mentioned textbook costs - check if either school has rental programs or if you can find used copies online early. Summer textbook buyback is usually terrible, so planning ahead can save you money. You're doing everything right by getting this sorted now rather than waiting until the last minute like I did!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in a very similar situation with my twins who are also graduating this spring. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. One thing I wanted to add that I learned recently - make sure to check if your twins' prospective colleges participate in something called "Professional Judgment" reviews. This allows financial aid officers to make adjustments to your aid package based on special circumstances like having multiple children in college, recent job loss, or other financial hardships. As a single parent, this could potentially help you get additional aid beyond what the standard FAFSA calculation provides. Also, I've been researching state-specific programs and found that many states have additional grants for residents attending in-state colleges. Some of these have separate applications with earlier deadlines than FAFSA, so it's worth checking your state's higher education website. The information about twin-specific scholarships was news to me too - I had no idea those existed! Does anyone know of a good database or website that lists these specialty scholarships? I've been using general scholarship search engines but haven't come across any twin-specific ones yet. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. It really helps to know we're not alone in navigating this process!

As a parent who just went through the FAFSA process with twins myself, I completely understand your confusion! The whole system feels overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's actually pretty straightforward. Everyone here is correct - each twin needs their own separate FAFSA application, but you'll be providing the parent information for both. The key is getting all your FSA IDs set up first (you need one, and each twin needs their own). Make sure you use different email addresses for each FSA ID. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet with all the financial information I'd need (tax returns, bank statements, investment info, etc.) before starting either application. That way I wasn't scrambling to find documents in the middle of the process. For the twin-specific aid, definitely look into your state's grant programs too. Many states have additional funding that stacks on top of federal aid, and some even have specific provisions for families with multiple college students. Also, when your twins are talking to college admissions counselors, make sure they mention having a twin sibling also attending college - sometimes schools will coordinate to offer better aid packages when they know about the family situation. You're not behind at all - many schools accept FAFSA applications well into the spring, so you still have plenty of time to get everything submitted properly!

Just went through verification last year with my twins - it's definitely legitimate if it shows up in your studentaid.gov account! One thing I learned is that the "IV code" mentioned in your letter stands for "Institutional Verification" and it's basically a tracking number for your verification process. Make sure to include that code on any documents you submit. Also, don't panic about the timeline - as long as you submit everything promptly, it shouldn't delay your aid disbursement. The process usually takes 2-3 weeks once they receive your documents.

I work in a college financial aid office and can confirm this is almost certainly legitimate if it appeared in your studentaid.gov account! Verification is super common - we process hundreds of these each semester. A few things that might help: 1) The IV code is your tracking number, so definitely include it on all submissions, 2) Most schools now have secure document upload portals that are way safer than mail, 3) If you're missing any tax documents, the IRS Get Transcript tool is your friend, and 4) Don't stress too much about the timeline - we rarely see verification delay aid disbursement if students respond promptly. Your daughter's school should be your first stop for guidance on their specific verification process!