As a parent of twins who went through this process two years ago, I want to echo what others have said about being proactive. The colleges absolutely can see your triplets information on the FAFSA, but many financial aid offices are overwhelmed and won't automatically reach out to help. Here's my practical advice: Create a simple spreadsheet tracking each school's policy on multiple children. When you call (and definitely call, don't just email), ask these specific questions: 1. "What is your institutional policy for families with multiple children in college?" 2. "Do you have a special circumstances appeal process?" 3. "What documentation do you need from me?" 4. "When is the deadline for appeals?" Also, timing matters - submit any appeals or special circumstances requests as soon as possible after receiving your initial aid offers. Some schools have limited funds for these situations and it's first-come, first-served. With triplets, you're in an even more unique situation than most families. Don't be afraid to mention the financial strain this puts on your family - financial aid counselors are often parents themselves and understand the challenge. Good luck!

I'm in a similar situation but with twins starting college next year, and reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! It sounds like the key takeaway is that while FAFSA no longer automatically adjusts for multiple children, colleges can still see this information and many have their own policies to help. For anyone else in this situation, it seems like the action items are: 1. Contact each school's financial aid office directly 2. Ask about their "institutional methodology" for multiple children 3. Request a "Professional Judgment" or "Special Circumstances" review 4. Submit CSS Profile if required (since it still considers multiple children) 5. Create documentation showing all children's enrollment status 6. Be persistent but polite in your communications @Ava Johnson - with triplets, you definitely have a strong case for additional aid. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like private colleges especially tend to be more flexible with these situations. Fingers crossed that all three schools will work with you!

One more important tip: Once you receive all the financial aid offers, you can actually negotiate with schools. If School A offers your child a better package than School B, but they prefer School B, you can contact School B's financial aid office and politely ask if they can match or improve their offer based on the competing offer. Many parents don't realize financial aid offers aren't always final. This strategy works especially well when the schools are of similar ranking/prestige. Have digital copies of the competing offers ready to share when you make this request.

I'm so sorry for your loss and admire your strength in navigating this process for three kids at once. As a parent who went through this recently, I want to add a few practical tips: 1. Create a spreadsheet to track all the financial aid packages when they arrive - with triplets, you'll have a lot of numbers to compare across multiple schools. 2. Don't forget about state-specific aid programs. Many states have grants for residents that aren't always well-publicized but can add thousands to your aid package. 3. Consider reaching out to your high school guidance counselor too - they often have relationships with college financial aid offices and can sometimes make calls on your behalf. 4. If any of your kids are considering community college for the first two years, this could be a strategic way to reduce costs while they're all in school simultaneously. You're doing an incredible job managing this complex situation. The financial aid offices really do want to help families like yours - the key is just getting through to speak with someone who can understand your unique circumstances.

has anybody elses college sent them options for if they get less aid? my daughters school sent this email about alternative payment plans and parent plus loan info...felt kinda ominous tbh!!

This is all so helpful but also terrifying! I'm in a similar boat - middle income with two kids who will both be in college next year. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like we need to prepare for a significant reduction in aid. The elimination of the sibling discount seems like it's hitting families like ours the hardest. I'm grateful for the advice about contacting financial aid offices early and being proactive about appeals. Has anyone had success with private scholarships or other funding sources to help make up the difference? I'm starting to think we need to cast a much wider net for alternative funding options.

As a newcomer to this community, I want to echo what others have said - your SAI won't prevent your daughter from getting merit scholarships! I'm currently going through this process with my twin sons, and despite our SAI being over 120k, they've already received merit offers from several schools. One tip I haven't seen mentioned yet: look into automatic merit scholarships. Many state universities have published grids showing exactly what GPA/test score combinations guarantee specific scholarship amounts. These are completely separate from need-based aid and your FAFSA results don't matter at all. Also, regarding your employment change - I'd suggest keeping detailed records of your caregiving situation with your mom, including any medical documentation if available. Financial aid officers are often more sympathetic to family caregiving situations than people realize. Some schools even have specific provisions for families who've had employment gaps due to eldercare responsibilities. Don't give up hope! The merit aid landscape is much more favorable than the doom and gloom around high SAI scores would suggest.

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community but going through the exact same situation. Our SAI came back at 138k and I've been losing sleep over it! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring though. I wanted to add something that helped us - I found that calling the admissions offices (not financial aid) at schools my daughter was interested in was really helpful. The admissions counselors were much more accessible than financial aid staff and could give me specific information about their merit scholarship programs and what stats typically receive awards. Also, for anyone dealing with the frustration of contacting Federal Student Aid - I had success using their live chat feature during off-peak hours (early morning worked best for me). It took a few tries but I eventually got connected to someone who could explain our specific SAI calculation. One last tip - don't forget about departmental scholarships! Many academic departments have their own scholarship funds that are completely separate from general merit aid. These often have later deadlines and fewer applicants. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it's given me so much more confidence about our options!

Just want to echo what others have said about contacting the financial aid office directly - that was a game changer for me too! I was in almost the exact same boat (household income around $95K) and had given up after three years of basically nothing. But when I called about my daughter's final year, they told me about an emergency fund for families affected by the pandemic that I never would have known about otherwise. Got $2,800 that literally saved us from taking out another loan. The new FAFSA really is easier too - I was shocked when I finished it in under 30 minutes this year compared to the multi-hour ordeal it used to be. And with those SAI changes everyone's mentioning, it seems like they're finally recognizing that middle-class families need help too. Definitely worth one more try, especially since you've already identified specific programs at your daughter's school!

I'm new to this community but reading through everyone's experiences has been so eye-opening! I'm in a very similar situation - household income around $102K and I've been putting off the FAFSA for my daughter's sophomore year because I assumed we'd get nothing again. But hearing about these SAI formula changes and the hidden scholarship opportunities that require FAFSA completion has completely changed my perspective. The fact that so many of you found success by directly calling financial aid offices is brilliant - I never thought to be proactive like that. I just assumed they'd contact us if there were opportunities. And Layla, I'm so glad you decided to give it another shot and found those major-specific scholarships! Question for everyone: when you called your financial aid offices, did you just ask generally about programs requiring FAFSA, or did you mention your specific income range? I want to make sure I'm asking the right questions when I call my daughter's school this week.