UPDATE: Problem solved! I finally got through to someone at FSA using that Claimyr service someone recommended above. Turns out it was TWO issues: 1) The household size vs. college students count discrepancy, and 2) My hyphenated last name was entered slightly differently on my driver's license section (with a space after the hyphen) compared to my SSN section (no space). Such tiny details but they were holding up my whole application! Fixed both issues and got confirmation that my FAFSA is now fully processed with no errors. My SAI score is showing correctly now too. Thanks everyone for your help!

Wow, this thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my FAFSA shows "processed successfully" but also says corrections are needed with zero specifics. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the new system is really struggling with tiny formatting inconsistencies that wouldn't have been issues before. I'm going to systematically check all the things mentioned here - name formatting consistency, household vs college student counts, address formatting, and ID information. It's ridiculous that we have to play detective to figure out what's wrong with our own applications! Thanks to everyone for sharing their solutions, especially @Anastasia Fedorov for the detailed update. Going to try that Claimyr service if I can't resolve it myself in the next day or two.

Great job figuring it out! That's a very common mistake with the new FAFSA form. Make sure both your mom and stepdad sign again after you make the correction. Your SAI should come through much faster this time around.

Glad you figured out the W-2 issue! Just went through something similar myself. Pro tip - after you and your parents e-sign, you'll get a confirmation email, but it might take up to 24 hours to actually show the "submitted" status on studentaid.gov. Don't panic if it doesn't update immediately like I did lol. The Box 1 vs Box 5 mistake is SO easy to make, especially when you're stressed about deadlines. Good luck with the reprocessing!

Another important consideration is whether you want loans in your name or your son's name with you as co-signer. Parent PLUS loans are solely in your name, while private loans co-signed for your son build his credit history but keep you equally liable. We decided to split the difference - some in our daughter's name (co-signed) to help her build credit, and some as Parent PLUS to maintain certain federal protections. Just something to think about in your planning.

I went through this exact same situation with my daughter at UCLA last year - the sticker shock of UC tuition is real! Here's what worked for us: we applied to 6 different lenders and the rates ranged from 4.2% to 8.9% with identical credit scores (mid-700s). Our best offers came from SoFi (4.2% fixed), Earnest (4.6% fixed), and CommonBond (4.8% fixed). The key was applying within a 2-week window so all the credit checks counted as one inquiry. Also, don't overlook local credit unions - ours offered a competitive rate and much better customer service than the big national lenders. One last tip: see if Berkeley offers any emergency grants or work-study positions that might reduce what you need to borrow. Sometimes they have last-minute funding that doesn't show up in the initial aid package.

Fun fact: when I was doing my FAFSA back in 2022 I had the exact opposite problem. I accidentally added too many schools (like 15) and couldn't remove any while it was processing lol. The financial aid offices at schools I wasn't even applying to kept emailing me about completing their supplemental forms 😂

Just want to add another tip for anyone still dealing with this - if you can't get through to FSA by phone, you can also try contacting your state's financial aid agency. Many states have their own hotlines and can sometimes help with federal FAFSA issues or at least provide guidance on next steps. Also, most college financial aid offices are pretty understanding about FAFSA delays this year given all the system issues. If you're worried about missing priority deadlines, reach out to the schools directly and explain the situation - many are extending their internal deadlines or making exceptions for students stuck in FAFSA processing limbo.

This is such a frustrating but common issue this year! I went through the exact same thing with my daughter's FAFSA in February. The session timeout/disconnect bug is real, and unfortunately the quickest solution really is to have your husband complete his section separately. I know it's annoying when you thought you'd selected "married filing jointly" and expected to handle everything yourself. The good news is that his portion is much shorter than what you already completed - mostly just verifying household info and providing his electronic signature. I'd recommend having him tackle it this weekend while the issue is fresh in your mind. Once both sections are submitted, the application processes pretty quickly. Also, keep an eye on your email for any updates about that patch they mentioned - but don't hold up your son's application waiting for it. Better to get it done now than risk missing important deadlines!

New to this community but not new to FAFSA frustration! I'm dealing with a similar issue right now where the system split our parent sections after I had to restart due to a browser crash. Reading through everyone's experiences here is so helpful - it's clear this is a widespread bug affecting many families this year. Based on what I'm seeing, it sounds like the consensus is to just have the second parent complete their section rather than fighting the system or waiting for fixes. My question for those who've been through this: after both parents submit their sections, did you receive any confirmation emails letting you know everything was properly linked? I want to make sure we don't end up with duplicate applications or missing information that could delay processing. Thanks for all the detailed advice in this thread - this community is a lifesaver for navigating these FAFSA technical issues!