I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been getting these same "FSA ID changed" emails for the past two weeks and was convinced someone had hacked my account. I even called my bank to make sure no one was trying to access my financial information through my FAFSA. It's such a relief to know it's just a system bug and not a security breach. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating all these FAFSA issues!

I've been experiencing this exact same issue! Started about 10 days ago for me. Every single login triggers that "FSA ID changed" email even though I haven't modified anything. At first I thought maybe someone was trying to access my account, so I changed my password three times and even checked all my login activity. But the emails kept coming! It's been really stressful because I'm in the middle of reviewing my financial aid offers and need to access my account frequently. Thanks for posting about this - it's such a relief to see I'm not alone and that it's just a technical glitch. Hopefully they fix it soon because those emails give me a mini heart attack every time!

As someone who went through a similar journey (dropped out of my first program with significant debt and later returned for nursing), I wanted to share a few things that really made a difference for me: **Start with your FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR)** - this will show you exactly how much federal aid eligibility you have remaining. Don't assume you're maxed out until you see the actual numbers. **Consider an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) first** - many community colleges have excellent 2-year RN programs that cost significantly less than 4-year BSN programs. You can always do an RN-to-BSN bridge program later, often with employer tuition assistance. **Look into your state's nursing loan forgiveness programs** - almost every state has some version of this, especially for nurses willing to work in rural or underserved areas. These can be incredibly generous. **Don't underestimate employer partnerships** - I ended up getting hired as a patient care technician at a hospital while taking prerequisites, and they ended up paying for 75% of my nursing program in exchange for a 2-year work commitment. The key thing that changed my perspective was realizing that nursing programs WANT career-changers. You bring life experience and maturity that traditional students often lack. Your previous struggles can actually be an asset in your personal statement if you frame them as learning experiences that led you to nursing. You've got this! The healthcare field needs people who are truly committed to the profession.

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I dropped out of my computer science program about 3 years ago with around $65k in federal loans and have been working in retail since then. I've been thinking about nursing too, especially after seeing how in-demand nurses are and hearing about all these funding opportunities specific to healthcare. One thing I wanted to ask the group - has anyone had experience with Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans affecting their ability to get new federal aid? I'm currently on an IBR plan for my existing loans, and I'm wondering if that impacts eligibility for additional funding when I go back to school. Also, for those who successfully transitioned into nursing programs - how long did the whole process take from deciding to go back to school to actually starting classes? I'm trying to figure out if I should plan on a year of prerequisite work or if there's a way to move faster. The encouragement in this thread is amazing. It's so reassuring to know that there are pathways forward even with significant existing debt. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!

Thanks everyone for the explanations! This makes WAY more sense now. I'm definitely going to fill out the FAFSA and then carefully look at what each school offers me. I'll make sure to accept the grants and scholarships but be super careful about any loans. And I'll submit early to get the best shot at those grants!

Smart approach! Just to add one more tip - when you get those financial aid award letters, don't feel pressured to accept everything right away. You usually have until May 1st to decide, so take time to compare offers from different schools. Also, if one school offers you mostly loans but another offers more grants, you can sometimes appeal to your preferred school and ask them to match or improve their aid package. Many schools will work with you if you provide documentation of better offers elsewhere. Good luck with your applications!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if your SAI seems way off from what you expected (either much higher or lower than online calculators predicted), don't just assume it's correct! There were quite a few errors in the early batches of SAI calculations this year due to bugs in the new system. You can request a review if something looks wrong, and it's worth double-checking your FAFSA data against your tax returns to make sure everything transferred over correctly. I know someone whose parent's income got duplicated somehow and their SAI was completely wrong as a result. It took a few weeks to fix, but it made a huge difference in their aid eligibility. Also, keep in mind that your SAI might look scary high, but remember it's not the amount you'll actually pay - it's just an index number schools use in their calculations. A high SAI doesn't automatically mean you won't get any aid, especially at well-funded private schools with large endowments.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone currently going through this - submitted my FAFSA on March 20th and got my SAI back on March 30th (so about 7 business days). However, I made the mistake of not updating my email preferences in my FSA account beforehand, so I almost missed the notification that my SAI was ready! If you haven't already, definitely go into your studentaid.gov account settings and make sure you're signed up for email notifications. Also check that your email address is correct - I know it sounds basic, but with all the stress it's easy to overlook simple things like that. The waiting is definitely anxiety-inducing, but from what I'm seeing in my friend group, most people are getting their SAI within 5-10 business days right now. The real variable seems to be how quickly individual schools process their aid packages after that. Some of my friends heard back from certain schools within a week of their SAI being calculated, while others are still waiting 3+ weeks later. Good luck with everything - you're definitely not alone in this stressful waiting game!

As someone who just finished my first year, I wanted to share a few additional tips that really helped me save money on textbooks and tech: 1. Check if your sister's program has any specific laptop requirements before buying anything. My engineering program had very specific specs we needed, and I almost bought the wrong type of laptop. 2. Facebook Marketplace and local college buy/sell groups are goldmines for cheap textbooks and even laptops from graduating students. I saved probably $400 this way. 3. Some textbook publishers offer digital access codes that are way cheaper than physical books, and you can usually print the chapters you need most. 4. If she does need to use her loan refund for a laptop, consider looking at refurbished business laptops - they're usually much more reliable than cheap consumer models and cost way less than new ones. The most important thing is to track every penny she spends from her loan refund because it's easy to overspend when it feels like "free money" but you're definitely paying it back later with interest!

Just to add another perspective - your sister should definitely check if her college offers any work-study positions in the computer lab or library that might give her access to laptops and printing for free while she's working. I got a work-study job at my school's IT help desk and not only did I get to use their equipment, but I also learned a ton about troubleshooting which saved me money on tech support later! Also, many colleges have "loaner laptop" programs where you can borrow a laptop for the entire semester for a small fee (like $50-100) instead of buying one outright. This is especially helpful if she's not sure exactly what specs she'll need for her major yet. One last tip - if she does end up buying textbooks, always check the international editions on sites like AbeBooks. They're usually identical content but cost a fraction of the US edition price. Just make sure her professor is okay with it first!