I'm a newcomer here but I've been following this thread closely because I'm about to submit my own FAFSA and this situation is absolutely terrifying! Reading about your SAI jumping from -15,000 to 14,376 just from adding a school makes me so nervous about the whole process. The advice everyone has given you sounds incredible though - especially the tips about using Claimyr for callbacks, taking screenshots of everything, and emphasizing the Pell Grant impact when you call. I'm definitely bookmarking all of these suggestions for my own reference. As someone who's completely dependent on financial aid for college, the thought of a system error potentially costing thousands in Pell Grant money is my worst nightmare. But seeing how supportive this community is and knowing that others have successfully gotten this exact error corrected gives me hope that these issues can be resolved. I really hope your call with FSA goes smoothly tomorrow and they get this fixed quickly! Please definitely post an update - I think there are probably a lot of students like me who are worried about running into similar FAFSA glitches. Good luck! 🍀

Welcome to the community, Freya! Your nervousness is completely understandable - I was terrified when I first discovered this error too. But you're being really smart by learning about these potential issues ahead of time. Andre makes a great point about this specific error seeming to occur when adding schools rather than during initial submission. That said, here are a few tips for when you do submit your FAFSA: 1. Submit with your complete school list if possible to avoid having to add schools later 2. Take screenshots immediately after submission, especially of your SAI 3. Save all confirmation emails 4. If you do need to add schools later, check your SAI within 24-48 hours to catch any errors quickly The silver lining of going through this nightmare is that I'm now much more aware of what to watch for and how to advocate for myself with federal agencies. Hopefully my experience (and everyone's amazing advice here) can help other students avoid or quickly resolve similar issues. I'll definitely post a detailed update after my call with FSA tomorrow. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly and provides a clear roadmap for anyone else who encounters this bug! Thanks for the well wishes - this community's support has been incredible! 💙

As another newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with my son who's a senior - great grades but our FAFSA aid is minimal. Reading through all these responses has been like a crash course in financial aid that I wish I'd taken years ago. The clarification about the $15K likely being total aid packages (not just FAFSA) really puts things in perspective. I'm definitely going to look into that Claimyr service someone mentioned since I've also been stuck in phone tree hell trying to reach FSA. And the advice about appealing with documentation of changed circumstances gives me hope - my husband's hours were cut last year but that won't show up on our taxes until next year. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and knowledge!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm learning so much from this thread! I had always assumed that academic performance would somehow factor into FAFSA calculations, but now I understand it's purely about financial need. This is actually really helpful to know as I'm starting to prepare for my younger daughter's college applications. It sounds like the key is to pursue both tracks simultaneously - maximize need-based aid through proper FAFSA completion and appeals, while also aggressively pursuing merit-based scholarships. I'm definitely bookmarking the scholarship sites mentioned here and will be researching colleges known for generous merit aid. The professional judgment process for changed circumstances also seems crucial - I had no idea schools could make adjustments beyond the standard FAFSA formula. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and expertise!

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare! As someone who's been helping families navigate FAFSA issues for years, I can tell you that the "student vs parent" mix-up is unfortunately one of the most complicated errors to fix because it fundamentally changes how the system calculates aid eligibility. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. When you call tomorrow, ask to be transferred directly to the "FAFSA Corrections Department" - don't let them keep you in general customer service 2. Use the phrase "systematic error requiring manual intervention" - this often gets you to a higher level agent 3. If they say it's processed with the error, demand they put a HOLD on the application until it's corrected Also, many people don't know this but you can actually file a complaint with the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman if regular channels aren't working. They have more authority to expedite corrections: https://studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman The good news is that with all the extended deadlines this year, you likely have more time than you think. Just make sure to keep documenting everything and don't give up - I've seen cases like this resolved in as little as 3-5 days once you get to the right person.

This whole situation sounds incredibly stressful! I'm dealing with FAFSA issues too (though not as complicated as yours) and it's amazing how difficult it is to get real help from the system. One thing that helped me was keeping a detailed log of every interaction - not just dates and times, but also the specific representative's name/ID if they give it, what they promised to do, and any case numbers. When I finally got to someone who could actually help, having that documentation made a huge difference in showing the pattern of delays. Also, if your daughter's schools use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, that might be worth completing as a backup since it's a completely separate system. Some schools can work with that data while waiting for FAFSA corrections. Really hoping you get this resolved soon - the redesigned FAFSA has been such a disaster this year for so many families!

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I wanted to share what I learned the hard way. Private loans are definitely more complicated than federal ones when it comes to repayment timing. Most private lenders offer these repayment options while you're in school: - Immediate full payments (lowest interest rate but obviously hardest to manage) - Interest-only payments (usually $40-80/month per $10k borrowed) - Full deferment until after graduation (highest interest rate) The key thing everyone's mentioned but I want to emphasize - exhaust ALL federal options first! I thought I had done this, but my school's financial aid counselor found an additional $3,000 in federal aid I had missed. Also, definitely appeal your SAI if there's been any change in your family's financial situation since you filed. If you do need private loans, get quotes from at least 3-4 lenders. I was shocked at how much rates varied - from 7% to 13% for the same loan amount! And make sure any cosigner understands they're 100% responsible for the debt if something happens to you. Good luck with your financial aid appointment - hopefully you won't need private loans at all!

Just wanted to add something that helped me avoid private loans altogether - check if your state has any grant programs you might have missed! I almost took out private loans my junior year until I discovered my state had an emergency financial aid program for students whose family income dropped. I had to provide documentation, but they covered $2,800 of my remaining costs. Also, don't forget about your school's emergency funds or hardship grants. Many schools have small pots of money (usually $500-2000) available for students facing unexpected financial challenges. The applications are usually pretty simple and much faster than loan processing. If you do end up needing private loans after exploring everything else, I'd recommend starting the application process early. Private loan approval can take 2-4 weeks, and you don't want to be scrambling right before tuition is due. Some lenders also offer better rates if you apply during certain times of the year (usually spring for fall enrollment). Hope your financial aid meeting goes well - sounds like you're doing all the right research before making any big decisions!

Hi Cherylaya! This is a really common situation that many students face during the transition from associate's to bachelor's programs. You're likely correct that the issue is related to your current enrollment status. State aid systems often have strict rules about concurrent enrollment and degree completion status. A few things that might be happening: - New Jersey's system may not allow state aid disbursement while you're still enrolled in your associate's program, even if you're graduating soon - There could be a waiting period after degree conferral before you're eligible for aid at the bachelor's level - The system might need your final transcripts showing degree completion before processing aid for your new program I'd recommend calling New Jersey's state aid office directly to clarify the timeline and requirements. Also, make sure your new school's financial aid office is aware of your graduation timeline - they might be able to help coordinate with the state or provide temporary solutions. Don't panic though - since you're showing eligibility for future semesters, it seems like just a timing issue that should resolve once your degree is officially conferred!