Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I feel much better understanding that we need to wait for the award letters but can at least estimate using the SAI as a starting point. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to talk to someone at FSA and get more specific information about what federal aid she'll qualify for. Really appreciate everyone's help!

Also keep in mind that some schools have merit scholarships that aren't need-based! These won't show up in your FAFSA calculations but can significantly reduce your costs. Many colleges automatically consider admitted students for merit aid based on GPA/test scores, while others require separate applications. With your daughter applying to schools ranging from $22k-$41k, the merit aid policies will vary widely. I'd recommend checking each school's scholarship page and calling their financial aid offices directly - sometimes they have deadlines for additional scholarship applications that aren't widely advertised. Good luck with the process!

I had this exact same problem when helping my nephew with his FAFSA last month! The school search feature is honestly terrible. What finally worked for me was using the federal school code method that others mentioned, but I also want to add that sometimes you need to be really specific with the campus name. For Penn State, make sure you're looking for "Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus" for University Park specifically. I also found that if you're still having trouble, try doing the search late at night or early morning when fewer people are using the system - I swear it works better then! The whole FAFSA process is so unnecessarily complicated, but don't give up. Your son's financial aid depends on getting this right!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and reading through this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about using federal school codes instead of searching by name - that's going to save me so much time. My daughter is a junior in high school and we're just starting to research colleges, but I'm already feeling overwhelmed by all the financial aid requirements. One question I have after reading all these helpful responses: is there a good resource or guide that walks you through the entire FAFSA process step by step? I want to be prepared when it's time to actually fill it out next year so we don't run into these same search issues. Also, should I be creating accounts or gathering documents now, or is it too early to start that process?

This is such valuable information for divorced/separated parents! I'm in a similar boat - my daughter lives with me about 60% of the time and I cover all her expenses (clothes, school activities, medical bills, etc.) even though my ex makes more money. I was panicking thinking his higher income would automatically make him the contributor. One question for those who've been through verification - how far back do they typically want documentation? I've been keeping receipts for about 8 months now, but should I try to gather records going back a full year? And do things like grocery receipts count as supporting the student, or do they mainly want school-specific expenses? Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this thread is a lifesaver for navigating these confusing FAFSA rules!

As someone who went through this exact situation with my son two years ago, I can't stress enough how important it is to list yourself as the contributor! The FAFSA really does care about who provides the actual financial support, not custody arrangements or income levels. My ex made almost double what I did, but I was covering all of my son's real expenses just like you are. I was so nervous about getting it "wrong" but listing myself as the contributor was absolutely the right call - we qualified for significant aid that would have been impossible with his father's income. One practical tip: start a simple spreadsheet now tracking every expense you pay for your son (clothes, school fees, medical, etc.) with dates and amounts. If you get selected for verification, having this organized record makes the process so much smoother. Also, save receipts for major purchases - even photos of receipts on your phone work! The hardest part is overcoming that fear that you're somehow "cheating the system" by not using the higher income. But you're not - you're accurately reporting who actually supports your child. Trust yourself on this one!

Just to summarize the excellent advice in this thread: 1. Submit your FAFSA ASAP - don't wait for your son's final decision 2. List all possible schools (up to 10) that he's considering 3. You can add/remove/reorder schools later through studentaid.gov 4. Check if any schools require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA 5. Pay attention to each school's priority financial aid deadline 6. Remember that some institutional aid is first-come, first-served The most important thing is getting that initial submission completed early. You can always make adjustments later as his college plans become clearer.

Perfect summary @Paolo! As someone going through this for the first time, I really appreciate everyone's advice. I was definitely overthinking this whole process. It sounds like the key takeaway is to submit early and include all potential schools, then adjust as needed. I'm going to get started on the FAFSA this weekend and make sure to check each school's CSS Profile requirements too. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so helpful to hear from parents who've been through this already!

This thread is so helpful - I'm going through the exact same verification hell right now! Like everyone else, I have no idea what cash/savings amount I originally entered and the system just keeps rejecting everything I try. It's insane that they redesigned the FAFSA but somehow made it even MORE confusing than before. I'm definitely going to try calling FSA using that Claimyr service that @Amara Okafor and @Mei Chen mentioned. The fact that FSA agents can actually pull up the original submission data gives me hope! My financial aid office keeps telling me they can't help and that I need to contact federal student aid directly, but getting through has been impossible with normal calling. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know this isn't just me being incompetent. The 30% verification rate that @Jamal Harris mentioned explains why so many of us are stuck in this mess. Hopefully the Department of Education fixes these issues soon because this is adding so much unnecessary stress to an already overwhelming process!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been stuck on the same verification issue for over a week now and was starting to panic about my financial aid deadline. Reading through everyone's experiences here makes me feel so much better - I honestly thought I was doing something wrong or missing some obvious solution. The fact that @Mei Chen got their exact original amount ($3,742.18) by calling FSA gives me real hope! I've been avoiding calling because I assumed they wouldn't have that level of detail, but clearly they do. And multiple people mentioning success with Claimyr makes me think that's definitely worth trying instead of sitting on hold for hours. It's honestly ridiculous that the FAFSA system requires exact matching to the penny but provides zero way for students to access their original submission data. Like @Giovanni Colombo said, it really does feel like they designed this to be as confusing as possible. The 30% verification rate this year is just insane compared to previous years. Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions and experiences - this community is way more helpful than the official FAFSA support! I'm going to try calling tomorrow and hopefully join the success stories soon 🤞