Hey Lukas! You're so close to the finish line - that's exciting! Just to add to what others have said, I'd recommend keeping a detailed record of your employment dates and payment history. When I was going through PSLF, I created a simple spreadsheet with payment dates, amounts, and employment periods just to have everything organized. It really helped when I had questions about specific payments. Also, once you submit at 120 payments, you can check your account regularly - the status will change from "Making Progress" to "Pending Manual Review" and then eventually to "Approved" when it's processed. The waiting is nerve-wracking but you're almost there!

Hi Lukas! Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and currently working toward PSLF myself - I'm at 106 qualifying payments right now. Seeing someone just 3 payments away from forgiveness is so exciting and gives me hope that I'll be there soon too! Everyone has already given you fantastic advice about being able to submit your ECF immediately when you hit 120 with no waiting period. I just wanted to add that you might want to consider setting up email notifications on your studentaid.gov account if you haven't already - that way you'll get alerts when your application status changes during the review process. The anxiety you're feeling is so normal and relatable! Even being at 106 payments myself, I'm already starting to feel those nerves about the final steps. But reading all these success stories and practical tips from people who've completed PSLF gives me so much confidence that the system really does work. You've shown incredible dedication making it through 117 payments over nearly 10 years - you're almost at the finish line! I'll definitely be following your progress closely and would love to hear updates when you hit 120 and submit for forgiveness. Your experience navigating those final steps will be invaluable for those of us just behind you. Congratulations on making it this far, and best of luck with those last 3 payments! 🎉

UPDATE: We created an FSA ID for my husband, verified his identity, waited 2 days, and it WORKED! We finally got past that page on the FAFSA. Now dealing with new issues on the asset section, but at least we're making progress. Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm so glad you got it resolved! This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm dealing with the same spouse verification nightmare right now. It's crazy that they don't explain anywhere that spouses need their own FSA ID now, even if they're not applying for anything themselves. The error messages are so misleading! I'm going to have my husband create his FSA ID today and hopefully we can get past this hurdle too. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions - you're all lifesavers! 🙏

One important thing to understand about your negative SAI of -1500: this doesn't guarantee zero cost. Many schools have a "gap" between your full financial need and what they actually offer in aid. Even with maximum Pell Grant and state aid, you might still have several thousand dollars to cover through loans, work-study, or other means. Each school handles this differently. Some prestigious schools offer "no-gap" financial aid (covering 100% of demonstrated need), but most have at least some gap you'll need to fill.

Hey Kolton! I went through this exact same situation last year and totally understand the confusion. Your negative SAI is definitely a good sign - it means you qualify for maximum federal aid. But here's what I wish someone had told me: start applying for scholarships NOW while you're waiting for your aid packages. Even with a negative SAI, I still had about $8K per year to cover at my state school after all the federal and state aid came through. I found tons of local scholarships through my high school counselor and community organizations that helped fill that gap. Also, don't forget to check if your state has additional grant programs - many states have their own need-based aid that stacks on top of federal aid for students with negative SAIs like ours!

UPDATE: I called FSA using the Claimyr service that someone recommended below and actually got through to a human being! They confirmed our application is in the queue and gave me a case number to reference in future calls. They couldn't give an exact timeline but said it's currently taking about 60-90 days for PSLF processing. Still frustrated we have to keep making payments, but at least I know our application is in the system and being reviewed. Will update when we get a final decision.

This whole situation is infuriating but unfortunately all too common with PSLF! I'm currently at payment 89 and already dreading this exact scenario. A few thoughts based on what I've learned from this community: - Document every single interaction with your servicer (dates, times, rep names, reference numbers) - Set up automatic payments if you haven't already to avoid any missed payment issues during processing - Consider setting aside money for 3-4 extra payments just in case, since it seems like most people end up making 2-3 payments beyond #120 The fact that they can legally force continued payments after you've met the requirement is absolutely ridiculous. It's like they're designed to extract every possible dollar while dragging their feet on forgiveness. Hang in there - from everything I've read, people do eventually get their forgiveness and refunds, but the waiting period is brutal. Really hoping your case gets processed quickly! 🤞

That's really smart! I think I'll do that tonight with everything in my package. Thanks for the suggestion!

Hey Zoe! I went through the exact same confusion last year. Just wanted to add that when you're budgeting, also keep in mind that Pell Grant funds are usually disbursed about a week or two after the semester starts, not before. So if you need money upfront for things like textbooks or housing deposits, you might need to plan for that gap. Also, definitely pursue that appeal Mei mentioned - I know someone who got an extra $1,200 in Pell after their parent lost their job. The worst they can say is no, but job loss is usually a strong case for additional aid. Hang in there!