I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! My daughter sent me the parent invitation three days ago and I've been clicking that Continue button over and over with no response. It's so frustrating when you're trying to help your kid and the system just won't cooperate. I'm definitely going to try the Chrome incognito method with extensions disabled that Kyle mentioned - seems like that combination worked for multiple people here. Has anyone had success with the mobile app instead of the browser, or is it having the same problems?

I'm experiencing this exact same frustrating issue! My son sent me the parent invitation 5 days ago and I've been stuck at that "Continue" button that absolutely refuses to work. I've tried everything I can think of - multiple browsers, clearing cache, restarting my computer, even borrowing my neighbor's laptop - nothing! Reading through all these solutions is giving me so much hope though. I'm definitely going to try the proven combination tonight: Chrome incognito mode, all extensions disabled, pop-up blocker turned off, and accessing around midnight when traffic is lower. If that doesn't work, I'll have my son cancel and resend the invitation like Kyle did. It's such a relief to know this is a widespread technical issue and not something I'm doing wrong. This community is incredible - thank you all for sharing your workarounds and keeping each other sane during this stressful process! I'll report back if I get it working.

As someone who just went through this exact scenario with my son this semester, I completely understand your panic! The disappearing loans issue is unfortunately incredibly common and caught us completely off guard too. What I learned through this stressful process is that there's this crucial "loan origination" step that schools never explain upfront - essentially, even after your daughter accepted the loans through the school portal, the financial aid office still needs to officially request those funds from the Department of Education before they'll appear on studentaid.gov. Here's what worked for us: I called the financial aid office and specifically asked "Has loan origination been completed for [son's name]?" - using that exact terminology made a huge difference in getting clear answers. They were able to give me a timeline and put a note on his account to protect his enrollment while we waited for the funds to process. The whole thing took about 10 days from when they completed origination until the money actually hit his account, but once I understood the process, the stress level went way down. Definitely ask about getting a tuition payment hold while everything processes - most schools will work with you on timing if they know aid is coming. You're not alone in this experience, and it almost always gets resolved even though the system is frustratingly confusing!

As a newcomer to this community and the whole financial aid process, I can't express how relieved I am to have found this thread! My daughter and I are dealing with the exact same "disappearing loans" situation right now, and I was absolutely panicking thinking we had somehow messed up our FAFSA or that there was a major problem with our application. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such an eye-opener - I had no idea about this "loan origination" step that schools apparently need to complete before loans show up on studentaid.gov. It's honestly mind-boggling that this crucial information isn't clearly explained in any of the financial aid materials we received from the school. Why do families have to learn about these essential processes through trial and error or community forums like this? I'm taking notes on all the great advice here, especially about using specific terminology like "loan origination" when calling the financial aid office, and asking about tuition payment holds while everything processes. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - you've probably saved my sanity! It's frustrating that navigating financial aid requires becoming an expert in all these hidden processes, but this community makes it so much more manageable.

After reading all these comments, here's a clear summary for you: 1. Direct trustee-to-trustee rollovers are NOT counted as income for FAFSA SAI calculations (but will appear on tax documents with special codes) 2. Indirect rollovers (where you receive the money) WILL count as income even if you redeposit within 60 days 3. The timing matters - for 2025-2026 FAFSA, they'll look at 2023 tax info 4. State aid programs might have different rules than federal 5. If selected for verification, you'll need documentation explaining the rollover My recommendation: Work with your retirement plan administrator to ensure a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer and keep all documentation. If possible, schedule the rollover for a tax year that won't affect your daughter's financial aid years.

Just wanted to add one more important point that I learned the hard way - make sure to keep copies of ALL the paperwork from the rollover, not just the 1099-R. When my daughter's FAFSA got flagged for verification two years ago, they wanted to see the original rollover authorization forms, the receiving account statements showing the deposit, AND a letter from both financial institutions confirming it was a direct transfer. I almost lost some of those documents and it would have been a nightmare to recreate them. The financial aid office was pretty strict about having complete documentation to prove it wasn't actual income. Better to be over-prepared than scrambling later! Also, if your daughter ends up at a school that uses CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, they might ask additional questions about retirement account transfers, so keep that documentation handy for multiple years.

One more thing to consider: if you or your son have other federal student loans, this early graduation will trigger the start of his grace period for repayment (typically 6 months). Make sure he's aware of this timeline shift. Also, congratulations to both of you on completing your degrees!

Congrats on your son's early graduation! I just went through this exact situation last month when my daughter finished her degree a semester early. Here's what worked for me: I contacted both the school's financial aid office AND the loan servicer on the same day. The school updated her enrollment status to "graduated" which automatically canceled future disbursements, and the loan servicer confirmed this on their end. The whole process took about a week to fully process. Make sure to get email confirmation from both parties - I kept screenshots of everything just in case. No penalties at all, and it actually saved us about $8,000 in unnecessary borrowing! Don't stress too much, this happens more often than you'd think.

idk why everyone's so excited about zero SAI... i had that and still ended up with massive loans 🤷‍♀️ the system is broken

Hey @Ravi Kapoor! As someone who also navigated this as a first-gen student, I totally get the confusion. A zero SAI is definitely good news - it means you qualify for maximum federal aid! But here's what I wish someone had told me: start researching your specific schools' financial aid policies NOW. Some schools meet 100% of demonstrated need (meaning they'll cover everything beyond what federal aid provides), while others have significant gaps. Also, look into your state's grant programs - many states have additional aid for students with zero SAI. The key is to apply broadly and compare your actual aid packages when they arrive. Don't get discouraged by the mixed experiences people are sharing - every situation is different based on school choice and state programs!