Congratulations on getting your SAI! 6254 is actually really encouraging - you're in a good spot for need-based aid. I'm also navigating this process for the first time with my son, and the stress has been unreal with all the delays and system issues. One thing I learned from our college financial aid workshop is that schools using both FAFSA and CSS Profile often have more institutional aid available, especially for families in your SAI range. The CSS Profile might bump up your expected contribution some due to home equity and other assets, but many private schools also have larger endowments to help bridge those gaps. Definitely start that scholarship search now - even small local scholarships add up! Our guidance counselor recommended checking with local Rotary clubs, credit unions, and community foundations. Good luck with everything!

Just wanted to chime in as another newcomer to this whole process! Your SAI of 6254 gives me hope - we're still waiting on ours but have similar household income. I've been lurking in this community for weeks trying to understand how the new FAFSA system works, and honestly all the horror stories had me convinced we'd get stuck with some astronomical number. Quick question for everyone - I keep seeing mentions of appealing aid packages. Is that something most families do, or only in special circumstances? This is all so new to me and I don't want to miss any opportunities to help my daughter afford college. The whole system seems so much more complicated than when I went to school!

That's awesome that you got it sorted out! Just wanted to add - when you log into studentaid.gov to add the new school, make sure to double-check the school code before submitting. I accidentally added the wrong campus code for my transfer school (they had like 3 different codes for different programs) and it delayed everything by two weeks. The school codes are usually 6 digits and you can search for them on the FAFSA site. Also keep screenshots of the confirmation page showing you successfully added the school - saved me when there was a mix-up later!

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I can confirm what others have said - you CAN add schools to your FAFSA anytime before the June 30th deadline! I transferred mid-spring semester last year and had no issues adding my new school. The key thing is to act fast because while the federal government is flexible, individual schools have their own deadlines for institutional aid. Pro tip: after you add the school online, call both your current school's financial aid office AND your new school's office within 24-48 hours to confirm they received your FAFSA data. Sometimes there are processing glitches and it's better to catch them early. Also ask your new school specifically about any additional forms they might need for transfer students - some require their own institutional aid applications separate from the FAFSA. You've got this!

Just to add some context: schools are definitely aware of the processing delays this year. The Department of Education has been communicating with financial aid offices about the backlog. Many schools are being flexible with their internal deadlines as long as you can prove you submitted before their deadline. One more tip: if your FAFSA remains "In Review" for more than 4 weeks, it's worth calling FSA to check if there are any hidden issues they're not communicating through the portal. Sometimes there are minor verification issues that don't show up in your status.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My daughter and I submitted our FAFSA two weeks ago and it's been stuck "In Review" ever since. I've been checking the portal obsessively every day hoping for an update. Reading through these responses is both helpful and terrifying - the idea that it could take 6-10 weeks is making me panic about missing deadlines too. Has anyone found that calling FSA multiple times gets you different answers? I'm wondering if some agents are more helpful than others, or if they're all just giving the same standard "wait and see" response. Also, for those who eventually got through processing - did you get an email notification when your status changed, or did you have to keep checking the portal manually?

I'm in a very similar situation - middle class family making around $85k with our first heading to college next year. The stress is real! One thing I learned from talking to other parents is to definitely fill out the FAFSA even if you think you won't qualify for much. Some merit scholarships and state aid programs require it regardless of income. Also, consider having your son apply to a mix of reach, match, and safety schools - but make sure some of those safety schools are places where his stats put him in the top 25% of applicants. Those tend to offer the best merit packages to attract strong students away from higher-ranked schools. And don't forget about your state's 529 plan tax benefits if you haven't maximized those yet. Even small contributions can add up and reduce your tax burden, freeing up more money for college costs. The whole process is overwhelming but you're not alone in feeling this way. Middle class families are definitely caught in a tough spot, but there are legitimate ways to improve your situation if you stay organized and cast a wide net with applications.

As someone who went through this exact process two years ago with similar income ($89k), I can share what actually worked for us. The new FAFSA formula did help - our SAI was about $3,000 lower than what our old EFC would have been. Here's what I wish I'd known earlier: 1. Run the Net Price Calculator on every school's website BEFORE your son applies. This gives you a realistic estimate of what you'll actually pay, not just the sticker price. 2. Look into schools with generous merit aid for middle-stat students. Places like Denison, College of Wooster, and many regional universities often give significant merit scholarships to students with your son's profile. 3. Don't overlook honors colleges at state universities - they often come with automatic scholarships and smaller class sizes while keeping costs manageable. 4. Time your FAFSA filing strategically. We filed in early January using prior-prior year taxes, then made updates once current year taxes were done. The middle-class squeeze is real, but there ARE affordable options out there. My son ended up at a private college that cost us less than our state flagship because of their merit aid. Cast a wide net and don't assume anything based on sticker price alone!

also dont forget you need to make a FSA ID for yourself AND one for each twin before u even start the application!! that tripped me up last time and we had to wait 3 days for the ids to process

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter last year, I can confirm what others have said - gather ALL bank statements, even for accounts with tiny balances. We learned this the hard way when we initially only submitted our main checking account statement and got a letter requesting documentation for every single account we had listed on our tax returns. One thing that really helped us was creating a simple spreadsheet listing all our accounts, their balances on the day we filed FAFSA, and where we kept the documentation. It made the whole verification process much less stressful when we had everything organized in one place. Also, don't let the anxiety get to you too much - yes, the process can be tedious, but thousands of families go through this successfully every year. Your twins are lucky to have a parent who's being so thorough about getting everything right!