Yes, being an independent student helps in your situation! For independent students, the SAI calculation treats spousal income differently than it would for dependent students with parental income. You can use the Federal Student Aid Estimator (https://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/) to run scenarios. Enter his information as an independent married student with both incomes to see the potential impact. Also, many aid programs like Pell Grants have their own thresholds. If his EFC/SAI is still within certain ranges, the change in aid might be less dramatic than you fear. Institutional aid (aid from the college itself) varies widely in how it's awarded - some schools have more flexibility than others.

Just wanted to add that timing matters for the professional judgment review too. Don't wait until the last minute - submit your FAFSA as soon as it opens in October, then immediately contact the financial aid office about a professional judgment review. Some schools have limited funds for adjustments and it's first-come, first-served. Also, keep copies of everything you submit and follow up if you don't hear back within a reasonable time. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with financial aid offices sometimes. Good luck with your wedding and hope everything works out with the aid situation!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Yara. This is such a difficult situation to navigate while you're grieving. The advice everyone has given is spot-on - I just wanted to add that many schools have dedicated staff members who specialize in handling these types of special circumstances cases. When you contact the financial aid offices, ask specifically to speak with someone who handles professional judgment reviews or special circumstances appeals. They tend to be more knowledgeable about the process and can walk you through exactly what documentation they need. Also, if you're working with multiple schools, keep detailed notes about what each one requires since their processes can vary slightly. You're doing everything right by asking these questions and getting prepared early. Hang in there!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Yara. I can't imagine how difficult this must be while you're also trying to navigate these complex financial aid processes. Based on what everyone has shared, it sounds like you have a clear path forward, but I wanted to add one more resource that might help: many colleges have emergency financial aid funds specifically for students whose families have experienced unexpected hardship like this. When you contact the financial aid offices for the professional judgment reviews, ask if they have any emergency grants or hardship funds your son might qualify for while you're waiting for the FAFSA adjustments to be processed. These funds can sometimes provide immediate relief for tuition, housing, or other expenses. Also, don't forget to check if your husband had any life insurance benefits through his employer that might include educational benefits for dependents - some policies have provisions specifically for college expenses that families don't always know about. You're handling this incredibly well given the circumstances.

For anyone still having issues, here's what you need to know: 1. Nelnet's system maintenance is related to implementing changes for the 2025-2026 FAFSA simplification. 2. You have three options to get your loan information: - Keep trying the website (it's coming back online gradually) - Call directly (1-888-486-4722) with your FSA ID ready - Use the workaround of checking recent loan statements 3. If you're on a deadline, document your attempts and contact your school's financial aid office immediately to explain the situation. Most schools have procedures for handling FAFSA delays due to servicer issues. 4. Remember that for the new FAFSA, you'll need your current loan status and disbursement amounts, but NOT the detailed payment history that was required in previous years. Hope this helps reduce some stress during an already complicated process!

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone still dealing with this - I was stuck in the same situation yesterday and tried calling Nelnet multiple times but kept getting disconnected. What finally worked for me was calling early in the morning (around 7 AM EST) when their lines first opened. Got through in about 30 minutes instead of the 2+ hour waits people are reporting later in the day. The rep was super helpful and emailed me a detailed loan summary within 10 minutes of our call ending. If you're still struggling to get through, try calling right when they open at 7 AM - seems like that's when you have the best chance of actually reaching someone!

As someone who's helped dozens of families through FAFSA corrections over the years, I want to emphasize what a smart decision you made to fix this promptly! The stress and arguments these forms cause between spouses is so common - you're definitely not alone there. One additional tip for the future: when the new FAFSA comes out each year (usually October 1st), I always recommend families gather ALL their financial documents first before even logging in. This includes bank statements, investment account statements, 529 statements, tax returns, etc. Having everything in one place prevents exactly this type of oversight. Also, for anyone reading this thread who might be in a similar situation - don't let the technical glitches with studentaid.gov discourage you from making necessary corrections. The system has been notoriously buggy, but persistence usually pays off. If you're having trouble with the online portal, calling during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) can sometimes get you through faster. Great job advocating for doing the right thing, and kudos to your husband for being willing to listen and learn. That's exactly the kind of teamwork that will serve your family well throughout this college journey!

As a newcomer to this community and someone who will be dealing with FAFSA forms for the first time next year, I found this entire discussion incredibly enlightening! The level of detailed, practical advice here is amazing. What really struck me is how this thread demonstrates the importance of accuracy over assumptions about aid eligibility. The distinction between "we probably won't get aid anyway" versus "we're legally required to report accurately" is so crucial - thank you to everyone who emphasized that point. I'm definitely implementing several strategies I learned here: creating a comprehensive asset checklist before starting, gathering all documents first, taking screenshots of confirmations, and understanding that corrections are normal and manageable when done promptly. The technical details about the 5.64% assessment rate and the potential impact on institutional aid were particularly valuable. It's also reassuring to see how supportive this community is when people encounter problems. The FAFSA process seems daunting, but knowing there are knowledgeable people willing to share their experiences and expertise makes it feel much more manageable. Thanks to everyone who contributed - this thread should be bookmarked as a resource for anyone dealing with FAFSA corrections!

As someone who just joined this community and is navigating FAFSA for the first time, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea there were so many technical issues with the new system this year. The fact that schools downloading your data can lock you out of making corrections directly is something I never would have known without reading everyone's experiences here. It's really helpful to see the step-by-step solutions people found - starting with the school's financial aid office seems to be the key. Thanks to everyone who shared their struggles and successes. It's reassuring to know there's such a supportive community here to help newcomers like me navigate these confusing processes!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful to have found this detailed discussion! I'm currently dealing with my first FAFSA application and was getting worried about potential correction issues down the line. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so educational - I had no idea that the correction process could be affected by schools downloading your data or that housing changes might need to be handled differently by each school. The step-by-step troubleshooting everyone shared (starting with school financial aid office, then potentially calling FSA directly) gives me a clear roadmap if I run into similar issues. It's reassuring to know this community exists to help navigate these complex processes. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their solutions and experiences!