This is why the new FAFSA is SO frustrating. Under the old formula, having multiple kids and being in education might have qualified you for some aid. The new SAI calculation actually made things worse for many middle-income families with multiple children, despite all the "simplification" promises. Definitely contact the school directly - sometimes they have institutional funds they can offer that aren't tied to federal formulas. My friend's daughter got an additional $8,000 in school-specific grants just by having a meeting with the financial aid officer and explaining their situation in detail.

I'm in a very similar situation as a new parent navigating this process! We're also educators with an SAI that put us just above the Pell Grant threshold. One thing I learned recently is to double-check if you reported any untaxed income correctly - things like employer-paid health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, or even certain retirement contributions can sometimes be entered incorrectly and artificially inflate your SAI. Also, make sure you didn't accidentally include assets that should be protected (like your primary residence equity, which isn't counted in the FAFSA). It might be worth reviewing your submission line by line to see if there are any errors that could be corrected. The financial aid gap for middle-income families is real, but sometimes there are small mistakes that can make a big difference in your final number.

One other important point: FAFSA data is used for the CSS Profile as well, which many private schools use for their institutional aid decisions. At $120k, you might be right at the threshold where some schools could offer significant aid packages. That's where completing the FAFSA becomes truly valuable - it opens doors to institutional aid that can sometimes be surprisingly generous even for families above the Pell Grant threshold.

This thread is such a perfect example of why community support matters so much during FAFSA season! @Ava Martinez, I'm thrilled you got your DOB issue resolved - what a nightmare that must have been. Your experience really highlights how broken some of these systems can be, but also how persistence (and the right resources like Claimyr) can eventually pay off. For anyone else reading this who might be in a similar income bracket and wondering if FAFSA is worth it - this conversation really shows why you shouldn't skip it. Between federal loan protections, potential subsidized loans, work-study opportunities, and especially those institutional aid programs that many schools have, there's so much more than just Pell Grants to consider. Thanks everyone for sharing such detailed advice and real numbers - this is exactly the kind of information that helps families make informed decisions instead of just guessing about aid eligibility!

ur all forgeting to mention that the FAFSA deadline changes every yr so make sure u check!!! my friend missed it last yr and was screwed

As someone who just started the law school application process myself, this thread has been incredibly informative! I had no idea about the independent student status for grad school - that's actually a huge relief since my parents' income was always an issue for undergrad aid eligibility. One question I haven't seen addressed: do law schools typically send their own financial aid award letters separate from the federal aid, or does it all come together? I'm trying to figure out the timeline for when I'll actually know what my total aid package looks like at each school I'm accepted to. Also, for those who mentioned merit scholarships - are these typically offered at admission or do you have to apply separately? I'm trying to balance my time between LSAT prep and scholarship applications!

quick question: are ur twins going to the same school? if yes some colleges have special twin scholarships! my friend's twins got half off at [redacted] university just for being twins lol

Just wanted to add that you should also check the specific deadlines for each school your twins are applying to! Even though you'll be filling out federal FAFSA forms, many colleges have their own priority deadlines for institutional aid that can be earlier than the federal deadline. With twins applying to different schools, you'll want to make a calendar of all the important dates so you don't miss any opportunities for additional grants or scholarships. Also, some schools require CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, so double-check those requirements too. You're doing great navigating all this!

btw make sure u tell ur son to check his email from those new schools. sometimes they send important financial aid follow-up stuff right away and if u miss those emails it can mess up getting aid packages

Just wanted to add that you can also track the transmission status through your FSA ID account dashboard. There's a section that shows when your FAFSA data was last sent to each school and the transmission date. This gives you peace of mind that the system actually processed the school additions correctly. I found this really helpful when I was in a similar situation last year - it clearly showed the dates when each school received the updated information, which was about 4 days after I added them to the list.