Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! This is exactly the kind of real-world advice I was looking for. It sounds like the consensus is that we're stuck with one borrower per loan, which is disappointing but at least now I know what our options are. I'm leaning toward either the alternating years approach that Aisha suggested or possibly splitting it with separate loans, though those extra fees are concerning. I think we'll start by figuring out which of us has the better credit score and go from there. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating all this financial aid confusion!

Hey there! I just went through this exact same situation with my twin daughters starting college this fall. What we ended up doing was having me apply for the PLUS loan since I had the slightly better credit score, but we set up a joint savings account specifically for making the loan payments so we're both contributing equally each month. It's not the same as being official co-borrowers, but it works for us practically speaking. Also, pro tip - make sure whoever applies has checked their credit report recently for any errors that might cause issues with approval. The PLUS loan credit check is pretty lenient compared to private loans, but it's still worth being prepared!

This thread is an absolute goldmine of information! As someone completely new to the FAFSA process (my daughter is a junior and we're just starting to research), I had no idea that name length and special characters could cause such significant issues with financial aid applications. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both eye-opening and a little nerve-wracking since my daughter has a 14-character hyphenated last name (Martinez-Rodriguez). The step-by-step solution that @c066aee2f7d9 documented is incredibly helpful, and I'm definitely saving the Claimyr service information for when we submit next year. It's honestly shocking that in 2025, a federal system handling millions of applications annually still has these basic technical limitations with name processing. You'd think character limits would have been addressed years ago! Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions, especially @fc329fc715f8 for the professional perspective and practical tips about taking screenshots and checking with schools 2-3 weeks after submission. This community knowledge-sharing is exactly what families need when navigating such a complex and stressful process. I'm bookmarking this entire thread as required reading for next year's FAFSA submission!

This entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm completely new to the FAFSA process (my son is a high school senior and we just submitted our application last week), and I had absolutely no idea that name-related technical issues could cause such major problems. After reading everyone's experiences, I'm now worried because my son has an 11-character last name with an apostrophe (O'Shaughnessy) - exactly the type of situation that seems to cause these transmission errors. I'm going to proactively follow the advice here and call his top choice schools in about a week to make sure they received his FAFSA properly, rather than waiting and potentially missing scholarship deadlines. Already saved the Claimyr service information and took screenshots of our confirmation page after reading @fc329fc715f8's professional advice. It's honestly mind-boggling that in 2025, a federal system handling such critical financial aid data still struggles with basic character encoding for names. You'd think this would be a priority fix given how many families have hyphenated, apostrophe-containing, or longer names in our diverse country. Thank you to everyone who shared their step-by-step solutions - this community knowledge-sharing is exactly what stressed parents need when navigating this complex process! This thread should honestly be required reading for anyone with non-standard names starting the FAFSA process.

Some colleges actually have parent portals that will show the financial aid packages once they're created, which includes the SAI information. So while the FAFSA itself doesn't have parent access, you might get visibility through the individual schools after they process her application. Each college handles this differently, so check with the financial aid offices at the schools she's considering.

I'm going through this exact same frustration right now! My son submitted his FAFSA in January and I've been completely locked out of seeing any results. It's honestly infuriating that they require all our tax documents and financial information but then treat parents like we don't exist once it's submitted. I've tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline multiple times but the wait times are insane. At least I'm not alone in this - sounds like the system is just poorly designed for families where parents are actively involved in college planning. Going to have my son show me his account tonight so we can finally see what we're working with.

As someone new to this community but unfortunately not new to Parent PLUS loan stress, I just want to say how helpful this entire thread has been! I'm actually going through something similar right now with my daughter's loan - got credit approval 8 days ago and just realized I never completed the MPN (classic mistake apparently!). Reading through everyone's experiences has been so reassuring. The breakdown from Omar about 7-10 business days from MPN completion and the fact that schools have procedures for this exact situation really helped calm my nerves. StarStrider, it sounds like you're in great hands with all this advice - especially the tip about asking for a counselor specifically and having your son's student ID ready. I'm going to follow the same game plan when I call my daughter's school tomorrow. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and making this process feel less scary for those of us navigating it for the first time!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm currently going through the exact same situation with my son's Parent PLUS loan - got credit approval almost 3 weeks ago and have been in complete panic mode about the payment deadline. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring, especially learning that the "approved" status is just the credit check phase. I had no idea about the MPN requirement until I saw Sean's breakdown of the 5 steps - just completed mine this morning after realizing that was the missing piece! Omar, your perspective as a financial aid counselor is invaluable - knowing that 80% of parents miss the MPN step makes me feel less foolish. The timeline of 7-10 business days from MPN completion gives me realistic expectations instead of the misleading "24 hours" from the confirmation page. I'm calling the school tomorrow morning armed with all the advice from this thread. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and turning what felt like an impossible situation into a manageable one with clear next steps!

Don't panic - you haven't messed anything up! This is actually super common and easily fixable. Your Pell Grant is completely secure - it's awarded based on your family's financial situation and won't be affected by requesting loans later. Here's what you need to do: Contact your school's financial aid office (email them with your student ID and request to accept federal student loans for this academic year). They'll let you know your loan eligibility amounts. You'll then need to complete entrance counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note on studentaid.gov - both take about 30-45 minutes total. The key thing is to act quickly since some schools have deadlines for processing new loan requests each semester (usually 1-2 weeks before disbursement). Also, definitely prioritize subsidized loans if you're eligible - the government covers the interest while you're enrolled, which can save you hundreds or thousands over time compared to unsubsidized loans. I've helped several friends through this exact situation and it always works out fine. Just don't borrow more than you actually need for essential expenses like housing and books!

Hey Marina! I totally get the panic - I did the EXACT same thing my freshman year and thought I'd ruined everything. But honestly, this is one of the easiest financial aid fixes ever! Your Pell Grant is 100% safe - that money is yours based on your family's income, period. Adding loans later won't touch it at all since they're calculated completely separately. Here's what worked for me: I emailed my school's financial aid office (way better than calling during this crazy time of year) and just said "Hi, I originally declined student loans on my FAFSA but now need to accept them. My student ID is [your ID]." They responded within 24 hours with my loan eligibility amounts. Then you just need to do two quick things online at studentaid.gov: entrance counseling (basically a tutorial about loans) and sign your Master Promissory Note. Takes maybe 30-40 minutes total. After that, your school processes everything in about a week. Definitely take subsidized loans first if you qualify - no interest while you're in school! Only borrow what you absolutely need for housing and essentials. You've got this! 🙂