Based on this discussion, it sounds like you should take three actions: 1. Submit a FAFSA correction to remove the retirement accounts as assets (only report contributions made during the tax year as untaxed income) 2. Contact your school's financial aid office to discuss your specific situation and see what institutional aid might be available 3. Ask about their Professional Judgment process if you have special circumstances not reflected on your FAFSA Your SAI of 19725 isn't unusually high for a family income of $72,000, but the retirement account issue could be artificially inflating it. After correction, you might see a meaningful reduction.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I work at a state university's financial aid office and see this situation a lot. With your family income of $72K and an SAI of 19,725, you're right in that middle-class squeeze zone. However, don't lose hope! Many students in your situation still receive meaningful aid packages. Besides the federal aid others mentioned, check if your state has need-based grants (many do for families under $80K), and State University likely has institutional scholarships you can apply for separately. Also, once you submit that FAFSA correction removing the retirement accounts, your SAI should drop significantly - I've seen similar corrections reduce SAI by 8,000-12,000 points, which would put you much closer to Pell Grant eligibility. Keep us updated on how the correction goes!

To directly answer your original question: 29515 is your Student Aid Index (SAI), which is a number that determines your eligibility for different types of federal, state, and institutional aid. It's neither inherently "good" nor "bad" - it's just a measure of your family's calculated ability to pay for college. The impact depends entirely on the cost of the schools you're applying to. If you're applying to schools with a total cost around $30k or less, you'll likely get minimal need-based aid. If you're applying to more expensive schools, you'll likely get some form of need-based aid to cover the difference.

Don't stress too much about the SAI number itself - what really matters is how each school uses it in their aid calculations. I had a similar SAI (around 28k) and ended up with very different aid packages from different schools. Some gave me nothing beyond loans, while others offered decent institutional grants that brought my costs down significantly. Also, make sure you're applying for scholarships outside of need-based aid! Merit scholarships don't care about your SAI at all. And if you haven't already, check if your state has any grant programs - some have income cutoffs that might work in your favor even with your current SAI.

That's awesome news! I'm so glad the browser switch worked for you. It's crazy how something as simple as using a different browser can fix such a major glitch. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread because I know I'll be helping other parents with FAFSA issues throughout the season. Your experience is going to help so many families who run into this same problem. Congrats on getting through what sounds like a really frustrating process!

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else who might find this thread! I had a similar issue where my daughter's dependency status kept switching back and forth between dependent and independent. What finally worked for us was clearing the browser cache AND logging out of any other government websites (like IRS, SSA) that we had open in other tabs. Apparently having multiple federal sites open simultaneously can cause session conflicts that mess with the FAFSA data. Also, if you're using a password manager, try temporarily disabling auto-fill for the FAFSA site - sometimes those can interfere with the form's JavaScript. The new FAFSA system is definitely buggy but these little tricks seem to help avoid the worst glitches!

UPDATE: It's working again for me now! Just got in no problem. Try again, the site might be back to normal!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Been trying to log in for hours with no luck. Really glad to see from the recent updates that it's working again for some people - I'll keep trying. This whole FAFSA redesign has been such a nightmare this year. For anyone still having trouble, I've also heard that sometimes clearing your browser's stored passwords and typing everything manually can help, especially if there are any hidden characters or spaces saved in your login info. Fingers crossed this gets fully resolved soon!

Yes, being an independent student helps in your situation! For independent students, the SAI calculation treats spousal income differently than it would for dependent students with parental income. You can use the Federal Student Aid Estimator (https://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/) to run scenarios. Enter his information as an independent married student with both incomes to see the potential impact. Also, many aid programs like Pell Grants have their own thresholds. If his EFC/SAI is still within certain ranges, the change in aid might be less dramatic than you fear. Institutional aid (aid from the college itself) varies widely in how it's awarded - some schools have more flexibility than others.

Just wanted to add that timing matters for the professional judgment review too. Don't wait until the last minute - submit your FAFSA as soon as it opens in October, then immediately contact the financial aid office about a professional judgment review. Some schools have limited funds for adjustments and it's first-come, first-served. Also, keep copies of everything you submit and follow up if you don't hear back within a reasonable time. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with financial aid offices sometimes. Good luck with your wedding and hope everything works out with the aid situation!