just make sure u keep all ur tax documents n stuff in case they do verification. my sons school asked for like a million forms after we got the $0 SAI. took forever but they eventually confirmed it was right

Congratulations on the $0 SAI! That's actually fantastic news for your daughter. As others have mentioned, the updated FAFSA formula is much more generous, especially for single-parent households. With your income level and household size of 3, this result makes perfect sense. I'd recommend creating a folder to organize all your financial documents (tax returns, bank statements, etc.) in case your daughter gets selected for verification. It happens to about 1 in 4 students, but it's usually routine paperwork rather than an indication of errors. The best part is that this $0 SAI will help her qualify for maximum aid at whatever college she chooses. Many schools use the SAI for their own need-based grants too, so she could receive even more aid beyond the Pell Grant. You should definitely celebrate this outcome rather than worry about it!

To answer your follow-up question - you can definitely see your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation on studentaid.gov. Log in with your parent account, go to "My Documents" and look for your Student Aid Report (SAR). This will show the complete calculation and how they determined eligibility. If you're confused about any specific part, the financial aid office at your daughter's school can usually explain why she qualified for specific amounts. They deal with these questions all day long!

I'm so glad you found this thread! I'm going through the exact same process with my son right now and was equally confused about the lack of communication from FAFSA directly. Reading through everyone's responses here has been incredibly helpful. One thing I learned from our school's financial aid office is that you can also request a "cost of attendance breakdown" from each school, which shows exactly how they calculated your total need and how the aid package fits into that. This really helped us understand why the loan amounts were what they were. Don't feel bad about being confused - this process is NOT intuitive at all, and even the school counselors admit the system could be way clearer!

Great news! Just checked with my colleagues, and most schools are now extending financial aid deadlines through at least April 15th for the 2025-2026 academic year because of the systemic FAFSA issues. Have your daughter email each school's financial aid office with her full name, student ID (if she has one), and date of birth to confirm their specific extended deadlines.

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare! As someone who's been helping families navigate FAFSA issues for years, I can tell you that the "student vs parent" mix-up is unfortunately one of the most complicated errors to fix because it fundamentally changes how the system calculates aid eligibility. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. When you call tomorrow, ask to be transferred directly to the "FAFSA Corrections Department" - don't let them keep you in general customer service 2. Use the phrase "systematic error requiring manual intervention" - this often gets you to a higher level agent 3. If they say it's processed with the error, demand they put a HOLD on the application until it's corrected Also, many people don't know this but you can actually file a complaint with the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman if regular channels aren't working. They have more authority to expedite corrections: https://studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman The good news is that with all the extended deadlines this year, you likely have more time than you think. Just make sure to keep documenting everything and don't give up - I've seen cases like this resolved in as little as 3-5 days once you get to the right person.

Great question about verification rates! From what I remember, the verification rate varies each year but it's typically around 30-40% of students who get selected. It sounds scary but it's really just confirming the info you already put on your FAFSA with documents like tax returns, W-2s, and bank statements. The key is responding quickly if you do get selected. As for additional forms - yes! Several of my schools required the CSS Profile (which costs money to submit, ugh), and a couple wanted their own institutional aid applications. Some also required separate scholarship applications with essays. The CSS Profile was the big one though - it's used by many private schools and some state schools for institutional aid. Check each school's financial aid website under "required forms" or "how to apply" - they usually have a checklist. One more tip: if you're applying to schools in different states, some state aid programs have earlier deadlines than the federal FAFSA deadline, so double-check those too!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who's helping their younger sibling through this process right now! One thing I wish I had known earlier is that some schools have their own financial aid portals where you can check the status of your application even before they send out official aid packages. It's worth creating accounts on each school's student portal if you haven't already - sometimes they'll show "FAFSA received" or "under review" which can give you peace of mind that everything went through properly. Also, if you're planning to apply for any merit scholarships at your schools, don't wait! Many have deadlines in the next few months and some require separate applications. The financial aid office can usually tell you what scholarships you might be eligible for based on your academics/activities. Good luck with everything - you're definitely ahead of the game getting your FAFSA submitted this early!

Great to hear you resolved it! Just a heads-up for the future - once your husband completes his section, make sure your son goes back in to review and finalize the FAFSA. Many students don't realize they need to complete that final submission step after all contributors finish their parts. The 2025-2026 FAFSA won't be considered complete until the student gives that final approval.

So glad to see you got it working! This thread is super helpful - I'm bookmarking it because I have a feeling I'll be dealing with similar issues when my youngest applies next year. The FSA ID system really seems to be a common pain point for families. Thanks to everyone who shared their troubleshooting tips, especially the specific steps about username recovery first then waiting before password reset. It's crazy that both parents have to do separate forms even with joint filing, but at least now I know what to expect!