This is such a common question for community college families! I went through this exact same process with my daughter two years ago and made the mistake of listing her "dream schools" on the initial FAFSA even though she was definitely starting at community college. It just created confusion and we ended up getting financial aid award letters from schools she wasn't even attending. Save yourself the headache and just list the community college for now. When she's ready to transfer, you'll do a fresh FAFSA for that year and can focus on getting the best aid package from her actual transfer options at that time.

This is really helpful to see so many people confirming the same approach! I'm a first-time FAFSA filler and was definitely overthinking this. My son is also planning the community college to 4-year university route, and I kept second-guessing myself about whether we needed to list his potential transfer schools now. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me confidence to just focus on the community college for this year's FAFSA. Thanks for asking this question - it's clearly something a lot of us community college parents stress about!

This whole situation is so frustrating and scary! As a senior in high school who just got accepted to college, reading about all these unexpected aid cuts has me worried about what might happen to my own financial aid package in future years. What really bothers me is how colleges seem to treat these aid packages like they're not real commitments to families. When you accept a student and give them a certain level of aid, that student and their family are making major financial decisions based on that information. Then to just randomly cut it with minimal explanation feels like a breach of trust. I'm definitely saving all the advice in this thread for future reference - the strategies about in-person meetings, written documentation, involving ombudsmen, and exploring departmental funding sources are all things I never would have known to try. It's clear that students and families need to be much more proactive advocates than I realized. Good luck with your Monday meeting! I really hope you're able to get at least a significant portion of your daughter's aid restored. The way you're approaching this with thorough preparation and multiple backup strategies gives me hope that persistence can make a difference in these situations. Please keep us updated on how it goes - your experience is going to help so many other families who find themselves in similar positions!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare! Reading through everyone's experiences here is both heartbreaking and infuriating - it's clear this is a widespread problem affecting families nationwide, not just isolated incidents. As someone who's completely new to navigating financial aid (my daughter is a high school junior), I'm honestly terrified that this could happen to us next year. The lack of transparency from colleges is shocking - families deserve much better explanations than generic "budget constraints" when institutions make decisions that can literally determine whether students can continue their education. What strikes me most is how you've done everything right - maintained the same financial situation, dealt with all those FAFSA technical issues, got everything submitted on time - and you're still getting penalized. It really highlights how much of this process depends on institutional decisions that are completely outside families' control. I'm taking detailed notes on all the advocacy strategies being shared here: the in-person meetings, comprehensive appeal letters, involving student ombudsmen, exploring departmental funding, and pushing for specific written explanations rather than vague responses. It's clear that families need to be prepared to fight much harder for these packages than I ever realized. Really hoping your Monday meeting results in significant aid restoration! Your thorough documentation of this process is invaluable for other families who might face similar situations. We're all rooting for you!

Hey Emily! I went through this exact same situation two years ago when my family had major income changes. Just wanted to add a few practical tips that really helped me: For the investment reporting - I found it helpful to take screenshots of all account balances on the same day I planned to submit my FAFSA, just so I had consistent documentation. Don't stress about daily market fluctuations - the financial aid offices understand these numbers change. Regarding the professional judgment appeals, I'd recommend starting to gather documentation NOW even before you submit your FAFSA. Things like: termination letter from your dad's employer, unemployment benefit statements, recent pay stubs if he's found new work, and a letter explaining the timeline of events. Having this ready will speed up the appeal process at each school. Also, when you contact schools about professional judgment, ask specifically about their deadlines and whether they have a standard form. Some schools I applied to had a simple one-page form, while others required a full financial hardship packet. Knowing what each school needs upfront saved me tons of time. One last thing - keep detailed records of every conversation you have with financial aid offices. I created a simple spreadsheet tracking which schools I contacted, when, what they requested, and follow-up dates. It was a lifesaver when managing multiple appeals. You're being super proactive by asking these questions - that's exactly the approach that will help you maximize your aid!

Hi Emily! I'm new to this community but going through the FAFSA process for the first time too, so I totally understand your stress! Reading through all these responses has been super helpful for me as well. Just wanted to add one thing I learned from my school counselor - when you're doing the professional judgment appeals, it's really important to submit them to ALL the schools you're considering, not just your top choice. Even if a school seems like a backup option now, you never know how aid packages will compare once everything is finalized. Some schools that weren't initially on my radar ended up offering much better aid after considering our family's changed circumstances. Also, I've been keeping a folder (both physical and digital) with copies of all the documents I'm sending to each school for the appeals. That way if they lose something or need me to resend it, I don't have to scramble to get everything together again. The whole process is definitely overwhelming but it sounds like you're approaching it the right way by asking questions and being thorough. Good luck with your FAFSA submission!

Definitely list both! I made this same decision with my daughter two years ago and I'm so glad we included multiple schools. The FAFSA lets you list up to 10 schools at no extra cost, and it won't hurt your aid eligibility at all. Here's what I learned: each school creates their own aid package independently using your FAFSA data, so more options = more opportunities to find the best deal. We were shocked when her "safety" in-state school offered significantly more merit aid than we expected, while her dream out-of-state school's package was disappointing. Also, don't forget that you can always remove schools from the list later if she decides not to apply somewhere, but adding them after submission takes extra steps. Better to include them all upfront! The key is to submit early since some state and institutional aid is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to pay attention to each school's FAFSA priority deadline, not just the federal deadline. Many schools have their own earlier deadlines for institutional aid consideration - sometimes as early as February 1st. Missing a school's priority deadline could mean less institutional grant money available, even if your FAFSA is still processed. Also, keep in mind that some states have limited grant funding that gets distributed early in the cycle. For example, if you're in California, the Cal Grant program has specific GPA and deadline requirements that could affect your daughter's eligibility at in-state schools. I'd recommend creating a calendar with all the relevant deadlines for each school you're listing - both FAFSA deadlines and any additional financial aid form deadlines. This way you won't miss out on any opportunities for aid that could make either option more affordable.

wait add the schools to the 2024-2025 FAFSA? isn't that for next year? shouldn't you be adding them to the 2023-2024 FAFSA if he's transferring in the middle of this school year?

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who works in a college financial aid office - we actually appreciate when families add schools early to their FAFSA, even if they're uncertain! It helps us plan our workload and ensures we can give proper attention to each student's file. For mid-year transfers specifically, we recommend reaching out to the financial aid office as soon as possible after adding the school to your FAFSA. Many schools have different deadlines and processes for spring transfers, and some institutional scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, don't forget to check if any of the potential schools participate in state grant programs that might have different deadlines than federal aid. Good luck with your son's decision - transferring can be stressful, but having financial aid packages ready will definitely help make the choice clearer!