If dropping puts you at 10 credits, you'll definitely need to return some funds since that's below the 12-credit full-time threshold for FAFSA. The exact amount depends on your school's calculation method, but expect to repay roughly 1/3 of your Pell Grant since you're dropping about 1/3 of your credits (4 out of 14). However, before you make any decision, there are two critical things to consider: 1. Failing the course could impact your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), potentially jeopardizing ALL of your future financial aid 2. Some schools have a "first-time FAFSA warning" policy where they'll give you one semester to get back on track if you fail to maintain SAP Have you tried looking up your school's specific R2T4 (Return to Title IV) policy on their financial aid website? That should give you exact repayment information for your situation.

So glad you were able to get through to financial aid and get a concrete number! $1240 is definitely a significant amount, but you're absolutely right that it's better than risking your future aid eligibility. The incomplete option sounds like it could be a perfect middle ground if your professor is willing to work with you. Just a heads up - if you do end up having to repay, most schools will set up a payment plan rather than expecting the full amount immediately. And since you're making this decision strategically (rather than just disappearing from class), it shows you're being responsible about your academics and finances. Keep us updated on how the conversation with your professor goes! Rooting for you to find a solution that works.

Thank you all so much for the advice! I feel much more optimistic now. Will definitely wait for the official letter and then reach out to the financial aid office with our documentation and a clear explanation of our situation. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and expertise. This group has been incredibly helpful!

Welcome to the community! I'm in a very similar situation - just got my FAFSA results and feeling overwhelmed by the whole process. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful! I had no idea about things like professional judgment adjustments for medical expenses or that schools might have additional institutional aid beyond what FAFSA shows. My daughter's SAI came back at $28,500 and I was convinced we'd get nothing, but now I'm realizing there might be more options than I thought. Definitely going to wait for the official aid package and then have that conversation with financial aid. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know we're not alone in this!

I'm in a similar situation with my son - SAI of 69,000 and feeling overwhelmed. One thing that's helped us is creating a spreadsheet comparing the total 4-year costs of all his accepted schools, including potential aid packages. Some schools that seemed expensive initially actually came out cheaper after institutional aid. Also, don't forget about work-study opportunities and summer jobs - my older daughter managed to earn about $8K per year through campus work and internships, which helped offset some costs. It's definitely frustrating when you feel like you're in that "too rich for aid, too poor to afford it" middle ground, but there are still options out there!

I'm a newcomer here but facing the exact same situation! Our SAI came back at 74,000 and I literally had a panic attack when I saw it. After reading through all these responses though, I'm feeling a bit more hopeful. A few things I've learned from other parents in similar situations: 1) Some state schools have merit aid that kicks in automatically based on GPA/test scores regardless of need, 2) Private schools sometimes have more flexibility with their own funds, and 3) It's worth asking about sibling discounts if you have multiple kids who might attend college simultaneously. Also, I've heard that some schools will match or negotiate aid packages if you have competing offers from peer institutions. The whole process feels overwhelming, but it sounds like there are more options than just taking out massive loans. Definitely going to try the CSS Profile and direct contact approach mentioned above!

has anyone tried getting their kid classified as an independent student? i heard thats how u get more aid

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the stress must be overwhelming. As someone new to navigating financial aid, I'm finding this thread incredibly helpful. It sounds like you're taking all the right steps with the special circumstances appeals and meeting with financial aid counselors. One thing I wanted to mention - have you looked into whether any of the schools offer payment plans that could spread the costs over monthly payments? Some schools will let you pay tuition in 10-12 monthly installments without interest, which might make the Parent PLUS loans more manageable if you only need to borrow for part of the cost. Also, I've heard that some employers offer tuition assistance programs for employees' children - might be worth checking if either you or your husband's company has anything like that available. Keeping my fingers crossed that your meeting on Tuesday goes well!

I'm also dealing with this exact same issue! My husband is in Sweden (no SSN) and we've been waiting over a month since I sent the invitation with nothing showing up in his FSA account for the 2025-26 FAFSA. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear this is a massive systematic failure on FSA's part. The fact that so many of us across different countries are experiencing identical problems shows this isn't user error - it's a broken system that FSA hasn't properly addressed for international contributors. I'm going to try several of the workarounds mentioned here: - Switching my husband from his .se email to Gmail - Using the Claimyr service to actually reach a knowledgeable FSA agent - Contacting my school's financial aid office for institutional support What really bothers me is that we dealt with similar delays last year, and clearly nothing has been fixed. FSA needs to acknowledge this is a widespread problem and create proper support channels for international families instead of leaving us all scrambling for workarounds. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread has become an invaluable resource for those of us stuck in FSA's broken system!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately very familiar with this exact problem! My spouse is in Japan (no SSN) and we've been stuck in this same limbo for almost 4 weeks now. Nothing appears in their FSA account for the 2025-26 FAFSA despite multiple invitation attempts. After reading through all these experiences, it's both reassuring and infuriating to see how widespread this issue is. It's clear that FSA has a major systematic problem with international contributors that they're either unaware of or not prioritizing properly. I'm definitely going to try the email domain switch since my spouse uses a .jp email address - that seems like one of the most promising quick fixes mentioned here. I'm also very interested in the Claimyr service that @Aria Washington mentioned. Has anyone else here successfully used it for this specific international contributor issue? The worst part is watching priority deadlines approach while being completely unable to move forward with our FAFSA. It's frustrating that something so fundamental has become this complicated just because we have international spouses. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and solutions - this thread has become an invaluable resource for those of us dealing with FSA's broken system!