i had a similar issue and found out my SAI was calculated wrong because my parents tax info was entered incorrectly on FAFSA.. might want to double check all that stuff too just in case

I went through this exact situation with my daughter at Pitt last year! The key thing that saved us was getting everything documented in writing. When you call PHEAA (definitely use that 1-800-692-7392 number mentioned above), ask them to EMAIL you a summary of what's needed to resolve the hold. This way you have proof for the school about what's happening. Also - and this is important - if the delay goes beyond 30 days and it's truly PHEAA's fault (not missing docs on your end), you can request a "hardship deferment" from Penn State's financial aid office. They can sometimes work with you on payment plans or temporary holds while waiting for state funding. One more tip: if your daughter qualifies for work-study, ask if she can get those funds released early to help with the account balance while waiting for PHEAA. Some schools are flexible about this in cases of state grant delays. Keep pushing - the squeaky wheel gets the grease with both PHEAA and university bureaucracy!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! We had the same confusion about FSA IDs when our second child started college. What helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track who had which FSA ID - it sounds silly but with all the financial aid deadlines and forms, it's easy to get mixed up. Also, since you mentioned you'll have two in college simultaneously, make sure to submit both FAFSA applications around the same time if possible. Some schools have limited aid budgets and it's first-come-first-served, so getting both kids' applications in early can be crucial even though the multi-student discount is gone. Good luck with the process - it's definitely overwhelming but you've got this!

As someone who works in financial aid at a state university, I can confirm everything that's been shared here about FSA IDs - one per person for life, tied to your SSN. But I wanted to add something important that hasn't been mentioned yet: when you're completing the FAFSA for your second child, make sure to double-check that all your tax and asset information is consistent between both applications. The Department of Education does cross-reference data between family members' applications, and any discrepancies can trigger verification requests or delays in processing. Also, even though the federal multi-student benefit is gone, don't forget to check if your state has any grant programs that still consider multiple students - some states haven't updated their formulas yet. Finally, if either child is considering a gap year or changing enrollment status, that could affect the other's aid eligibility, so plan carefully!

UPDATE: You guys were right! I went to the financial aid office with my passport and SAR printout showing the C-code. They had a specific form for citizenship verification that I had to fill out. They made a copy of my passport and said they would update my status in the system within 3-5 business days. The financial aid advisor I spoke with (asked for someone experienced with verification like you suggested) said this happens quite frequently and that I should be all set once they process the verification. Thank you all for your help!

Great outcome! This is exactly why I always recommend students print out their SAR and look for those comment codes - they contain crucial information that explains delays. The C-code system isn't well explained to students, which creates so much unnecessary stress. For anyone else reading this thread in the future: if your FAFSA shows "processed" but your school says they haven't received it, always check your SAR for C-codes first. Common ones include C-146 (citizenship verification), C-133 (conflicting SSN info), and C-20 (selective service registration). Each one has a specific resolution process, and knowing the exact code saves you from getting bounced between offices. Ryder, keep checking your student portal over the next week - once the verification clears, your aid should disburse pretty quickly!

Update: I called my daughter's financial aid office this morning. They were super helpful! The counselor checked her file and confirmed that the system correction didn't change our SAI at all. Apparently they're seeing these on lots of applications this year - mostly just the Department of Education double-checking information or standardizing how certain fields are stored in their system. She said unless we receive a specific notification that our SAI has changed, we don't need to worry about it affecting the award package. Such a relief!

Thanks for posting this - I was wondering about the same thing! I noticed a system correction on my daughter's FAFSA from April 25th and had no idea what it meant. After reading through all these responses, I feel much better about it. I'm going to check our SAI like you did and probably give the school a quick call just to be safe. It's reassuring to hear that these corrections are happening to lots of people this year and most don't seem to be affecting the actual aid packages. The new FAFSA system definitely has some growing pains, but at least the schools seem to understand what's going on!

As a newcomer to the FAFSA process, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea that something as simple as an incorrect date of birth could cause such major delays. It's really helpful to see real experiences from people who've dealt with this exact issue. @StarSeeker, glad you got it sorted out! For anyone else reading this who might be in a similar situation, it sounds like the key takeaway is don't wait - call FSA immediately if you notice any discrepancies in personal information, even if the system seems to accept it initially. Better to spend an hour on hold now than deal with weeks of delays later when you need your aid package!

This is such valuable information for anyone navigating the FAFSA process! I'm a newcomer here and this thread really highlights how important it is to double-check all the personal information before submitting. It's reassuring to see that FSA can actually fix these issues relatively quickly once you get through to them. @StarSeeker, thanks for sharing your successful resolution - it gives me hope that these bureaucratic hurdles are manageable with persistence. For other newcomers like me, it seems like the main lesson is: if something looks wrong, don't assume the system knows best just because it accepted the information. Trust your instincts and get it corrected early!