To answer your follow-up question about income changes - yes, there is a process for this! After you submit the FAFSA with your 2023 tax information, you can submit what's called a Special Circumstances Form (sometimes called a Professional Judgment Request) directly to each college's financial aid office. This form allows you to explain your income reduction and provide current information. Each school handles these differently, but most will adjust your SAI calculation if you provide documentation of the income change. This won't change your actual FAFSA, but it will affect how much aid each school offers.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! I had the same confusion with my FSA ID from when my oldest applied in 2021. Here's what worked for me: 1. Log into your existing FSA ID account BEFORE starting any applications to make sure everything still works 2. Update your phone number if it's changed - they use 2-factor authentication now 3. Your twins will each need their own FSA ID, but they can create those during the application process 4. When you start each twin's FAFSA, you'll link your existing parent FSA ID during the contributor section One thing that caught me off guard - with twins applying in the same year, make sure to indicate on each application that you have "2" students in college. This can significantly help with your aid eligibility under the new SAI system! The schools will verify this with each other, but it's important to be consistent on both applications. Good luck with the process - having twins apply at once is stressful but you've got this!

I've been through this exact situation with my daughter two years ago! The custody rule is absolutely rigid - there's no wiggle room to choose based on income. Since your daughter lived with you, you're stuck using your income even though it results in less aid. However, here's what actually helped us: Document EVERYTHING about your ex's disability and financial inability to contribute, then request a Professional Judgment review. We provided his disability award letters, medical documentation, and a letter explaining that despite legal obligations, he physically and financially cannot contribute. The school reduced our EFC by about $4,000. Also check if your state has any grants for single parents or children of disabled parents that aren't tied to FAFSA. Some states have separate aid programs that consider these circumstances differently than federal aid does. Don't give up - the initial aid package is often just the starting point, not the final answer!

I went through something very similar with my stepson last year. The FAFSA rules around divorced parents are definitely frustrating, but they're based on where the student physically lived the most, not who would provide better aid eligibility. Since your daughter lived with you for the past 4 years, you're the correct parent to include. However, don't lose hope! Here are a few things that helped us: 1. Professional Judgment appeals really do work - we got our EFC reduced by about $3,500 after providing documentation of the non-custodial parent's disability and inability to contribute. 2. Look into your state's grant programs. Some have aid specifically for single parents or families with disabled members that uses different criteria than FAFSA. 3. Check if your daughter qualifies for any scholarships through organizations that support children of disabled parents. The key is being persistent with the financial aid office and providing thorough documentation. Many schools have additional institutional aid they can offer beyond what the initial FAFSA calculation shows. Good luck!

quick tip for elmselect - make sure u put in the EXAXT school name. i kept getting no results until i realized i was typing "university of michigan" instead of "university of michigan-ann arbor" lol took me forever to figure that out

As someone who just went through this exact decision process last semester, I wanted to add a few things that might help: 1. **Grace period differences**: Federal loans have a 6-month grace period after graduation before payments start. Some private loans offer this too, but not all - definitely confirm this with any private lender you're considering. 2. **Tax benefits**: Federal loan interest is tax-deductible up to $2,500/year (with income limits). Private loan interest is also deductible, but it's worth noting for your future planning. 3. **Death/disability discharge**: This is morbid but important - federal loans are discharged if you become permanently disabled or pass away. Not all private loans offer this protection, so check the fine print. 4. **Consider community college**: If you're really struggling with costs, taking some gen ed requirements at community college over summer can reduce your total borrowing need. Many CC credits transfer and cost a fraction of university tuition. The mix approach you ended up with sounds really smart - maximizing federal protections while getting better rates where possible. Good luck with everything!

As someone who just went through this exact same nightmare last month, I want to emphasize how important it is to act quickly on this. The FAFSA contributor system has been a disaster this year - I've seen so many families affected by similar issues where only one parent gets properly linked despite joint filing. The good news is that once you get through to an actual FSA agent (which sounds like you successfully did!), they can usually fix it pretty efficiently with a manual override. Just make sure you follow up with each school's financial aid office using that confirmation number - some schools are more proactive than others about checking for updated FAFSA information, and you don't want any delays in processing your daughter's aid package. The whole system is frustrating, but at least there are ways to work around these technical glitches when you know the right steps to take.

This thread is incredibly helpful! As someone currently dealing with a similar FAFSA contributor issue (my spouse's income isn't showing up properly), I wanted to add that it's also worth checking if your state has any supplemental financial aid forms that might be affected by these FAFSA errors. In our case, the state grant application pulled the incorrect information from our FAFSA, so we had to contact both the federal aid office AND our state's education department to ensure corrections were made to both systems. The timing can be tricky since state aid deadlines are often earlier than federal ones. Just another layer to consider when dealing with these technical glitches!

That's fantastic news, Fatima! Your success story gives me so much hope. The $12,000 in institutional grants plus the potential for departmental scholarships shows that persistence really pays off. I'm definitely going to follow your approach - gathering all the medical documentation and emphasizing my daughter's academic record when we meet with financial aid next week. It's encouraging to hear that schools are recognizing these SAI formula issues and actually setting aside funds to help families navigate the transition. Thanks for sharing your update - it's exactly what so many of us needed to hear right now!

Welcome to the community, Julian! Don't feel overwhelmed - you're already taking the right steps by researching your options here. The appeals process might seem daunting, but as you can see from everyone's experiences, many schools are genuinely trying to help students navigate these SAI formula changes. Since you're facing a similar sibling graduation situation, I'd recommend starting by gathering documentation of any special circumstances (medical expenses, job changes, etc.) and scheduling a meeting with your financial aid office ASAP. Many schools have deadlines for appeals, so don't wait too long. Also, ask specifically about departmental scholarships in your major - these are often overlooked but can provide significant funding that isn't tied to FAFSA calculations. Good luck with your appeal!