This thread is so helpful! I'm in a similar boat - submitted my FAFSA 4 weeks ago and it's still stuck in processing hell. Reading through everyone's experiences gives me hope that there are actual solutions. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service tomorrow and also call my school's financial aid office to ask about their FAFSA delay policy. It's reassuring to know that schools are being more flexible this year because of all the system issues. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community is a lifesaver when you're dealing with financial aid stress!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My FAFSA has been processing for almost 3 weeks and I was getting so anxious about my upcoming deadlines. This thread is honestly a huge relief - I had no idea so many other students were dealing with identical issues. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that several people mentioned since waiting on hold for hours just to get disconnected is driving me crazy. I'm also planning to call my school's financial aid office tomorrow to ask about their FAFSA delay policies and see if they can work with me on a provisional aid package. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - it's so helpful to know there are actual steps we can take instead of just waiting helplessly!

UPDATE: I called FSA today and finally got through after trying multiple times. They confirmed it's a calculation error on their end and are doing a "SAI reconciliation" between the two applications. The agent said this has been happening a lot with the new system and they've had to do manual corrections. Thanks everyone for your help - especially for confirming I was right about the grad student question. The representative said it should be fixed within 5-7 business days and both kids should end up with the lower SAI number (16,000).

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with something similar - my twins' SAIs are off by about 3,000 points even though I used identical information. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like this is definitely a system issue with the new FAFSA rather than user error. I'm going to call FSA tomorrow and specifically ask for an "SAI calculation reconciliation" like Andre suggested. It's frustrating that we have to deal with these glitches during such an important process, but at least there seems to be a solution. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this gives me hope that it can be fixed!

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with this exact same issue! Just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their experiences - I was completely panicked when I saw those bank account questions pop up. Like many of you, I immediately thought it might be a scam or that I was on the wrong website. It's such a relief to know this is legitimate, even though I'm still not thrilled about having to provide this information. The lack of clear communication from the Department of Education about this change has been really frustrating. I wish they had sent out notifications or updated their guidance materials to let families know what to expect. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to call and verify - it's saved the rest of us a lot of stress and confusion!

I'm new to this community and just went through this exact same experience! I was filling out my 2025-2026 FAFSA yesterday and completely freaked out when I saw the bank account questions. Like so many others here, I thought it was a scam or that I had somehow ended up on a fake website. I actually closed the browser and started over three times because I was so suspicious! This thread has been a lifesaver - thank you to everyone who took the time to call and verify this information. It's really frustrating that the Department of Education didn't do a better job communicating this major change to families. A simple email or announcement on their website would have saved so many of us from this confusion and stress. I'm still not comfortable sharing my bank information, but at least now I know it's legitimate and I can move forward with my application.

I'm a current college student who went through this whole dependency override process last year, so I wanted to share some additional tips that might help your daughter. Even though I didn't qualify for independent status either, I learned a lot about the system that might be useful. First, when she meets with financial aid, she should ask about ALL types of aid available - not just federal grants. Many schools have institutional aid pools that use different criteria than FAFSA. Some schools also have "gap funding" specifically for students whose FAFSA doesn't reflect their actual situation. Second, if your family's financial situation has changed since you filed taxes (job loss, medical expenses, etc.), make sure to mention this during the professional judgment review. They can sometimes adjust your income figures based on current circumstances rather than just tax returns. Also, encourage her to apply for work-study if she hasn't already. Even if the pay isn't amazing, work-study jobs are designed around student schedules and the income doesn't count against her aid eligibility the same way regular employment does. One last thing - if her current school isn't helpful, she might want to reach out to other schools she's interested in transferring to. Some schools are just more generous with professional judgment reviews than others. It's worth shopping around if she's open to transferring. Best of luck with everything! The system is definitely frustrating but there are usually some options if you keep pushing.

Just wanted to add one more resource that might help - your daughter should also look into her state's financial aid programs. Many states have their own grant programs that use different criteria than federal aid, and some are more flexible about family income thresholds. For example, some state grants focus more on the student's individual circumstances rather than strictly following FAFSA dependency rules. Also, if she's working part-time now, she might want to see if her employer offers any tuition assistance programs. Even smaller companies sometimes have education benefits that aren't well-publicized. It's worth asking HR about any available programs. The community college route is another option to consider if money is really tight - she could potentially take some required courses there for much less cost and then transfer those credits back to her current school. Many students do this during summer sessions to save money while still making progress toward their degree. Keep advocating for her! The squeaky wheel really does get the grease when it comes to financial aid offices.

I'm a newer teacher (2nd year) at a Title I elementary school and this thread is both incredibly helpful and absolutely infuriating! Reading everyone's experiences makes it clear that the loan servicers are deliberately making this process as difficult as possible to discourage people from following through. What really gets me is that we're the people educating the next generation, often in the most challenging schools, and this is how the system treats us? Meanwhile, we could have gone into private sector jobs making more money with better benefits, but we chose public service because we believed in these programs. I'm definitely taking notes on all the strategies you've shared - the case escalation language, documenting everything, filing CFPB complaints, and keeping detailed call logs. It's ridiculous that we have to become amateur legal experts just to get what was promised to us, but if that's what it takes, so be it. One question for the group: has anyone tried reaching out to their state's Department of Education or teacher's union for support with these applications? I'm wondering if there are any state-level resources that might be able to advocate for us or provide guidance beyond what the federal servicers are giving us. Keep fighting everyone - reading your persistence gives me hope that when my time comes in 3 years, I'll be ready for the battle!

I'm a 3rd year high school math teacher at a Title I school, and honestly this entire thread is both incredibly helpful and completely disheartening. The fact that we have to create our own survival guide just to access programs that were designed to encourage people to go into teaching is absolutely backwards. What really bothers me is how the loan servicers seem to have zero accountability. Like, how is it legal for them to just say "it's processing" for 9+ months with no real updates? If any other industry treated customers this way, there would be consequences. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and taking screenshots of all the advice - the case escalation language, CFPB complaints, documentation strategies, everything. It's crazy that I have to prep for battle 2 years before I'm even eligible to apply, but clearly that's the reality. One thing I'm wondering - has anyone tried organizing with other teachers beyond just their own school? Like creating a group of teachers across the district or state who are all dealing with delayed applications? Sometimes there's more power in collective action, and it might get more media attention than individual complaints. Thank you all for sharing your experiences, even the frustrating ones. At least now those of us still working toward eligibility know what we're up against and can prepare accordingly.