For everyone in this thread - one crucial thing to remember is to regularly save your progress as you complete the FAFSA. The system has been known to time out unexpectedly, and there's nothing worse than losing an hour of work. Also, your son will need his Social Security Number, driver's license (if he has one), and access to his email/phone while creating his FSA ID. The verification process is more stringent with the new system. Lastly, watch out for the asset questions in your contributor section. They've changed how they ask about investments, and many parents report accidentally including retirement accounts that should be excluded.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this process last month with two kids! The order everyone mentioned is spot on - students first, then parent FSA ID, then applications. One thing I wish someone had told me: when your kids add you as a contributor, you'll get separate email notifications for each child's FAFSA. Don't panic thinking you missed something if you only see one at first - they don't always come at the same time. Also, make sure you have your bank statements handy when you do the contributor section. The new system asks for current account balances (as of the day you're filling it out), not just what was on your tax return. This caught me off guard since the old FAFSA didn't ask for this level of detail about liquid assets. Good luck! The system definitely has its quirks but once you get through the first one, the second child's FAFSA will feel much more manageable.

Just wanted to add - make sure to fill out the CSS Profile too if any of your schools require it! Some schools use both FAFSA and CSS Profile to determine institutional aid, and you might qualify for more money through that route even with your SAI score.

Hey Pedro! I'm in a similar situation - my SAI came out to 10,896 and I was panicking too. After reading through all these responses, I feel a lot better about the whole thing. One thing I'd add is to also look into community college for your first two years if money is really tight. I know it's not the "traditional" college experience, but you can knock out your general eds for way less money and then transfer to a state school. My older brother did this and saved like $15k total. Plus a lot of Florida community colleges have guaranteed transfer agreements with the state universities. Just another option to consider if the numbers don't work out at your first choice schools!

Just wanted to add one more timing consideration that caught me off guard during my first semester back in grad school - if you're transferring any credits from your previous master's program, make sure those are fully processed and reflected in your enrollment status BEFORE your loan disbursement date. I had a credit evaluation that was still pending when my loans were supposed to disburse, and it delayed everything by almost two weeks because the financial aid office had to recalculate my enrollment level and loan eligibility. Even though the credits didn't change my degree requirements significantly, the system flagged it for manual review. So definitely get any transcript evaluations and credit transfers sorted out early in the summer rather than waiting until August!

One thing that really helped me plan for my second graduate degree was creating a detailed month-by-month budget starting from July through December. I mapped out when I expected each disbursement and refund based on my school's timeline, then worked backwards to figure out what expenses I could delay until after the money came in. For example, I waited to buy non-essential textbooks until my refund hit, and I arranged with my landlord to pay my security deposit in two installments. Also, consider opening a separate savings account specifically for your student loan refunds - it makes it easier to track how much "student money" you have left versus your other income. The psychological separation really helped me budget more effectively and avoid overspending early in the semester!

Regarding your question about appeals - you should file a special circumstances appeal as soon as you receive all your financial aid packages. This gives the schools enough time to review before funds are distributed. Success rates vary widely by institution and situation, but medical expenses are one of the more commonly approved reasons for adjustment. Make sure you thoroughly document everything and explain clearly how these expenses impact your ability to contribute to education costs. Also, once you receive all offers, you can sometimes use better offers from competing schools as leverage. Some institutions are willing to match or improve their packages if you show them what other comparable schools offered.

Hi Natasha! I'm new to this whole financial aid process and feeling pretty overwhelmed. My daughter is a junior and we'll be going through this next year. Reading your post and all these responses is really eye-opening - I had no idea about things like special circumstances appeals or using competing offers as leverage. It sounds like you're getting some great advice here! I'm curious though - when you mentioned the three state schools she was accepted to with tuition ranging from $14K-22K, are those just tuition costs or the full cost of attendance? I'm trying to understand what we should be budgeting for when our time comes. Also, has she heard back from any of the schools with actual financial aid packages yet? I'd love to know how it turns out for you since our situations might be similar (single parent, decent income but with extra expenses FAFSA doesn't consider).

To address your follow-up question about contacting FSA: Yes, at 6+ weeks it's reasonable to try reaching out. The rental income could indeed trigger additional review time under the new Student Aid Index methodology. If you decide to call FSA, be prepared for long wait times (1-2 hours is common) or repeated disconnections. Their call volume is extremely high right now. When you do get through, ask specifically if there are any flags or issues with the application rather than just asking about status. Alternatively, many colleges will work with families whose FAFSAs are still processing. Contact your son's financial aid offices directly with proof of FAFSA submission (screenshot the confirmation) and they may be able to extend their internal deadlines or provide provisional aid packages.

I'm going through the exact same thing! My FAFSA has been in review for 5 weeks now and I'm getting really anxious about my college deadlines. Reading through all these responses is both reassuring and terrifying - it sounds like this is just the new normal with the updated FAFSA system. I had no idea about checking the student account messages separately from the parent account, so I'm definitely going to do that tonight. Has anyone had success with the college financial aid offices being flexible about deadlines when you show them proof of FAFSA submission? I'm worried about missing out on merit aid opportunities while we wait for this to process.