Thanks everyone for the helpful answers! I'm feeling a lot better knowing that my negative SAI is actually good news. I'll definitely keep an eye out for verification requests and compare financial aid packages from different schools. Really appreciate all the advice!

Just wanted to add that you should also look into state-specific aid programs! With your -1500 SAI, you'll likely qualify for additional state grants depending on where you live. Many states have their own need-based programs that stack on top of federal aid. Also, don't forget to check if your schools offer institutional grants - some private colleges are really generous with aid for students with high financial need like yours. Make sure to submit your FAFSA to all the schools you're considering so they can build your complete aid packages!

btw even after u get the email and login there's still soooo many sections to fill out, took my dad like an hour to do his part so just be ready for that

As someone who works in financial aid at a community college, I can confirm what others have said - your son definitely needs to add you as a contributor in his FAFSA application. This is probably the most common issue we see with new FAFSA applications. Here's exactly what he needs to do: Log into studentaid.gov with his FSA ID, find his 2025-26 FAFSA, and look for the "Contributors" section. He'll need to enter your full name, date of birth, Social Security number, and email address. Once he saves that information, you should receive an invitation email within a few hours. One quick tip - make sure he uses an email address you check regularly and that won't block government emails. Sometimes parents give their work email and those systems filter out the FSA emails. Also, don't panic about timing yet - you're still well ahead of most deadlines, but do get this sorted within the next week or two to stay on track for priority consideration at his schools.

I'm dealing with this same anxiety! My daughter's SAI came through around the same time as your son's. What's been helpful for me is creating a spreadsheet to track everything - her current SAI, all the aid offers from different schools, and any communications we receive. I'm also screenshotting everything in case we need documentation later. One thing that gave me some peace of mind: I called a few of the colleges she applied to directly, and their financial aid offices were already aware of this issue and said they're prepared to work with families if corrections need to be made. They seemed much more responsive than trying to get through to FSA directly! Also keeping in mind that even if her SAI does get corrected upward, it sounds like most schools are going to honor their original offers for this year given the circumstances. Hang in there - we're all navigating this mess together!

I'm in the exact same situation! My daughter's SAI came through on 3/21 and I've been losing sleep over this news. What's really frustrating is that we can't even tell if we're affected until they decide to notify us. I've been checking studentaid.gov obsessively but there's no self-service way to verify if your SAI is part of the error batch. One thing I did was reach out directly to the financial aid offices at her top choice schools to let them know we're concerned about potential SAI corrections. Most were really understanding and said they're tracking this issue closely. A couple even said they'd give us a heads up if they receive any correction notices from FSA before we do. I'm trying to stay optimistic that the majority of SAIs are probably correct, but man, the timing with decision deadlines is just awful. Hoping we all hear something definitive soon!

I'm dealing with a similar situation but from a different angle - I'm the student whose parents are divorced and both households contribute to my education. Just wanted to add that when you do submit those special circumstances appeals, it really helps to have a clear breakdown of exactly how much each household contributes annually. I had to provide a detailed budget showing my mom's FAFSA info plus documentation of what my dad contributes for tuition, room & board, etc. Some schools were able to do a "professional judgment adjustment" that took both households' contributions into account. It's definitely worth the extra paperwork - I ended up getting an additional $3,200 in need-based aid at one school after they reviewed my appeal!

As a newcomer to this community, I really appreciate seeing how helpful everyone has been with this complex situation! I'm currently preparing for my own FAFSA journey next year and had no idea about these blended family complications. The information about special circumstances appeals is particularly eye-opening - I never knew schools had that kind of flexibility beyond the federal formula. It's also really valuable to hear from both the parent perspective and the student perspective like KhalilStar shared. This thread has definitely taught me to start gathering documentation early and not assume the initial FAFSA calculation is the final word. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and expertise!

One thing I learned the hard way - if you've moved since you last used your FSA ID, make sure to update your address too! I forgot about this and it caused issues during the verification process because the address on my FSA ID didn't match what I put on my tax return. The FAFSA system is really picky about consistency across all your information. Also, if you have multiple kids going through this process in different years, you'll use that same FSA ID for each of them - it really does follow you for life like others mentioned.

As someone who just went through this with my eldest daughter, I can confirm you absolutely can and should use your existing FSA ID! Don't create a new one - that just creates more confusion. One tip I wish I'd known earlier: when you're doing the FAFSA together, have your daughter sit next to you so she can see the whole process. She'll likely need to do updates or corrections later in the year, and it's really helpful if she understands how everything works. Also, bookmark the official FAFSA website now because there are a lot of fake/scam FAFSA sites that look official but will charge you fees for something that should be completely free.