my cousins boyfriend had the same problem last month i think! his dad never went to college either but somehow had an account. turns out his dad applied for some continuing education thing years ago and forgot all about it. weird how these things happen!

So glad to hear you got through to FSA and figured out what was happening! This is exactly why I always tell people to keep trying - these database mix-ups are more common than you'd think with the new system. The fact that someone else's incorrect SSN entry created this whole mess is frustrating but at least now you know it wasn't anything your dad did wrong. Hopefully the 3-5 day timeline holds and you can get your FAFSA submitted soon. Thanks for updating us - this thread will definitely help other students who run into the same issue!

Update: Thanks everyone for the great advice! Mom filled out the FAFSA last night as an independent student, and it was actually way easier than she expected. The application automatically skipped all the parent sections after she entered her age and that she's not married. She made sure to include me in her household size since she claims me as a dependent. Now fingers crossed for a good aid package!

Congratulations to your mom on going back to school! That's really exciting. Just wanted to add one more tip - since she's returning after 20 years in the workforce, she should also check if her school has any special programs or scholarships specifically for adult learners or non-traditional students. Many colleges have these programs with additional financial support that goes beyond federal aid. Also, some states have grants specifically for adults returning to complete their degrees. It's worth asking the financial aid office about these opportunities!

Just wait til you see how little aid you get even WITH the corrected SAI 🙄 My daughter got into her dream school, our SAI was 29K, and they still expected us to pay 45K per year after their "generous" aid package. The whole system is broken.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to find this thread! I'm currently going through the exact same situation with my son's FAFSA showing an SAI that seems impossibly high for our income level. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice here has been incredibly reassuring - especially seeing @Morita Montoya's update about finding those major errors and getting things corrected. I'm now motivated to go back through our FAFSA line by line to look for similar mistakes. The retirement account confusion seems to be a really common issue based on what I'm reading here. It's also helpful to know that financial aid officers at colleges are used to dealing with these situations and can be supportive. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - it's making what felt like an impossible situation seem much more manageable!

UPDATE: We got it fixed!! After following the advice here, my dad did the identity verification on studentaid.gov, then called FSA again. This time he got through to someone who knew exactly what the problem was. They had to merge his accounts and it took about 48 hours to process, but now he can see the parent section and we're finishing the FAFSA today! I also contacted my school's financial aid office and they gave me a deadline extension because of the technical issues. THANK YOU everyone for your help!!

So glad to see this got resolved! As someone who just went through FAFSA hell myself, I wanted to add that if anyone else runs into this issue, it's worth trying the identity verification step FIRST before spending hours on hold with customer service. My mom had the same duplicate account problem and the verification process at studentaid.gov fixed it automatically without needing to call anyone. Seems like the system migration really messed things up for a lot of parents this year, but at least there are workarounds now that people have figured them out!

Just wanted to add - be prepared for the possibility that your appeal might be denied initially. If that happens, don't panic. You typically have the right to submit additional information or appeal a second time. Many students have their second appeal approved after providing more documentation or clarifying their situation. Also, if your appeal is approved, you'll likely be placed on an academic plan that you'll need to follow precisely. This usually means passing all courses with a certain GPA. Make sure you understand all the conditions of your approved appeal.

As someone who just went through this process successfully last semester, I wanted to share what worked for me! I was also in a similar situation - changed majors twice and had some withdrawals that hurt my completion rate, even though my GPA was decent. Here's what I learned: your 3.4 GPA and being only one semester from graduation actually puts you in a really strong position. The financial aid office wants to see that you can successfully complete your program, and you're clearly demonstrating that. My advice: 1. Be honest but concise about why you changed majors previously - focus on how you've found your calling in nursing 2. Emphasize your strong performance since returning to the nursing program 3. Get a letter from your nursing program advisor confirming you're on track for May 2025 graduation 4. Include your most recent transcripts showing your current GPA in the nursing program The key is showing them this isn't just throwing good money after bad - you have a clear path to completion and you're succeeding academically. Most schools want to help students graduate, especially when you're this close! Don't stress too much - appeals like yours are often approved because you're demonstrating success and have a concrete end date. Good luck!