As a newcomer to this community, I've been following this incredibly comprehensive discussion and I'm amazed by the wealth of practical advice shared here! @Ella Lewis, your situation really highlights how pregnancy can completely shift academic timelines in ways we never anticipate. Reading through all these responses, I'm struck by how many creative solutions exist that I never would have thought of. One additional angle I haven't seen mentioned yet: have you looked into whether your state has any **teacher shortage loan forgiveness programs** specifically for early childhood education? Many states are desperately trying to fill ECE positions and offer loan forgiveness incentives that could help offset some of your concerns about taking on additional debt for a second degree. Also, given that you're currently teaching preschool, you might already be building experience that could count toward practicum requirements in an ECE program - potentially shortening the time and cost of that degree path. The dual-degree collaborative approach that keeps coming up really does seem like your best bet. Education departments tend to be much more willing to work with students on creative solutions, especially when life circumstances like pregnancy are involved. This thread has been such an education in graduate program navigation strategies. Thank you for starting such a valuable discussion that's clearly helping many of us understand these complex processes better!

As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion with great interest! The depth of knowledge and genuine support shared here is truly impressive. @Ella Lewis, your situation perfectly captures how life's unexpected changes can completely reshape our academic paths. The pregnancy factor, while adding complexity, actually provides you with several advocacy angles that others have outlined brilliantly here. After reading through all the excellent advice, I wanted to add one more resource that might help: **Graduate Student Ombudsman offices**. Many universities have these independent advocates who specifically help students navigate complex institutional challenges like yours. They often have relationships across multiple departments and can facilitate conversations that individual advisors might not be able to arrange. The consensus around the dual-degree/collaborative pathway really seems spot-on, especially given how education departments tend to be more flexible about accommodating life circumstances. Your existing TESOL coursework combined with ECE training would create such a valuable skill set for today's diverse educational environments. What strikes me most about this thread is how it's become a masterclass in creative problem-solving for graduate program transitions. The combination of FAFSA strategy, Title IX protections, specialized university resources, and departmental collaboration creates multiple pathways forward. Congratulations on your pregnancy, and thank you for starting such an informative discussion that's clearly helping many of us better understand these complex academic navigation challenges!

Hey Sofia! I'm a newcomer here too and going through the exact same thing right now - got my SAI last week and have been refreshing my email constantly waiting for something to happen! Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful. I had no idea about the CSS Profile requirement or that I'd need to actively accept each part of my aid package. One thing I'm wondering that I haven't seen mentioned yet - should we be reaching out to our school's financial aid offices proactively to introduce ourselves and ask about timelines, or is it better to wait until we have specific questions? I don't want to seem pushy but I also don't want to miss anything important. Also, for those who mentioned checking school portals regularly - how often is "regularly"? Like daily, weekly? Thanks everyone for making this feel less scary! This community is amazing for first-timers like us who have no clue what we're doing. 😅

Hey Sofia! Just wanted to jump in as another newcomer who's going through this exact same process right now. I literally just got my SAI and federal aid estimate yesterday and came here with almost the exact same questions! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea this was just the beginning of the process. Like you, I was thinking "great, I'm approved!" but now I understand it's more like "great, step 1 complete!" One thing I'm planning to do after reading all this advice is make a simple tracking spreadsheet with columns for each school, their award letter status, deadlines, and any special requirements (like that CSS Profile someone mentioned). I'm also going to set up calendar reminders to check school portals weekly instead of obsessively checking daily like I have been doing 😅 It's so reassuring to know there are other first-timers going through this same confusing process. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking, but at least now I know what to actually be waiting for! Thanks for asking the question that I was too nervous to ask myself. Good luck with everything - we've got this! 🎓

Wow, what a comprehensive thread! As someone who's been lurking in this community for a while but never posted, I had to jump in because this exact scenario is my biggest fear as I'm preparing to fill out my son's FAFSA for the first time next month. Dylan, your experience and everyone's responses have been incredibly educational - I'm taking notes on everything from setting up separate FSA IDs to using Claimyr for phone support. The fact that this is such a common mistake actually makes me feel better, knowing there are established solutions. I'm definitely going to have my son sit with me when we fill it out so we can double-check everything together. Thank you all for being so helpful and supportive - this community is amazing!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As a college counselor, I see families struggle with FAFSA issues like this regularly, and Dylan's situation really highlights how a simple mix-up can snowball into a major stress. I'm so glad to see the community providing such practical solutions - especially the tips about using Claimyr, documenting everything, and working with school financial aid offices directly. For anyone else reading this thread, I'd also recommend creating a FAFSA checklist before you start the application process. Include items like "verify student vs parent information," "double-check SSNs," and "review all entries before submitting." Prevention is always easier than correction! Dylan, you should be proud of how you handled this situation - persistence and good documentation really do pay off with federal agencies.

Just to add some specific numbers to this discussion: a $390K difference in reported assets could change your SAI by approximately $22,000 using the federal methodology (about 5.64% of the additional assets). That's potentially significant for aid eligibility, especially at schools that closely follow federal formulas. But the impact varies dramatically depending on your income level. If your income is above certain thresholds, many schools will consider you non-need eligible regardless of the asset correction. If your income is moderate, this correction could make a substantial difference in grant eligibility. After making the correction online, I recommend: 1. Save/print confirmation of the correction 2. Email each school's financial aid office with your daughter's name, ID number, and a brief explanation 3. Follow up by phone in 7-10 days if you don't see updated aid packages 4. If a school seems reluctant to adjust, request a professional judgment review based on the corrected information Most importantly, don't assume the correction will automatically flow through the system perfectly - be proactive with each school.

I work as a financial aid advisor and see this mistake frequently - you're definitely not alone! The good news is that retirement account errors are among the easier corrections to make and schools are very familiar with handling them. A few practical tips from my experience: 1. When you make the online correction, take screenshots of each step and save the confirmation page 2. Create a simple one-page summary showing "Original FAFSA: $490K investments" and "Corrected FAFSA: $100K investments (retirement accounts excluded: $390K)" 3. Include this summary when you contact schools - it makes it crystal clear what changed For contacting schools, I'd recommend calling first to speak with a counselor, then follow up with email containing your documentation. Many offices are swamped right now, so being persistent (but polite) is key. Also worth noting: some schools have their own institutional aid forms or may use CSS Profile data, so make sure any retirement account errors are corrected across all forms your daughter's schools require. You caught this mistake, which puts you ahead of many families who never realize the error. With proactive follow-up, this should be completely fixable before decision deadlines!

I just checked with mom and she definitely gets SSDI, not SSI. She says she can log into her Social Security account to get the information. Thank you so much for all the help! I feel much better about starting my FAFSA application now.

Great to hear you're feeling more confident about the process! Just wanted to add one more tip - when you're filling out the FAFSA, take your time with the disability income section and double-check the numbers against your mom's SSA-1099. Also, if you run into any technical issues with the FAFSA website (which happens more often than it should), don't panic - you can always save your progress and come back to it later. The system saves automatically as you go. Good luck with your application, and remember that having parents on disability often means you'll qualify for good aid packages!