I'm so deeply sorry for your loss, Ava. What you're going through is incredibly difficult, and it's completely understandable to feel overwhelmed by all this paperwork while grieving. I'm really glad to see you've gotten such helpful advice from this community and that you were able to connect with Federal Student Aid through Claimyr. Having that appointment with the financial aid office next week is a major step forward. Just wanted to add one more suggestion - when you go to that meeting, consider bringing a written summary of your situation (date of husband's passing, your current financial status, etc.) along with all the documents people have mentioned. Sometimes having everything written down can help ensure you don't forget important details during what can be an emotionally difficult conversation. You're doing an amazing job advocating for your daughter during such a challenging time. This community is here for you.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Ava. What you're going through is heartbreaking, and trying to navigate financial aid paperwork while grieving is incredibly overwhelming. I'm really encouraged to see all the helpful advice you've received here and that you were able to get through to Federal Student Aid and schedule that appointment with the financial aid office. That's huge progress! Just wanted to add that you might also want to ask the financial aid office about emergency aid funds - many schools have special grants or emergency assistance programs specifically for students whose families have experienced unexpected hardships like the loss of a parent. These are often separate from regular financial aid and could provide additional support for your daughter. You're being such a strong advocate for her during an unimaginably difficult time. This community is rooting for you both.

I'm so glad you found this community and got such helpful advice! As someone who's been through the college financial aid process twice now (older kids), I can tell you that FAFSA mistakes like this are incredibly common and the system is really designed to handle corrections smoothly. What you did - catching the error quickly and submitting the correction right away - is exactly the right approach. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to bookmark the studentaid.gov page where you can check your SAI score. Once your correction processes, you'll be able to see the updated number and confirm everything went through properly. Also, don't be surprised if you get emails from some of your daughter's schools asking for verification documents later in the process - this is totally normal and not related to your correction. You should be really proud of how quickly you identified and fixed this. Your daughter is lucky to have such an attentive parent advocating for her financial aid! Everything is going to work out just fine.

I'm a parent who made this exact same mistake three years ago when my oldest was applying for college! I accidentally included our entire retirement portfolio (401k, IRA, everything) and was absolutely devastated when I realized what I'd done. But here's the thing - you've already done the hardest part by catching it early and submitting the correction. What really helped me was creating a simple checklist after I fixed it: 1) Screenshot the correction confirmation (which you already did), 2) Check your email for any processing updates from FSA, 3) Monitor your SAI on studentaid.gov once it updates, and 4) Keep a list of which schools you want to call if needed. The other thing I learned is that financial aid officers are genuinely helpful with this stuff - they'd much rather you call and explain than have incorrect data in your file. You're being such a great advocate for your daughter, and trust me, by May when she's choosing her school, this whole stressful episode will just be a distant memory. You've got this!

For anyone else reading this thread later - I found that if you try to update any SSN issues, do it during non-peak hours (like very early morning). The system seems to work better then. Also, triple-check all dates of birth against official documents. And start the process EARLY! Don't wait until deadlines are close like I did.

This is such a common issue this year! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with the exact same SSN display problem. What really helped me was contacting my daughter's college financial aid office directly - they were able to flag our application as having technical issues and gave us an extension on priority deadlines. They said they're processing a lot of these cases manually while the Department of Education works on the system bugs. Don't panic about the deadlines - most schools are being very understanding about FAFSA technical problems this cycle. Document everything and keep trying!

I'm in almost the exact same situation with my son! We had a $19k gap last year and ended up doing Parent PLUS loans. A few things I learned that might help: 1. **Don't panic about the 8.05% rate** - while it sounds high, it's actually competitive with most private parent loans right now, and you get way better protections. Private loans I looked at were 7-12% with much stricter terms. 2. **The annual reapplication isn't as bad as it sounds** - it's literally just filling out a new application each year. Takes maybe 10 minutes online. The credit check is soft initially, only becomes hard if you're approved. 3. **Look into income-driven repayment after consolidation** - this was a game changer for us. We consolidated all the PLUS loans after my son graduated and got on an income-contingent plan that cut our monthly payments in half. One thing I wish I'd known earlier: you can actually pay down the principal while your kid is in school if you have extra money. We started throwing an extra $100/month at the loans during his junior year and it made a noticeable difference in the total interest. The system is absolutely broken, but you're not alone in this struggle. Environmental Science + Data Analytics sounds like a smart investment that should pay off long-term!

I'm a recent college grad who went through this exact same financial stress with my parents just 3 years ago. We had about a $23k gap each year at my state school, so I totally understand the overwhelming feeling you're experiencing right now. Here's what worked for us: We ended up doing about 70% Parent PLUS loans and 30% payment plan. My parents took out around $16k in PLUS loans each year and put $5k on the school's monthly payment plan. I also worked 15-20 hours per week during the school year and full-time summers, which helped cover my personal expenses so the loans could go entirely toward tuition/room/board. One thing that really helped was talking to the financial aid office in person (not just over the phone) about our situation. They ended up finding an additional $2k per year in departmental grants that weren't automatically awarded. Bring documentation of any unusual expenses - medical bills, job loss, etc. Your daughter's major combo sounds really promising! Environmental science with data analytics is exactly what a lot of companies are looking for right now. The debt is scary, I won't lie, but she should have good earning potential to pay it back. My environmental engineering friends are doing really well job-wise. Hang in there - this process is absolutely brutal but you'll get through it!

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.