Based on your responses to other comments, it sounds like you're dealing with two separate issues: 1. Schools that require additional institutional forms (which you found on two portals) 2. Schools with confusing portals where requirements aren't clear For the confusing portals, look specifically for sections labeled: - "Financial Aid Requirements" - "To-Do List" - "Outstanding Documents" - "Required Documents" Also, check if any are requesting verification documents. Common verification requests include: - Income verification forms - Tax return transcripts - W-2 statements - Family size verification If you truly can't figure it out through the portals, calling is unfortunately your best option. Financial aid offices are swamped this time of year, but this is too important to leave to chance.

So glad you got it sorted out! This is exactly why I always tell families to expect the unexpected with financial aid - even when you think you've done everything right, there's often some additional step or form that schools require. The CSS Profile is such a common "gotcha" because not all schools are clear about requiring it alongside FAFSA. Your experience will definitely help other families going through the same panic! Congrats on securing those scholarships - that's amazing that 3 out of 4 schools offered her aid!

Just wanted to jump in as someone currently going through this process! My son is also starting fall 2025 and we're in a similar boat. One thing I learned from calling our school's financial aid office is that they actually encourage parents to create their FSA ID account NOW if you haven't already - that way you're ready to go the moment the PLUS loan application opens. The FSA ID creation process can take a few days to verify, so getting that done early saves time later. Also, our school's financial aid counselor mentioned that if you have questions about the award letter when it arrives, don't hesitate to schedule a phone appointment with them. They can often explain exactly how much you'd need to borrow and walk you through the next steps. The whole process is definitely nerve-wracking but at least we're all figuring it out together!

As a new parent navigating this process, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with my daughter starting fall 2025. One question I haven't seen addressed - for those who've done this before, do schools typically send award letters all at once or do they trickle in over weeks/months? I'm trying to plan when to expect ours so I can start the Parent PLUS process with enough time before any deposit deadlines. Also, has anyone had experience with appealing financial aid awards if the package isn't sufficient? I'm wondering if that's something to try before committing to a large Parent PLUS loan amount.

Just wanted to add a helpful tip from my experience last year - if you have complicated investments like you mentioned, consider having your tax preparer create a summary sheet of all the schedules and forms you'll need for FAFSA. When I was filling out my son's application, I kept having to flip between different pages of our tax return to find specific line items the FAFSA was asking for. Having everything organized in advance made the process much smoother, especially since the new system can be glitchy and you don't want to spend extra time hunting for information while the application might time out on you.

Great advice about the summary sheet! Another tip I'd add is to make copies of your 2023 tax return and all schedules before you start the FAFSA application. I learned this the hard way when my computer crashed halfway through filling out my daughter's FAFSA last year and I had to start over. Having physical copies meant I could continue on a different device without having to dig through files again. Also, if you're like me and your spouse handles different parts of the finances, make sure both of you know where all the tax documents are stored - you never know who might end up being available to complete the application when it opens in October.

One more tip - make sure you're filling out the 2025-2026 FAFSA if your daughter is starting college next fall. The application periods changed recently and some people are still filling out the wrong year's form!

I went through this exact same confusion when I filled out my son's FAFSA two years ago! The interface could definitely be clearer about this. Just to add to what everyone else has said - yes, it's the parent's birthdate in the parent section. One thing that helped me was to think of each section as literally being filled out BY that person. So the student section is as if your daughter is filling it out herself (her info), and the parent section is as if you're filling it out about yourself (your info). Also, if you're married and filing jointly, you'll need both parents' birthdates. Good luck with the application - you're doing great by being careful and asking questions!

This is such a frustrating situation, but you're definitely not alone! The new FAFSA system has been causing these dramatic SAI jumps for so many families this year. Based on what you've shared about having a family business, that's very likely where the problem lies. The business valuation can have an enormous impact on your SAI calculation, and there are several ways it can go wrong in the system: 1. Business assets being double-counted (once as business value, again as personal assets) 2. Business income being treated as both taxed and untaxed income 3. The business net worth calculation including things it shouldn't (like equipment that's already depreciated) Before you spend hours on hold with FSA, I'd suggest downloading your detailed SAI calculation first and looking specifically at how they're treating your husband's consulting business. Compare what they have listed against what you actually reported. Also, definitely reach out to your daughter's schools NOW - don't wait for the correction to be processed. Most financial aid offices are aware of these FAFSA issues and will work with you if you're proactive about communicating the problem. You mentioned your income actually decreased, so this increase makes no sense. That alone should be grounds for both a FAFSA correction AND school appeals if needed. Stay persistent - I've seen too many families get this resolved to give up hope!

I went through almost the exact same thing last year! Our SAI jumped from 42k to 95k overnight and we were panicking. Turns out it was a business asset reporting issue - the system was counting my wife's small photography business assets twice in the calculation. Here's what worked for us: 1. Downloaded the detailed SAI breakdown (this was KEY - showed us exactly where the error was) 2. Called FSA using that Claimyr service someone mentioned above (honestly worth every penny to skip the hold times) 3. The agent found that business equipment was being counted as both business assets AND personal investments 4. Filed a correction that took about 2.5 weeks to process 5. Final SAI came back to 48k, very close to our original estimate The most important thing is to act fast and contact your daughter's schools immediately. We emailed all her top choices explaining the situation and asking for extended decision deadlines. Three out of four schools were totally understanding and held her spot while we fixed the FAFSA. Don't lose hope - the new system is buggy but these errors CAN be corrected. Focus on that business valuation section in your SAI breakdown - I bet that's where you'll find the problem!