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Update: My son added me as an authorized user through his account settings like you all suggested. We called FSA together and it went SO much better. The rep confirmed they can now discuss his application with me as long as he gives verbal permission at the start of each call. We got everything resolved for his 2025-2026 application. Thanks everyone for your help!
So glad you got this resolved! Your experience really highlights how much clearer the process could be if FSA reps were trained to proactively explain the authorization options instead of just shutting parents down. I went through something similar with my daughter's FAFSA last year - the first rep I spoke to was also pretty dismissive, but the second one walked me through the whole proxy access setup step by step. It's frustrating that getting help seems to depend on which representative you get. Hopefully sharing your solution here will help other parents who run into the same roadblock!
You're absolutely right about the inconsistency in customer service! I'm new to this whole FAFSA process as a parent, and reading through this thread has been incredibly helpful. It's concerning that getting proper assistance seems to be a lottery depending on which representative you reach. Thank you all for sharing these detailed steps - I'm definitely going to have my daughter set me up as an authorized user before we encounter any issues. It's frustrating that this information isn't more clearly communicated upfront, but at least we have this community to help each other navigate the system!
Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice! Based on your suggestions, I'm going to: 1. Look into additional unsubsidized loans my son can take in his name first 2. Ask the financial aid office about any additional CSS Profile-based aid 3. If I do need to take Parent PLUS loans, I'll definitely request the in-school deferment 4. Research that consolidation loophole more (that could be a game-changer!) I really appreciate all the perspectives - both positive and cautionary. It's given me a lot to think about!
Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me - make sure to exhaust ALL other options before going the Parent PLUS route. I wish I had known to appeal my son's financial aid package first! We wrote a letter explaining some unexpected medical expenses we had, and the school actually increased his grant aid by $3,500. Also check if your employer offers tuition assistance programs - mine reimburses up to $2,000 per year for dependent children's education. These smaller amounts really add up and can reduce how much you need to borrow. Good luck with whatever you decide!
This is such great advice! I had no idea you could appeal financial aid packages - that's definitely worth trying first. I'll also check with my HR department about tuition benefits. Every bit helps when you're looking at potentially taking on more debt. Thanks for sharing your experience!
my brother had a similr SAI last year and ended up going to community college for 2 years to save money. now transferring to state university with way less debt. might be worth considering tbh
We've definitely discussed the community college route! She's really hoping for the 4-year experience, but it's good to hear that your brother had a successful transfer. We'll keep it as an option depending on what the financial aid packages look like.
Don't get too discouraged! An SAI of 13061 actually puts you in a decent position for several aid programs. While you won't qualify for the maximum Pell Grant, you should still be eligible for subsidized student loans (which don't accrue interest while in school) and potentially some state aid in both California and Oregon. One thing I learned when my daughter went through this process is that the cost of attendance varies widely between schools, so your actual "need" will be calculated differently at each one. A UC school with a $35K cost of attendance will show much more need than a CSU at $25K, which could result in more institutional aid at the pricier school. Also, don't forget to apply for outside scholarships! Your SAI doesn't affect private scholarship eligibility, and even small ones ($500-1000) can add up. Fastweb and Scholarships.com are good starting points. The key is applying to many rather than just focusing on the big ones everyone knows about.
This is really helpful perspective, thank you! I hadn't thought about how the different costs of attendance would actually work in our favor at more expensive schools. That's a great point about outside scholarships too - I was so focused on the FAFSA stuff that I forgot those aren't tied to our SAI at all. We'll definitely have her start applying to those smaller scholarships. Every bit helps!
I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same dependent section glitch for my 2025-2026 FAFSA. It's incredibly frustrating to see "No" dependents on the review page when I know I entered my twin boys' information correctly. Reading through all these responses has been a huge relief - especially knowing that the data is actually being saved even though the display is buggy. I'm going to try the page-flipping trick and clearing my browser cache like Sofia mentioned. It's reassuring to hear from someone in financial aid administration that this won't affect the actual SAI calculation. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions!
Welcome to the club of FAFSA frustration! Twin boys - that makes the stakes even higher since you have two dependents that need to be counted correctly. Definitely try the page-flipping and cache clearing combo that worked for Sofia. If you're still having issues after that, I'd recommend taking screenshots at each step like others mentioned. The technical explanation from Jace really put my mind at ease too - knowing it's just a display bug and not affecting the actual calculation makes this whole ordeal much less stressful!
This thread is a lifesaver! I'm having the exact same issue with my 2025-2026 FAFSA showing "No" dependents on the review page despite entering my daughter's information multiple times. Reading Jace's explanation about it being a display bug that won't affect the actual SAI calculation has given me so much peace of mind. I was literally losing sleep over this thinking my financial aid would be completely wrong. I'm going to try the page-flipping trick and cache clearing method that worked for Sofia, and definitely taking screenshots of everything as backup. It's amazing how much stress this community can help alleviate when dealing with these technical glitches!
I'm so relieved to find others dealing with this same nightmare! I've been stressing about this dependent glitch for weeks now. My son just turned 3 and I was terrified that not having him counted properly would mess up my entire financial aid package. After reading through everyone's experiences, I feel so much better knowing it's a widespread display issue and not something I'm doing wrong. I'm definitely going to try the page-flipping and cache clearing combo that's worked for others. It's incredible how much anxiety these technical bugs can cause when you're already dealing with the stress of applying for financial aid. Thank you all for sharing your solutions and especially to Jace for the technical explanation - it makes such a difference to understand what's actually happening behind the scenes!
Chloe Mitchell
My daughter's application showed the exact same error but with MY SSN missing instead (I'm the mom). So weird that it's happening to so many people. We had to redo the entire thing 😩
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Ashley Adams
•That's so frustrating! Did redoing it work the second time around? I'm worried even after the agent's fix, something else might glitch.
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Maya Lewis
This thread has been so helpful! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with the same exact issue. My spouse's SSN disappeared and the "no SSN" box got checked automatically. I've been panicking about having to start over completely, but seeing all these solutions gives me hope. Going to try calling FSA directly first, and if that doesn't work I'll look into the Claimyr service that several people mentioned. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to deal with these glitches when financial aid deadlines are so critical. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!
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