I'm in a similar situation - got an SAI of 68,500 and was initially devastated. But here's what I learned after talking to multiple financial aid offices: your SAI isn't a death sentence for aid, especially at private colleges. The key is understanding that many schools use their own institutional methodology on top of the FAFSA. My advice: Don't just focus on the sticker price when comparing schools. I almost wrote off a private college because of their $55k cost, but they ended up offering me $28k in grants, making it cheaper than my state school option. Also, if your family has significant consumer debt or medical expenses, absolutely pursue that Professional Judgment appeal - some schools are more flexible than others with special circumstances. The elimination of the sibling discount really hurt families like ours, but don't let that discourage you from exploring all your options. Good luck!

Your SAI of 74,246 definitely puts you in a tough spot for need-based federal aid, but don't lose hope! I work as a financial aid advisor and see situations like yours regularly. A few things to keep in mind: The loss of the sibling discount with the new FAFSA really hit families hard - you're right to feel frustrated about that change. However, institutional aid policies vary WIDELY between schools. I've seen students with SAIs in the 70k range get substantial aid packages from private colleges with good endowments. Since you mentioned debt being a factor, document everything for your Professional Judgment appeals: credit card payments, medical debt, any unusual expenses. Some schools are more generous with special circumstances than others. Also consider this: your SAI stays relatively stable year to year (barring major income changes), so whatever aid you receive will likely continue. Don't just look at freshman year costs - think about the full 4-year picture when making your decision. Keep applying for merit scholarships too - those don't care about your SAI at all!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My son is a junior in high school and I'm already stressed about what our SAI might look like next year. We're in a similar income range as the OP but with two kids who will be in college at the same time. Does having multiple children in college still help with the SAI calculation under the new formula? I've heard conflicting information about whether the "sibling discount" still exists.

I'm going through something similar right now! My daughter is also a senior and we just got our SAI back at $12,800 which was much higher than expected. Like others mentioned, the new FAFSA formula really does seem to hit middle-income families harder. One thing that helped me was using the Federal Student Aid estimator BEFORE submitting to get a realistic expectation - I wish I had known about it earlier. Also, don't forget that many state schools have their own need-based aid programs that use different criteria than federal aid, so your actual out-of-pocket costs could still be manageable even with a higher SAI. Keep your chin up and definitely pursue that Professional Judgment review with documentation of your medical expenses!

One more thing to consider: Starting with the 2024-2025 application (and continuing for 2025-2026), the FAFSA has been significantly redesigned. The parent section is now called the "contributor" section, and the process is a bit different than in previous years. Your parent will need to be added as a contributor to your FAFSA, and they'll receive an email invitation to complete their section. This is a change from the old system, so if you or your father are referencing how things worked in the past, be aware the process has changed. Also, make sure you're using the official studentaid.gov site to complete your FAFSA. There are many look-alike sites that charge fees for what should be a free application.

Hey Connor! I went through this exact same situation last year and it was SO stressful. Here's what I learned: you definitely can't submit until everything is complete, but there are a few things you can do right now to help your situation. First, complete your entire student section tonight and save your progress - this will give you some documentation to show your scholarship committee that you've started the process. Second, try sitting down with your dad this weekend with a laptop and just power through his section together. Bring snacks and make it a "FAFSA party" - I know it sounds cheesy but it worked with my mom! For the scholarship deadline, email them NOW explaining the situation. Most committees understand that parent delays are common and will give you a short extension if you show proof you've completed your part. Don't wait until the last minute to reach out to them. Also, remind your dad that he needs his 2023 tax return for this cycle, not 2024. That might help him find the right documents faster. You've got this!

As someone who went through this exact situation two years ago, I can confirm that direct trustee-to-trustee pension rollovers do NOT count as income for FAFSA purposes - but you absolutely must ensure it's handled correctly! Here's what saved us from a major headache: Before initiating the rollover, I called both the pension plan administrator and the receiving 401(k) provider to confirm they could handle a direct transfer. Then I specifically requested that no check be made out to me personally - everything had to go directly between the institutions. The key phrase to use is "direct trustee-to-trustee transfer" when speaking with both companies. They should be able to set this up so the money never touches your hands or appears as income on your tax return. One gotcha I learned: even with a direct rollover, you'll still receive a 1099-R form that shows the distribution amount, but it should have a special code (usually "G") indicating it was a direct rollover. Keep this form with your records in case you get selected for FAFSA verification. Since you mentioned being "right on the edge" for aid eligibility, I'd also recommend running some numbers through the Federal Student Aid Estimator both before and after the rollover to see if there's any impact on your expected Student Aid Index. Better to know now than be surprised later!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of timing this rollover strategically if you have multiple children who will be attending college. If you have younger kids who will need financial aid in future years, consider how this pension rollover might affect their FAFSA applications too. Also, I'd recommend documenting everything in writing - not just keeping the forms, but also creating a simple timeline of the rollover process with dates and confirmation numbers. When my neighbor went through FAFSA verification, they asked for a written explanation of the transaction, and having those details organized made the process much smoother. One last tip: if your pension has any employer matching or vesting considerations, make sure the rollover won't forfeit any benefits you're entitled to. Sometimes there are timing restrictions around when you can roll over certain portions of pension funds without losing employer contributions.

Just to clarify some confusion in this thread - for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, both spouses in a married household need to be contributors and sign the application. This is true regardless of whether one or both spouses are involved in a family business. For self-employed applicants, the FAFSA will primarily use your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from your tax return, which already includes your business income. The system is designed to capture your household's full financial picture, which is why both spouses need to be included. If you're struggling with the contributor section, I recommend using the help text within the FAFSA application itself (look for the question mark icons) or reviewing the detailed guidance on studentaid.gov before resorting to paid services.

As someone who just went through this process last month, I can confirm that both spouses definitely need to be contributors! We're also self-employed (photography business) and initially tried to just have my wife handle everything since she does our bookkeeping. The system wouldn't let us proceed without both of us being listed. The good news is that once you both have your FSA IDs set up, the actual process is pretty smooth. Most of our business income information pulled directly from our joint tax return through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. We did have to manually enter a few details about business assets, but nothing too complicated. One thing that helped us was doing a practice run on the FAFSA website before actually submitting. You can save your progress and come back to it, so there's no pressure to complete everything in one sitting. Good luck!