Just wanted to share our experience since we went through this last year! My son also had a -1500 SAI and it was definitely confusing at first. The good news is that negative SAI does mean maximum federal aid eligibility. However, I learned that timing is everything - beyond just meeting deadlines, submit your FAFSA as early as possible each year because some aid is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis even if you're eligible. Also, don't forget about work-study programs! With a -1500 SAI, your son will likely qualify for Federal Work-Study at schools that participate. It's not a huge amount of money, but every bit helps, and the jobs are usually on-campus and flexible around class schedules. Some of our friends' kids have work-study jobs that actually relate to their majors too, so it can be good experience. One last tip - keep copies of everything and track all your deadlines in one place. The financial aid process involves so many different forms and dates between federal, state, and individual schools that it's easy to miss something important!

I'm new to this whole process too and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My daughter also got a -1500 SAI and I was panicking thinking something was wrong with our application. It's such a relief to know this is actually good news. One question - I keep seeing people mention the CSS Profile. Is this something we need to do in addition to the FAFSA? We've only submitted the FAFSA so far and now I'm worried we're missing something important. Do all schools require it or just certain ones? Also, for those who have been through this before - when do the actual financial aid award letters typically come out? I know acceptance letters vary by school, but I'm trying to figure out when we'll actually know what each school is offering so we can make decisions.

Hey Rajiv! I'm dealing with something similar right now - my school is also being super slow with processing my dependency override. What I've learned from going through this mess is that you absolutely need to create a paper trail ASAP. Since you don't have that verbal approval in writing, I'd suggest sending a follow-up email today that says something like "Hi [Advisor Name], I wanted to follow up on our meeting on [date] when you confirmed my dependency override was approved and told me everything was 'good to go.' I notice my student portal still shows dependent status - could you please provide an update on when this will be processed and confirm the approval in writing?" Also, if you can't get through by phone tomorrow, definitely go in person. Bring a folder with copies of ALL your dependency override documentation - every form, every piece of evidence you submitted. Sometimes they "lose" things or claim they never received stuff. Having your own copies shows you're organized and makes it harder for them to brush you off. You've got this! The squeaky wheel gets the grease with financial aid offices.

I went through this exact situation two years ago and it was absolutely terrifying! My dependency override took 6 weeks to process even though they told me it would be done in 2-3 weeks. The good news is that you WON'T lose your financial aid as long as your FAFSA was submitted by the deadline. Here's what saved me: I started documenting EVERYTHING. I kept a log of every phone call (date, time, who I spoke to, what they said), every email, every in-person visit. When I finally escalated to the financial aid director with this documentation, things moved very quickly. Also, if your school has a student ombudsman or student advocate office, contact them too! They can sometimes put pressure on departments that are being unresponsive. At my school, the ombudsman contacted financial aid on my behalf and suddenly my case became a "priority." Don't give up - dependency overrides are processed after deadlines ALL THE TIME. The system is set up to handle these situations, even though it's incredibly stressful when you're in the middle of it. Keep pushing and document everything!

I'm a high school senior going through the FAFSA process right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was literally googling "FAFSA parent spouse confusion" and found this discussion. It's so validating to see that I'm not the only one who got tripped up by this wording. My parents have been married for 18 years and I kept thinking there was some trick question I was missing. Reading through everyone's explanations, especially about how the form needs to work for all different family structures, really clarifies why they word it this way. I'm going to list my mom as Parent 1 since she handles most of our family's financial paperwork, and my dad as the spouse. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this discussion - you've saved me from a lot of unnecessary stress!

As someone who just went through this process with my twin daughters, I can definitely confirm what everyone else is saying - the order doesn't matter at all! I was initially confused too because I thought there might be some strategic advantage to putting the higher or lower earner first, but after speaking with multiple financial aid officers at different schools, they all confirmed that the FAFSA algorithm treats both parents' information equally regardless of the order. We ended up listing my wife as Parent 1 just because she had her tax documents more organized, but it truly could have been either of us. The key thing is just making sure all the information you enter is accurate - SSNs, income figures, asset values, etc. Don't let the confusing terminology stress you out too much - you're definitely on the right track by asking for clarification!

As someone who just went through this process with my own daughter last year, I wanted to share a few additional tips that might help! First, if your daughter is planning to use her 5th year for completing both majors, make sure to get written confirmation from her academic advisor that both degrees will indeed be completed by the end of that year. Financial aid offices sometimes want to see a clear graduation timeline before approving aid for extended enrollment. Second, consider having your daughter meet with a financial aid counselor in addition to the general financial aid office - many schools have specialized counselors who focus specifically on non-traditional academic paths like double majors, extended enrollment, etc. They often know about funding opportunities that the general staff might not immediately think of. Finally, if you do end up with a funding gap for that final year, look into whether her field of study qualifies for any professional organization scholarships. Many industry groups offer small scholarships specifically for students completing degrees in their field, and the competition is often less intense than major national scholarships. The most important thing is that 5th year students CAN and DO get financial aid - it just requires a bit more planning and advocacy. You're asking the right questions at the right time!

As someone new to this community but currently going through a very similar situation with my own child, I wanted to add my perspective and ask a follow-up question. My son is also pursuing a double major (computer science and mathematics) and will need a 5th year to complete both degrees. Reading through all these detailed responses has been incredibly helpful - especially the breakdown of the different federal aid limits and the distinction between federal vs. institutional aid policies. One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen addressed yet: if a student has been receiving work-study funds throughout their college career, are there similar time limits on work-study eligibility? My son has relied on his work-study job not just for the financial support, but also for valuable experience in his field. I'm wondering if he'd still be eligible for work-study in his 5th year, or if that program has different restrictions. Also, for those who've successfully navigated the 5th year funding - did you find that having the double major actually helped make the case for continued aid eligibility? I'm wondering if schools view the academic rigor and commitment of completing two majors as a positive factor when reviewing extended enrollment requests. Thank you all for sharing such detailed and practical advice. This thread has given me a much clearer roadmap for approaching our own conversations with the financial aid office!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm a new student going through my first FAFSA process and was terrified I'd accidentally mess something up by looking at the wrong form. It's reassuring to know that this is a common glitch and that viewing a processed application won't actually affect your aid. The FAFSA system really needs better user interface design - it shouldn't be this stressful for students to navigate! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, especially the official confirmation from FSA.

I'm a parent who just went through this exact same panic with my daughter's FAFSA! She was comparing her 24-25 form while working on her 25-26 application for grad school, and the same thing happened - status switched to "In Progress" just from viewing it. I immediately called our college's financial aid office thinking we'd somehow messed up her aid package. The counselor laughed and said they see this complaint almost daily now. She explained that once your FAFSA data is processed and sent to schools, that data is locked in their systems regardless of what the status shows on studentaid.gov. The "In Progress" display is just a frontend glitch that doesn't communicate back to the schools. Really wish the Department of Education would fix this bug since it's causing so much unnecessary stress for families!