One thing nobody's mentioned - if your daughter is living with you most of the time and you're supporting her financially, make absolutely certain you're listed as the custodial parent on the FAFSA. That's actually MORE important than the house asset question in most cases because it determines whose income and assets are considered. I've seen so many people mess this up during divorce situations.

I went through something very similar two years ago! Based on my experience, since you're the custodial parent, filed taxes separately in 2023, and have signed divorce paperwork showing the house goes to your ex, you should NOT include it as your asset. The key is that you're only reporting YOUR assets now, not joint assets from the marriage. I'd definitely add a note in the comments section like others suggested - something like "House being transferred to ex-spouse per divorce settlement, not included as parent asset." Keep all your divorce documentation handy because there's a decent chance you'll get selected for verification with a situation like this. The financial aid office at my daughter's school was actually really helpful when I had to explain my divorce asset situation during verification. You've got this!

Just checking in - were you able to solve this using any of the suggestions? I'm curious which approach worked as I'm helping another family with the same issue this week.

So glad to hear you got it working! Your success story is really valuable for others facing the same issue. The browser choice detail is particularly interesting - I've noticed Edge sometimes handles government forms better than Chrome or Firefox. For future reference, it might be worth adding that some families have also had success using Internet Explorer (if still available) or the browser's "compatibility mode" for older government systems. Thanks for following up with the solution - this will definitely help other students and families who find this thread!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a parent going through the exact same situation with my daughter's financial aid for her sophomore year. We've been waiting over 6 weeks since her SAI was calculated and I was starting to panic that something was wrong. Reading about everyone's experiences - especially the transcript matching issues and the importance of asking specific questions - has given me a clear action plan. I'm having my daughter call tomorrow morning with that list of questions from @Isaac Wright, particularly about whether documents have been "received AND processed" since that seems to be where a lot of delays happen. It's both frustrating and reassuring to see how common these delays are this year. The FAFSA changes really seem to have created a lot of bottlenecks in the system. But knowing that persistence and the right questions can help move things along gives me hope we can get this resolved soon. Thanks to everyone for sharing your strategies and experiences. This community support makes such a difference when you're feeling lost in the financial aid maze!

I just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this exact same situation last year with my twin daughters. The waiting period between getting your SAI and receiving final aid packages is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when you're trying to make major financial decisions for the family. What I learned from our experience is that schools often batch process applications, and they don't always communicate their internal timelines well to families. One of my daughters got her package 3 weeks before her twin sister, even though they had identical applications and attended the same school! Turns out the second daughter's file had been flagged for a routine income verification that took an extra few weeks to clear. The key thing that helped us was being proactive about communication. Instead of waiting for updates, we called every few days with specific questions about what was needed and what the next steps were. The squeaky wheel really does get the grease in these situations. For anyone still waiting, don't lose hope - most schools do prioritize getting packages finalized before tuition deadlines, even if it feels like they're cutting it close. But definitely don't wait passively. Keep calling, keep asking specific questions, and don't accept vague "still processing" responses without pushing for more details about what specifically is causing the delay.

dont forget to ask about payment plans too. my school lets us pay monthly instead of all at once which helped my family a ton

Hey! I'm in a similar situation and just went through the appeal process last month. Here's what I learned that might help: 1. Even if nothing changed since FAFSA, you can still appeal based on "special circumstances" - things like if your family's income looks higher on paper than your actual ability to pay for college 2. When you call/visit, ask specifically about "professional judgment review" and mention any factors like: living in expensive area, caring for elderly relatives, high medical costs, or if your parents' income fluctuates seasonally 3. Don't just focus on grants - also ask about work-study opportunities and institutional loans with better terms than federal ones 4. If you're willing to live off-campus or commute, that can sometimes free up more aid since room/board costs are lower The financial aid counselor I spoke with said they review appeals case-by-case and have more flexibility than people think. The worst they can say is no, but you might be surprised! Definitely try going in person if you can - I had way better luck that way than over the phone. Good luck! Don't give up on your dream school yet.

As a newcomer to this whole FAFSA process, this thread has been incredibly reassuring! I'm going through the exact same thing right now with my son's application - we submitted 2 days ago and got that scary "Cannot calculate SAI" message yesterday. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel so much better about just waiting it out rather than panicking. It's clear this is a normal part of the processing, even though the wording makes it sound like something went wrong. Thank you all for sharing your stories and advice - it's exactly what anxious first-time FAFSA parents like me need to hear!

As another FAFSA newcomer, this entire thread has been incredibly helpful! My daughter and I just submitted her application yesterday and seeing that "Cannot calculate SAI" message this morning had me convinced we'd done something terribly wrong. Reading everyone's experiences here - especially hearing that it took exactly 3 business days for most people - is such a relief. It's amazing how something so normal in the process can sound so alarming when you're going through it for the first time. I'm bookmarking this thread to share with other parents in our school's college prep group who will inevitably go through the same panic. Thank you all for being so generous with your advice and reassurance - it really makes this intimidating process feel more manageable!