I'm so glad you were able to get the process started! Just wanted to add one more tip that really helped me when I went through a similar Professional Judgment review - make sure to write a detailed cover letter explaining your situation in your own words along with all the forms and documentation. The financial aid officers are human beings, and sometimes a personal explanation of how your circumstances have changed can really help them understand the full picture beyond just the numbers on paper. You've got this! Rooting for you and your son.

I'm so sorry for your loss and what you're going through right now. This situation is unfortunately more common than it should be, and the system really doesn't handle these life changes well automatically. Just wanted to add a few things that might help as you go through the Professional Judgment process: 1. Ask the financial aid office about their typical timeline - some schools can process these in 2-3 weeks while others take much longer, especially during busy seasons. 2. If your son is applying to multiple schools, you'll need to do this process separately with each one. The good news is that once you have all your documentation organized for the first school, you can use the same paperwork for the others. 3. Don't be discouraged if they ask for additional documentation after your initial submission - this is normal and doesn't mean your request will be denied. 4. Keep detailed records of every conversation, email, and submission. Get names and reference numbers when possible. The stress of dealing with financial aid on top of grieving is incredibly difficult, but you're doing everything right by advocating for your son. Hang in there!

Wow, as someone completely new to the FAFSA world (my kid is just starting high school), this entire discussion has been both incredibly informative and absolutely infuriating! I can't believe the government has created a system that literally punishes families for making responsible financial choices. Reading through all these stories of parents having to choose between retirement security and their children's education is heartbreaking. The strategic workarounds you all have shared - timing contributions around FAFSA years, switching to Roth IRAs, paying down mortgages instead - are brilliant but shouldn't be necessary! It's insane that families need to become financial strategists just to avoid being penalized for doing what every financial advisor tells us to do. Thank you all for sharing these hard-learned lessons. I'm definitely going to start planning our retirement strategy around these ridiculous FAFSA rules, even though it makes me furious that I have to. This policy contradiction needs to change - no family should have to sacrifice their future security to help their kids get an education.

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I'm absolutely shocked by what I'm learning here! My oldest is still in middle school, so I thought I had plenty of time to figure this out, but reading through this thread has been a real wake-up call. The fact that retirement contributions are penalized in the SAI calculation seems completely backwards - aren't we supposed to be encouraging people to save for their future? It's mind-boggling that the same government that tells us to be financially responsible then punishes us for it when our kids need college aid. I'm grateful to be learning about these strategies early (the Roth IRA suggestion and timing contributions around the prior-prior year rule are brilliant), but it's infuriating that families have to game the system just to avoid being penalized for doing the right thing. This policy contradiction needs serious reform - no parent should have to choose between their retirement security and their child's education!

Just want to add - APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS EVEN AFTER YOU GRADUATE!! I found three different "teacher shortage" grants in my state that give $2000-$4000 per year for working in high-need schools. That money goes directly to paying down your loan principal. Also check if your district offers any loan repayment assistance - mine gives $1200/year as a retention bonus specifically for loan payments. Every bit helps!

Hey Yara! As someone who just went through this exact same situation last year, I totally understand the panic. Here's what I learned that might help: First, breathe! You're asking the right questions. With $67k in loans and a $46k starting salary, an income-driven plan is definitely your best bet initially. I started with REPAYE and my payments were around $320/month, which was much more manageable than the $800+ standard payment. For your situation, I'd actually recommend going straight for PSLF rather than Teacher Loan Forgiveness. Here's why: TLF only forgives up to $17,500 after 5 years, but PSLF forgives your ENTIRE remaining balance after 10 years of qualifying payments. With your loan amount, you'll likely save way more money with PSLF. The key things that helped me get started: - Applied for REPAYE immediately (lower payments than IBR in most cases) - Made sure my school qualified for PSLF before accepting the job - Submitted my first Employment Certification Form within 30 days of starting - Set up autopay for the small interest rate reduction Don't let the horror stories scare you - the recent PSLF improvements have made the program much more reliable. Just stay organized and follow the rules exactly. You've got this!

Great news! Just so you're prepared for when your SAI does show up, remember that the number might look different than you expect. The SAI can range from -1500 to 999999. Lower numbers (especially negative ones) indicate higher financial need. Don't be alarmed if you see a negative number - that's actually potentially good for your aid eligibility. The SAI replaced the old EFC calculation and uses a slightly different formula.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Submitted my FAFSA on March 5th and still no SAI showing up anywhere. I've been checking my studentaid.gov account daily and there's literally nothing in the My Documents section except the initial confirmation. My school's financial aid office told me they're seeing this with tons of students this year - apparently the new FAFSA system is causing major delays. They actually suggested I bring them my FAFSA confirmation email and they'll note in my file that I'm waiting on federal processing. Might be worth asking your school if they'll do the same while you wait for your SAR to finally appear!

So glad you got it working! I'm dealing with the same issue right now for my twin sons' applications. Going to try the early morning approach tomorrow. Quick question - when you say "save after completing EACH section," do you mean there's a specific save button, or does it auto-save? I want to make sure I don't lose progress if it crashes again. Also, did your daughter's school accept the application right away or is there usually a delay before they confirm receipt?

Thanks for creating this thread - I was starting to think my computer was dying! I've been having the exact same loading issues for the past three days. What's really frustrating is that I got about 80% through my son's application on Tuesday, but then it froze during the parent financial information section and now I can't even get back to where I was. Has anyone else lost partial progress like this? I'm worried I'll have to start completely over. Also seeing lots of great advice here about trying early morning hours - definitely going to set my alarm for 5am tomorrow and give it another shot with incognito mode. Fingers crossed!