Just wanted to jump in as another parent navigating this maze! We got an SAI of 16,200 last month and I've been stressing about what it means for our actual out-of-pocket costs. Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - especially learning about the rental property reporting issue and the possibility of merit aid not being tied to SAI. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the timing of when schools actually send out their financial aid packages. Does anyone know if schools use the SAI immediately when making aid decisions, or do they wait for any corrections we might submit? We're considering making some corrections based on the asset reporting tips shared here, but I'm worried about delaying our aid processing if schools are already working on packages. Also, @Olivia Van-Cleve, I'd definitely recommend starting to research this early like you're doing! We went into this pretty blind and it's been overwhelming. The Net Price Calculators someone mentioned seem like a great place to start getting realistic expectations. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - it's such a relief to know we're not alone in feeling confused by all of this!

As a newcomer here, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! My family is just starting the college search process and I had never even heard of SAI before stumbling across this discussion. Reading everyone's real experiences and practical advice has taught me more about financial aid than any official website or guidance counselor session. The tips about asset reporting mistakes, merit vs need-based aid, and the possibility of appealing or negotiating with schools are all things I never would have known to look for. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and come back to it when we start our own FAFSA journey. @Ally Tailer - I hope your corrections and appeals work out well! It sounds like you have a solid plan now based on all the great advice you've received. And thank you for starting this conversation - it's clearly helping so many families navigate this confusing process!

I'm also dealing with this exact same situation right now! My mom applied for a Parent PLUS loan about 2 weeks ago and we've been anxiously waiting for any kind of update. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that delays were this common or that there were so many different places to check for status updates. What really caught my attention was the mention of system glitches being more frequent than schools admit. That makes me feel so much better because I was convinced we had messed something up in the application process. I'm definitely going to have my mom check her FSA account tomorrow morning and look through her spam folder too. The advice about calling right when the financial aid office opens (8 AM) is golden - I've been trying to reach ours for days with no luck. Also going to ask about that "pending financial aid" hold option since our payment deadline is coming up fast. It's such a relief to know that schools have processes in place for these situations. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences with this process. As a first-time college student whose family is new to all this, it's incredibly reassuring to know we're not alone in dealing with these frustrating delays!

As someone who's been helping families navigate the Parent PLUS loan process for several years, I wanted to jump in with a few additional resources that might help everyone who's currently waiting: 1. If your parent applied through studentaid.gov, they should have received a confirmation email with an application reference number - keep this handy when calling for status updates 2. Many schools have a "Financial Aid Checklist" or "To-Do List" in the student portal that will show if they're waiting for PLUS loan certification - check there too 3. For those mentioning system glitches, the Department of Education actually has a technical issues hotline (1-800-433-3243, option 2) specifically for FAFSA/loan application problems One thing I always tell families is to document everything - dates of calls, names of people you spoke with, reference numbers, etc. This becomes really valuable if you need to escalate or if there are discrepancies later. The good news is that even when these delays happen, schools almost always work with families to avoid late payment penalties while waiting for federal aid to process. You're all being incredibly proactive by seeking help and following up - that's exactly the right approach!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this thread! I'm currently filling out my first FAFSA application for my daughter and was completely confused by the "parent spouse" terminology. Like many others here, I was overthinking it and wondering if I was missing something important. Reading through everyone's explanations has been incredibly reassuring - it's clear that this wording trips up almost everyone! The Parent A/Parent B approach that several people have mentioned really does cut through all the bureaucratic confusion. I'm also taking notes on all the practical advice shared here, especially about using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and staying consistent with parent order for future applications. It's amazing how a supportive community like this can make such an intimidating process feel manageable. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping newcomers like me navigate these confusing government forms!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I want to add my voice to everyone saying how confusing the "parent spouse" terminology is! I'm currently working on my first FAFSA for my daughter and got completely stuck on this exact same question. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief - I was starting to think I was overthinking something that should be obvious, but clearly this wording confuses everyone! The Parent A/Parent B approach that people have suggested makes so much more sense than the official language. I'm also really grateful for all the practical tips shared here, like using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, keeping parent order consistent year to year, and having all tax documents organized beforehand. It's amazing how this community can take what feels like an overwhelming bureaucratic puzzle and break it down into manageable pieces. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - you've made this intimidating process feel so much less isolating for newcomers like me!

Just wanted to add one more timing consideration that caught me off guard during my first semester back in grad school - if you're transferring any credits from your previous master's program, make sure those are fully processed and reflected in your enrollment status BEFORE your loan disbursement date. I had a credit evaluation that was still pending when my loans were supposed to disburse, and it delayed everything by almost two weeks because the financial aid office had to recalculate my enrollment level and loan eligibility. Even though the credits didn't change my degree requirements significantly, the system flagged it for manual review. So definitely get any transcript evaluations and credit transfers sorted out early in the summer rather than waiting until August!

One thing that really helped me plan for my second graduate degree was creating a detailed month-by-month budget starting from July through December. I mapped out when I expected each disbursement and refund based on my school's timeline, then worked backwards to figure out what expenses I could delay until after the money came in. For example, I waited to buy non-essential textbooks until my refund hit, and I arranged with my landlord to pay my security deposit in two installments. Also, consider opening a separate savings account specifically for your student loan refunds - it makes it easier to track how much "student money" you have left versus your other income. The psychological separation really helped me budget more effectively and avoid overspending early in the semester!

New to this community and dealing with the exact same TAP confusion! My son applied to 5 SUNY schools and I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why TAP only let me select one college when FAFSA sent to all of them automatically. Reading through all these responses has been a lifesaver - I had no idea about the rotating strategy or that you could call financial aid offices to give them a heads up about TAP eligibility even before switching the code to their school. The tip about different browsers for the Student Portal is gold too - I've been struggling with login issues on Chrome. One quick question for those who've done the rotating approach: how often do you switch the school code? Every 2-3 weeks or more frequently? I want to make sure all his schools get good visibility but don't want to overwhelm the system with constant changes. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread should be pinned for other confused parents!

I'm dealing with this same exact situation right now! My daughter applied to 4 SUNY schools and I was so confused about why TAP wouldn't let me send the award info to all of them like FAFSA does. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the rotating strategy or that you could call financial aid offices proactively. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: when I called SUNY New Paltz yesterday, they mentioned that they actually prefer if parents call early in the process to let them know about TAP eligibility rather than waiting until the very end. They said it helps them put together more accurate initial aid estimates, even if they can't officially see the TAP award in their system yet. Also, for anyone dealing with the Student Portal login issues - try logging in during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening). I found it's much more stable then compared to during the day when everyone's probably trying to access it. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing!