also dont forget to check if ur school does preffesional judgment reviews if u have special circumstances. my family had medical bills and job loss that wasnt on fafsa and we got our sai lowered after we showed proof

Your SAI of 21,939 definitely puts you in a challenging position, but don't give up yet! I'm in a similar situation - my family makes about $95k and my SAI came back at 20,500. Here's what I've learned so far: 1. You're right that you won't qualify for Pell Grants (cutoff is around 6,500 SAI), but you can still get unsubsidized federal loans 2. The key is applying to schools strategically - some state schools and private colleges with good endowments still offer institutional aid even with higher SAIs 3. Definitely pursue that professional judgment appeal for the medical expenses others mentioned I'm also focusing heavily on merit scholarships since need-based aid will be limited. Have you looked into your state's merit programs? Some states have automatic scholarships based on GPA/test scores regardless of income. Don't let this SAI discourage you from completing applications - you won't know what aid you can get until you try!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my wife and I submitted our FAFSA two weeks ago, and while she got the signature email immediately, mine never came through. We've checked spam folders multiple times and verified all the email addresses are correct. Reading through everyone's solutions, I think our issue might be the FSA ID sync problem. I created a new FSA ID specifically for this FAFSA, but now I'm wondering if I had one from when I went to graduate school years ago. Does anyone know how to check if you already have an existing FSA ID tied to your Social Security number? I don't want to create a duplicate account if that's what's causing the problem. Also, @Sofia Ramirez - thanks for mentioning that colleges can sometimes see additional details! Our daughter is applying to several schools, so would we contact the financial aid office at each one, or is there a way to get help through just one of them?

I'm new to the FAFSA process and this thread has been so educational! My daughter is a junior in high school and we're just starting to research financial aid. Reading about all these technical issues with spouse signatures is honestly a bit overwhelming - I had no idea the process could be this complicated. A few questions for those who've been through this: Is there anything we can do NOW to prepare for when we actually need to submit the FAFSA next year? Should my husband and I both create FSA IDs ahead of time, or is it better to wait? And are there any other common technical pitfalls we should know about before we start the process? I really appreciate how helpful everyone has been in sharing solutions and tips. It's clear that having a community like this makes a huge difference when dealing with these frustrating technical issues!

doesnt SAI also depend on how many kids you have in college at once? my neighbor said her expected contribution got cut in half when both kids were in school at same time

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter, I can tell you that an SAI of 29,232 puts you in that challenging middle ground where you won't qualify for much need-based federal aid, but you're not wealthy enough to easily afford full price either. Here's my practical advice: Start by running the Net Price Calculator for each school your son is considering. Yes, they're not perfect (as others mentioned), but they'll give you a starting point. More importantly, focus heavily on merit scholarships - these are based on your son's academic performance, not your SAI. Also, consider this strategy we used: apply to a mix of schools where your son would be in the top 25% of admitted students (more likely to get merit aid) along with his dream schools. Sometimes the "safety" schools with good merit aid packages end up being more affordable than you'd expect. One last tip - if you have any unusual financial circumstances (medical bills, caring for aging parents, recent job changes), document everything. You may be able to appeal your SAI or individual school aid decisions later. Good luck!

I'm a new member here but dealing with a similar FAFSA nightmare! My SAI went from $45k to $180k and I've been panicking for weeks. Reading through all these responses is incredibly helpful - especially seeing that Victoria found her issue was the primary residence misclassification. I'm going to go back through my application tonight and check for that exact same error. It's reassuring (but also frustrating) to know this is happening to so many families. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community is a lifesaver during such a stressful time!

I'm a financial aid counselor and want to emphasize how important it is that you found the primary residence classification error - this is definitely one of the most widespread issues we're seeing with the new FAFSA. A few additional steps I'd recommend while waiting for your correction to process: 1. Contact the Federal Student Aid ombudsman if your correction takes longer than 2 weeks - they can escalate systematic errors like this 2. Ask your daughter's colleges for a "provisional financial aid package" based on your original $79k SAI while the correction is pending 3. For scholarship applications, include both your original SAI screenshot and proof of correction submission - most committees are granting extensions for documented FAFSA errors The good news is that once corrected, your aid eligibility should return to what you originally expected. Many schools are also holding spots in their aid budgets specifically for families affected by these calculation errors, so don't panic about missing out on institutional aid. Document everything and stay persistent with follow-ups!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately joining because I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare! My son also lost his Pell Grant eligibility for 2025-2026 despite our income only increasing by about $3,500. He's been receiving Pell for his first three years and we're panicking about how to cover his senior year costs. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful but also terrifying to see how widespread this issue is. Like many of you, I used the SAI calculator which showed he'd still qualify, but the actual FAFSA results came back much higher. My son also worked his first summer job last year (about $4,800), and based on what @Zachary Hughes explained about how the new formula treats student income, that probably contributed significantly to pushing us over the threshold. I'm definitely going to call the financial aid office tomorrow to request a professional judgment review and ask about emergency funds. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice - it's both comforting to know we're not alone and helpful to have concrete steps to take. I'll update everyone on how the appeal process goes!

I'm also new to this community and dealing with the exact same devastating situation! My daughter lost her Pell Grant eligibility for 2025-2026 even though our family income only increased by about $2,800 from the previous year. She's been receiving Pell for her first two years and we're absolutely panicking about covering her junior year costs. Like so many others here, I used the SAI calculator beforehand and it showed she would still qualify, but then the actual FAFSA results came back significantly higher. My daughter also worked her first part-time job during the school year, earning about $3,200, and based on what I'm reading here about how the new formula treats student income, that might have been enough to push us over the threshold. It's absolutely infuriating that a student working to help pay for college is actually penalized in their financial aid calculations! The whole system seems backwards. I'm definitely going to call her financial aid office first thing Monday morning to request a professional judgment review and ask specifically about emergency funds for students affected by these formula changes. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and providing such detailed advice - it gives me hope that there might be a way to resolve this nightmare. I'll make sure to update everyone on how the appeal process goes!