Just wanted to add my experience - we went through this exact same thing last year with my son! The EST amounts stayed on his portal for about 6 weeks, but once he completed all the verification requirements and submitted his final transcript, everything became final within a few days. The actual amounts ended up being within $200 of the estimates, so pretty close. One tip: screenshot or print those estimated amounts now so you can compare later if anything changes significantly. Also, don't forget that even after the EST is removed, you'll still need to formally accept or decline each type of aid in the portal before the money actually gets disbursed to your daughter's account. Good luck!

I'm new here but going through the exact same situation with my daughter's aid package! Reading through all these responses is so reassuring. We've been stressing about the EST amounts too, but it sounds like most people's estimates stayed pretty close to final. One question I have - does anyone know roughly how long after you complete all the verification requirements it takes for the EST to be removed? We're hoping to finalize our college budget soon and wondering if we should expect this to take weeks or months to resolve.

Just completed my FAFSA last week and wanted to share what finally clicked for me! I was getting hung up on the same thing - worried about double reporting. What helped me understand it was realizing that the FAFSA treats married parents as one financial unit when they file jointly. So when the form asks for "parent income," it's really asking for your household's total income, which is exactly what's on line 11 of your parents' joint 1040. Both parents still need FSA IDs to digitally sign (think of it like both parents signing a paper form), but you're only reporting one set of financial numbers because there's only one tax return. The system is actually pretty smart about preventing double-counting once you understand this logic!

As someone who works in financial aid, I can definitely confirm what everyone has shared here! The confusion around joint tax filing is one of the most common questions we get. You're absolutely right to be concerned about double-counting - that would indeed mess up your SAI calculation. One additional tip that might help: when you're filling out the FAFSA and it asks for parent information, pay attention to the specific wording of each question. You'll notice it says things like "What was your parents' adjusted gross income?" (plural "parents'" but asking for ONE number) rather than asking for each parent's individual AGI. This linguistic clue helps reinforce that you're entering household totals, not individual amounts. Also, keep all your documentation handy even after submitting - if your FAFSA gets selected for verification (which happens to about 1 in 3 applications), you'll need to provide supporting documents that match exactly what you entered. Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, as others mentioned, can really help with this!

Hey Malik! Just wanted to add some reassurance - you're actually in a really good position with that negative SAI! I'm a financial aid counselor and see this all the time. That -1079 puts your daughter in the highest need category, which means schools will prioritize her for their best aid packages. A few quick tips: - Don't panic about the savings account impact - at your income level, it likely only reduced your Pell by a few hundred dollars max - Schools typically release aid packages 2-4 weeks after acceptance letters - If you get a lowball offer from a school she really wants to attend, you can always appeal with documentation of your circumstances The fact that you're being so proactive about understanding this process shows you're doing everything right. Your daughter is going to have good options!

Don't worry, you're definitely not alone in feeling confused by this process! I went through the same panic last year with my son. That negative SAI is actually fantastic news - it means your daughter will be prioritized for need-based aid at every school she applied to. One thing I learned the hard way: make sure you respond quickly to any requests for additional documentation from the schools' financial aid offices. Some schools wanted tax transcripts, verification worksheets, or other forms even though we'd already submitted FAFSA. The faster you get those back to them, the sooner you'll get your aid packages. Also, don't be afraid to negotiate! If one school offers significantly more aid than another, you can contact the financial aid office of your daughter's preferred school and ask them to reconsider their offer. Many schools will match or come close to matching better offers from comparable institutions. You're doing great advocating for your daughter - that negative SAI is going to open doors for her!

I really appreciate all these insights. Just to summarize what I'm hearing: 1. Text message reminders seem universally popular 2. Clear, jargon-free checklists with explicit deadlines 3. Short, focused videos explaining specific aspects of the process 4. Better website organization with financial aid info easy to find 5. Direct parent communication options (separate from student communication) 6. One-on-one support options for parents who need personalized help 7. Transparent breakdown of costs and aid types This is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for. I'm going to bring these suggestions to our next department meeting. Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences!

As a parent who's been through this process twice now, I can't emphasize enough how much the TIMING of communication matters. My biggest frustration was getting critical information AFTER I'd already made mistakes. For example, I didn't know about state grant deadlines being different from federal FAFSA deadlines until it was too late for my oldest. Cost us $3,000 in state aid. Then with my second kid, I found out about CSS Profile schools having their own priority dates only because another parent mentioned it at a school event. What would help me most: Send parents a CALENDAR at the beginning of senior year with every single deadline that applies to their specific situation. Not generic dates, but personalized based on the schools their kid is applying to. And please, PLEASE follow up with reminders at least 2 weeks before each deadline. Also - stop assuming parents know what acronyms mean. When you say "complete your SAI verification," I have no idea what you're talking about. Just spell it out: "Complete your Student Aid Index verification." One more thing - can schools please coordinate better? Having 5 different schools ask for the same tax documents through 5 different portals is exhausting.

Definitely apply to some private schools! I was in a similar boat last year with an SAI around 32,000. I almost didn't apply to any private colleges because of the sticker shock, but ended up getting way better aid packages from them than the state schools. One private college offered me $22,000 in institutional grants, bringing my net cost below what the in-state public would have been. Private schools often have larger endowments and more flexibility with aid - they look at your whole situation, not just the SAI number. The worst they can say is no, but you might be pleasantly surprised!

I'm in a really similar situation! My SAI came back at 31,200 and I was totally freaking out because my parents make about $95k but we also have high medical costs from my mom's chronic illness. Reading all these comments is giving me hope though - especially hearing that private schools might actually be more generous than I thought. I've been so focused on just looking at community college and state schools because I assumed anything else would be impossible financially. Has anyone here had success with appealing based on ongoing medical expenses? I'm wondering if it's worth the effort or if they rarely approve those appeals.