Just joining this conversation as someone who's been battling with FAFSA for the past few months. Reading all these experiences makes me realize how widespread this problem really is - it's not just me struggling with a "broken" system, the system IS actually broken by design. What strikes me most is how we're all making the same compromises: choosing cheaper schools over better programs, starting at community college when we wanted university, taking gap years we didn't plan for, or just accepting massive debt loads that'll follow us for decades. Meanwhile, colleges keep raising tuition knowing that federal loans will cover whatever they charge. The most maddening part is that everyone - parents, guidance counselors, college admissions - keeps pushing FAFSA like it's this magical solution that'll make college affordable. But then you actually go through the process and realize you're basically just applying for permission to go into debt. The "aid" is mostly loans, work-study barely covers textbooks, and any actual grants are so small they're almost insulting. I keep wondering: what would happen if an entire generation just refused to play this game? If we all said "no thanks" to crushing debt for degrees that might not even guarantee decent jobs anymore? Maybe then colleges would be forced to actually address their inflated costs instead of just expecting us to mortgage our futures. Sorry for the rant, but it feels good to find people who get how frustrating this whole mess really is.

Just wanted to add my voice to this discussion as another frustrated student dealing with this mess. I'm a sophomore and went through the FAFSA nightmare again this year - same story as everyone else here. My family's "expected contribution" is about $12,000 which might as well be a million dollars for us. What really gets me is how the system punishes you for your parents being responsible and saving ANY money. My mom had about $8,000 in savings for emergencies, and apparently that makes us "wealthy" enough to not need help. Meanwhile, families who spend everything get better aid packages. It's like they're encouraging people to be financially irresponsible. The whole process feels designed to wear you down until you just accept whatever crumbs they offer. After hours of fighting with the website, dealing with verification documents, and waiting weeks for results, you're so exhausted that a $1,500 Pell Grant feels like a victory even though it barely covers textbooks. I ended up taking out the maximum federal loans plus working 25 hours a week just to stay enrolled. My grades are suffering because I'm constantly stressed about money, but if I cut work hours I can't afford to stay in school. It's a catch-22 that feels impossible to escape. Reading everyone's stories here at least makes me feel less alone in this struggle, but it's depressing how common these experiences are. We shouldn't have to choose between education and financial survival.

That's awesome that you got through to someone and have a clear path forward! The special circumstances review sounds really promising for your situation. Just wanted to add that you might also want to look into your state's Cal Grant program if you haven't already - even though you didn't qualify for CAP, there might be other state grants available depending on your school choice and GPA. Also, don't forget to check if your school has any emergency aid funds or last-minute scholarships that open up after other students decline their offers. Sometimes there's money sitting there that schools need to distribute before the deadline. Fingers crossed the appeal works out for you!

Hey! I'm new here but dealing with something similar. My SAI is 1975 and I got $5,950 in Pell Grant for this year, so your estimate of around $5,800 sounds about right. One thing that really helped me was applying for scholarships through my school's foundation - a lot of students don't know these exist beyond the main financial aid office. Also, if you're working while in school, make sure to document everything for your special circumstances appeal. I had to prove I was financially independent even though my parents' info was on my FAFSA, and showing consistent work history and self-support really strengthened my case. Good luck with the appeal process! The waiting is stressful but it sounds like you have a solid case.

Welcome to the community, everyone who's new here! As someone who's been dealing with financial aid issues for a few years now, I wanted to jump in with a couple additional thoughts that might help. @Chloe Taylor, one thing I learned the hard way is that timing can be everything with PLUS loans. Since you've already paid off that charge-off, I'd recommend calling the creditor directly to ask when they typically report updates to the credit bureaus. Some report monthly, others quarterly. If you can get them to expedite the reporting or provide a letter confirming payment, it could speed up your reapplication process significantly. Also, for anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar boat - it's worth noting that Parent PLUS loans have pretty strict credit requirements compared to other federal loans, but they don't actually require a minimum credit score. They're mainly looking for that "adverse credit history" that several people mentioned. So even if your overall credit isn't great, as long as you don't have those specific red flags (recent charge-offs, defaults, etc.), you might still qualify. The community advice here about maximizing student loans first before going the PLUS route is really solid. Those lower interest rates can save thousands over the life of the loan. Good luck to everyone navigating this process!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and currently going through my first FAFSA/financial aid process with my oldest child. Reading through this thread has been incredibly informative - I had no idea about so many of these details regarding PLUS loans and credit requirements. @Chloe Taylor, your situation really resonates with me because I'm worried about potential credit issues affecting my ability to help fund my daughter's education. The fact that you were able to get that additional $4,000 unsubsidized loan so quickly through the financial aid office is really encouraging! I wanted to ask - for those of you who have been through PLUS denials and appeals, how long did the whole process typically take from start to finish? I'm trying to plan ahead and understand what kind of timeline we might be looking at if we run into similar issues. Also, the advice about checking credit reports annually before applying is something I'm definitely going to implement. Are there any other proactive steps you'd recommend for parents who are just starting this process? I'd rather address potential issues now than deal with them during crunch time like you're having to do. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences and advice. This community seems like an amazing resource for navigating what can be a really overwhelming process!

As someone who just went through this nightmare last month, I can confirm that the FAFSA system is absolutely terrible this year. What finally worked for me was doing it at 2 AM when the servers weren't overloaded - sounds crazy but it made all the difference! Also, if you're using autofill features in your browser, turn them OFF completely. The system seems to conflict with autofilled data and throws random errors. One more tip: don't use copy/paste for any fields, type everything manually. The system is super finicky about how data gets entered. Hope this helps other people struggling with the same issues!

Just want to add another potential solution that worked for my roommate last week - if you're still having issues after trying all the great suggestions here, check if you have any browser extensions enabled (especially ad blockers, password managers, or privacy tools). She was getting the same "Failed to Save" error and it turned out her ad blocker was interfering with the FAFSA site's background scripts. After disabling all extensions and trying again, it worked perfectly. Also seconding the off-peak hours advice - we both had much better luck applying late at night when the servers weren't overwhelmed. The FAFSA system is definitely frustrating but don't give up!

As someone new to this community but unfortunately very familiar with FSA ID issues, I can confirm everything everyone has said about using your existing parent FSA ID! I went through this exact scenario last year with my second child after my oldest graduated. One thing I'd add that might help - if you're having trouble remembering your login details, the FSA website has a really helpful "Find My Username" tool that will show you a masked version of the email associated with your account. This saved me from accidentally creating a duplicate account when I couldn't remember which email I'd used years earlier. Also, @Isabella, to answer your earlier question directly - your son's previous aid information absolutely will not affect your daughter's SAI calculation. Each FAFSA is processed completely independently, even though you're using the same parent FSA ID to contribute to both over the years. The system is designed this way specifically so families can use one parent login for all their children without any cross-contamination of financial aid data. Hope this helps ease your concerns! The process is actually much more straightforward than it seems at first.

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to echo everyone's advice about using your existing parent FSA ID! I'm actually going through this exact same situation right now with my second daughter after my oldest son finished college last year. What really helped me was calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-800-433-3243) when I wasn't sure about my account status. The representative confirmed that parents should absolutely use the same FSA ID for all their children and that creating multiple accounts can cause serious complications. They also helped me update my security questions since it had been a few years since I last logged in. One thing I noticed is that the new FAFSA interface is much more user-friendly than it was when I did my son's application. The system clearly shows which student's application you're contributing to, and there's even a helpful progress bar so you know how much of the parent contribution section you've completed. @Isabella, you're definitely on the right track - stick with your original parent FSA ID and don't overthink it. The system is designed to handle multiple children from the same parent account seamlessly!