I finally got through! For anyone still trying, here's what worked for me: cleared all cookies/cache, used Microsoft Edge browser (not Chrome), and tried at 6:30am. The system was slow but functional. Now my application shows "Submitted" though no SAI calculation yet. I'm just relieved to have it in the system before my school's priority deadline. Thanks everyone for your tips and commiseration!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who went through this exact nightmare last year! I know how stressful it is, but don't give up. A few additional tips that helped me: 1) Save your progress frequently - the system times out but sometimes saves partial data, 2) If you get kicked out, wait 15-20 minutes before trying again (I think there's some kind of rate limiting), and 3) Contact your school's financial aid office ASAP to let them know you're having technical difficulties - most are being very understanding about extensions this year. Also, make sure you have your parents' info ready if you're a dependent student, because the parent contributor section seems to be the glitchiest part. You've got this! The system will eventually work and you'll get your aid processed.

To directly answer your original question: 29515 is your Student Aid Index (SAI), which is a number that determines your eligibility for different types of federal, state, and institutional aid. It's neither inherently "good" nor "bad" - it's just a measure of your family's calculated ability to pay for college. The impact depends entirely on the cost of the schools you're applying to. If you're applying to schools with a total cost around $30k or less, you'll likely get minimal need-based aid. If you're applying to more expensive schools, you'll likely get some form of need-based aid to cover the difference.

Don't stress too much about the SAI number itself - what really matters is how each school uses it in their aid calculations. I had a similar SAI (around 28k) and ended up with very different aid packages from different schools. Some gave me nothing beyond loans, while others offered decent institutional grants that brought my costs down significantly. Also, make sure you're applying for scholarships outside of need-based aid! Merit scholarships don't care about your SAI at all. And if you haven't already, check if your state has any grant programs - some have income cutoffs that might work in your favor even with your current SAI.

dont worry about the college selection!!!! my son changed his mind 3x after we submitted fafsa. u can log back in and update the school list anytime. just make sure u do it b4 she accepts admission somewhere

As someone who just went through this process with my oldest child last year, I want to add a few practical tips that helped us stay organized: 1. Create a dedicated email folder for all FAFSA communications - you'll get A LOT of emails from schools once you submit. 2. Keep a simple spreadsheet with your daughter's college choices, their FAFSA school codes, and deadlines. Some schools have earlier priority deadlines even though FAFSA opens Dec 1st. 3. Don't panic if the website is slow or crashes on December 1st - it happens every year with everyone trying to submit at once. Just keep trying or wait a day or two. 4. After you submit, you'll get a Student Aid Report (SAR) - review it carefully for errors because corrections can delay processing. The whole thing feels overwhelming at first but honestly once you do it the first time, it becomes much more manageable. You've got plenty of time to prepare since you're starting early!

UPDATE: After waiting 36 hours, the system fixed itself! When I logged into my FSA ID account today, there was a notification about a pending contribution. I was able to complete the parent section successfully. For anyone else experiencing this issue - patience seems to be key. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

I'm dealing with this same issue right now! My son's FAFSA shows his student section as complete, but when I try to access the parent contribution section, it just shows a spinning wheel and then times out. I've tried different browsers, cleared my cache, and even tried accessing it from my phone - nothing works. It's been 4 days now and I'm getting really worried about missing his school's priority deadline. Has anyone found a reliable way to contact FSA that actually gets through? The phone lines seem to be constantly busy.

As someone who just went through this process with my twin daughters, I want to emphasize how important it is to start early and be patient with the system. We began creating their FSA IDs in September, which was smart because one daughter's account took over a week to verify due to some SSN mismatch that required manual review. One tip I haven't seen mentioned: make sure your daughter uses an email she'll have access to throughout college, not a high school email that might expire. Also, write down all login credentials somewhere safe - she'll need that FSA ID for years to come for loan management and renewal FAFSAs. The new system is definitely more student-centric, but honestly once you get past the initial setup confusion, it's actually more intuitive than the old version. Your daughter will do great - just give yourselves plenty of time and don't stress if there are technical hiccups along the way!

I went through this exact process with my son last year and can confirm everything others have said about the student needing their own FSA ID. One thing I'd add is to make sure your daughter has all her documents ready before starting - Social Security card, driver's license, and any tax documents you'll need. The verification process cross-references everything, so having inconsistent information (even something as simple as using a nickname vs. full legal name) can cause delays. Also, don't panic if the system seems slow or glitchy - we had to restart the application twice due to timeouts, but all our information was saved. The new FAFSA saves your progress automatically, which is actually a huge improvement from the old system where you could lose everything if you got kicked out. Start in October 2025 for the best experience before the rush begins!