I'm experiencing this exact same issue! Just submitted my FAFSA for my second year of my master's program and was completely thrown off when I didn't see the usual loan eligibility information on the confirmation screen. Last year it clearly showed the $20,500 amount, so I was worried something had gone wrong with my application or that my eligibility had somehow changed. It's such a relief to read through everyone's experiences here and learn that it's just a system display change rather than an actual change to loan availability. I really wish they had communicated this change better - it would have saved a lot of unnecessary stress! Now I'll just wait for my SAI to process and follow up with my financial aid office. Thanks everyone for sharing your insights and for those who took the time to call FSA directly!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue as a first-year PhD student! Just submitted my FAFSA last week and was really confused when I didn't see the loan eligibility amount displayed like I was expecting based on what other grad students had told me. I was starting to worry that maybe I had made an error on my application or that something had changed with my eligibility status. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - it's clear that this is just a system display change and not an actual change to loan availability. It's really frustrating that they didn't communicate this change better to students beforehand, especially since so many of us rely on these loans to fund our education. I'll wait for my SAI to process and then check with my school's financial aid office. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and especially to those who took the time to call FSA directly to get official confirmation!

UPDATE: IT WORKED!!! I tried two things that I think fixed it: 1) Entered his name in ALL CAPS as someone suggested, and 2) Tried submitting at 3am when server traffic was lower. The verification went through immediately! His contribution section is now completed, and I was able to submit my FAFSA application. THANK YOU to everyone who offered advice! I'm so relieved to have this resolved before my aid deadline.

Congratulations on getting it resolved! This thread is going to be so helpful for other people facing the same issue. The ALL CAPS + late night submission combo seems to be the magic formula. I'm bookmarking this for future reference since I'll probably need to help other students with FAFSA issues. Thanks for sharing your success story!

One more thing to consider - even though you should wait for the aid package, you can still get pre-qualified for a Parent PLUS loan earlier just to know if you'll be approved. The pre-qualification is a soft credit check that won't affect your credit score and gives you peace of mind that you'll have that funding option available when you need it. You don't have to actually take out the loan until after you know the exact amount needed. This can be especially helpful if you're choosing between schools and want to know all your financing options are solid before making a final decision.

This is all incredibly helpful! I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the details but feeling much more confident about the process now. It sounds like the consensus is definitely to wait for the aid packages first, then apply for the PLUS loan if needed. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - both the successes and the headaches! It's reassuring to know that the PLUS loan application itself is relatively quick once you have all the information. I'll make sure to keep track of each school's specific timeline recommendations too. Thanks everyone for taking the time to help a nervous parent navigate this process! 🙏

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really impressed by how supportive and knowledgeable everyone is here! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation with one of my students, and reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from our school's financial aid workshop is that students should also look into state-specific financial aid programs. Some states have their own grants or scholarships that may have different eligibility requirements than federal aid, and these can sometimes be easier to navigate for students with mixed-status families. Also, community colleges can be a great starting point since they often have more flexible financial aid offices and lower costs while students figure out their path forward. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is going to help so many students!

As another newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this thread! I work as a college counselor at a high school with a large population of first-generation college students, and mixed-status family situations come up regularly. What strikes me about all the advice here is how it emphasizes both the practical steps AND the emotional support these students need. One additional resource I'd recommend is connecting with organizations like United We Dream or local immigrant advocacy groups - they often have college access programs with staff who are experts in navigating financial aid for mixed-status families. They can provide ongoing support throughout the entire college process, not just the FAFSA piece. Also, I always remind students that their citizenship status makes them eligible for federal aid regardless of their parents' status - that's their right as U.S. citizens. Sometimes students carry unnecessary worry or shame about their family's situation, when they should feel confident pursuing higher education. Thank you all for creating such a welcoming space to share knowledge!

I'm dealing with a similar paper FAFSA nightmare! My son submitted his paper form in late May after we couldn't get his FSA ID issues resolved either. It's now been 9 weeks and still nothing in the system. I called yesterday and the rep told me paper forms are being processed by a skeleton crew due to budget constraints, which is why they're so delayed. She suggested I consider having him try creating a new FSA ID with a completely different email (maybe a parent's email) to submit electronically while the paper one is still pending. Apparently this won't cause rejection issues as long as you explain the situation when the duplicate is flagged. I'm going to try the Claimyr service someone mentioned above to get better phone support. This whole process is absolutely infuriating when our kids' futures are on the line!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare! My daughter's paper FAFSA was submitted in early July after FSA ID issues and we're now at 7 weeks with absolutely nothing. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea about the emergency review process or congressional representative option. I'm definitely going to try calling for a supervisor tomorrow and requesting that "emergency review for aid-threatening delays" that Chloe mentioned. The fact that paper forms have a 94% error rate is absolutely shocking! No wonder this is taking forever. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and specific action steps - this has been more helpful than months of trying to navigate this mess on my own. I'll update this thread if any of these strategies work for us!