I just went through this exact nightmare scenario! My school also counts late April as summer term, and my FAFSA was processed but "invisible" to them for almost 2 weeks. What finally worked for me was physically going to the financial aid office with my SAR printout and having them enter a manual override in their system. The financial aid director explained that many schools are having to create workarounds for the new FAFSA transmission delays. Don't just call - GO IN PERSON if you possibly can! Made all the difference for me.

This is such a stressful situation! I'm dealing with something similar - my FAFSA shows as processed but my school's financial aid office acts like it doesn't exist. The timing pressure with summer deadlines makes it even worse. From what I'm seeing in these responses, it sounds like going in person with your SAR printout is the most effective approach. The technical delays with the new FAFSA system seem to be affecting tons of students this year, so at least we know we're not alone in this mess. Have you tried checking if your school has any emergency aid or deadline extension policies for students affected by the FAFSA delays? Some schools are being more flexible this year given all the technical issues everyone's experiencing.

Regarding scholarship displacement that someone mentioned - that's generally only true if you're already receiving 100% of your demonstrated need. With your SAI and the cost of attendance, you'll likely have unmet need at most institutions, meaning outside scholarships would actually reduce your out-of-pocket costs rather than displacing institutional aid. It's still very much worth pursuing outside scholarships in your situation.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also look at the Common Data Set (Section H) for each school your daughter is considering. This publicly available document shows exactly what percentage of need each college typically meets and what percentage of aid is grants vs. loans. For example, you can see if School A meets 85% of need with 70% grants/30% loans, while School B meets 95% of need with 90% grants/10% loans. This data can help you predict which schools are more likely to give you a better aid package with your $36,600 SAI. You can usually find these by googling "[School Name] Common Data Set 2023" - it's been a game-changer for our family's college planning!

just remember 2 submit by the deadline! my buddy missed it last year n got zero aid even tho his fam is broke

One more thing to keep in mind - since your dad just retired and is now on Medicare, make sure you understand how his health insurance premiums are handled. Medicare premiums that are deducted from his Social Security checks don't get reported separately on the FAFSA, but if he pays any supplemental insurance premiums out of pocket, those aren't deductible on the FAFSA either. Just wanted to mention this since I see a lot of confusion about health insurance costs for retirees. The main thing is getting his income and assets reported correctly, which it sounds like you've got figured out now thanks to everyone's help!

There's no official "safe period" for asset transfers pre-FAFSA, but financial aid administrators generally recommend making any changes at least 12 months before filing to avoid the appearance of sheltering assets specifically for aid purposes. Transfers made within a few months of filing are more likely to raise questions if selected for verification. Keep in mind that the 2025-2026 FAFSA uses different financial information than previous years, focusing on your 2023 tax information and current assets at time of filing. So any adjustments to accounts should be made strategically with both timing and legitimate educational purpose in mind.

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter last year, I wanted to add that the timing of when you check your son's account balance matters too. The FAFSA asks for asset values "as of the date you submit your FAFSA," not an average over time. So if your son typically gets paid on the 15th of each month and you file on the 10th vs the 20th, that could make a difference in the reported amount. Also, don't forget that student assets include more than just savings accounts - any checking accounts, CDs, or investment accounts in his name need to be reported too. We almost missed reporting a small CD my daughter had forgotten about from when she was younger. The verification process caught it, but thankfully it was an honest mistake and we just had to submit updated paperwork. One last tip: if your son plans to use some of his savings for college expenses anyway (like textbooks, dorm supplies, etc.), consider having him make those purchases right before you file the FAFSA to legitimately reduce his reportable assets.

Hi Sofia! Welcome to the community - you're definitely not alone in this situation! As a first-time college parent myself, I went through the exact same stress last year with my son. With an SAI of $8,600, your daughters should qualify for partial Pell Grants (probably around $1,500-$2,500 each as Miguel mentioned). The fact that you can see the SAI calculated is actually a great sign - it means the federal processing is complete. Here's what worked for us when we hit the same roadblock: I had my son email each school's financial aid office with his FAFSA confirmation number and asked them to confirm receipt of his data. Two schools had it, but one didn't - turns out there was a transmission glitch. The school that was missing it was able to request a manual send from Federal Student Aid. Also, don't panic about the deposit deadlines! Most schools are very understanding about FAFSA delays this year. When I explained our situation, three out of four schools automatically extended our deposit deadline by 30 days without us even asking. Keep us posted on how the school contacts go - fingers crossed everything gets sorted out quickly for your girls!

Hey Sofia! Welcome to the group - you're definitely in the right place for FAFSA help! I just went through this exact same situation with my daughter a few months ago, so I totally understand the stress you're feeling right now. The good news is that seeing your SAI calculated means the federal processing is working. With an $8,600 SAI, your daughters should definitely be eligible for partial Pell Grants - probably somewhere in the $1,500-$2,500 range per year. Here's what I'd suggest based on what worked for us: 1. Have your daughters check their email (including spam folders!) for any verification requests 2. Log into studentaid.gov and make sure there are no outstanding action items or consent forms 3. Contact each school's financial aid office with their FAFSA confirmation numbers and ask specifically if they've received the data When I called our schools, I found out that one had received the data but two others hadn't due to a transmission issue. The financial aid offices were really helpful in getting it sorted out once we identified the problem. Also, don't stress too much about the deposit deadlines - most schools are being very flexible this year because of all the FAFSA delays. Many will let you put down a deposit while aid is still pending or give you extensions. You've got this! Keep us posted on how the school contacts go!