UPDATE: We got it fixed! After trying everything suggested here, what finally worked was having my son login, remove me as a contributor, wait 24 hours, then add me again. But the key was entering my email in ALL LOWERCASE - even though my FSA ID email has capitals. The form showed up in my account this morning! Now working through it and hoping for no more glitches. Thank you everyone for your help and commiseration! And special thanks to those who suggested not starting over - that saved us from making things worse.

So glad to see you got it resolved @PaulineW! I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now - my daughter sent me the contributor invitation over a week ago and nothing shows up in my dashboard. I've been stressed about the deadlines too. Going to try your solution tonight with the all lowercase email and removing/re-adding as contributor. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - it's frustrating that we have to troubleshoot a government system ourselves, but at least we're helping each other! Will update if this works for us too.

Great plan Ali! Just wanted to add one more tip - when you make those $50/month interest payments on your unsubsidized loan, make sure to specify that the payment should go toward INTEREST ONLY, not principal. Sometimes loan servicers will apply payments to principal first, which won't prevent the interest capitalization you're trying to avoid. You can usually do this online or by calling your loan servicer. Also, keep records of all your interest payments - it makes things easier when you graduate and transition to regular repayment. Good luck with the weekend job!

Just to add another perspective - I'm a parent who went through this with my daughter last year. One thing we discovered is that you can also make interest payments directly through your school's bursar office in some cases, which can be more convenient than dealing with the loan servicer. Also, if you're considering graduate school later, keep in mind that any unpaid interest on undergraduate loans will capitalize when you enter grad school too, not just when you start repayment. So paying that interest now really does compound the savings over time. Your plan sounds solid - reducing the unsubsidized amount and paying interest while in school is exactly what we wish we'd known to do!

That's awesome Marina! Thanks for posting the update - it's really helpful to hear success stories with the new FAFSA system. For other parents reading this, Marina's experience shows that creating your FSA ID first and then having your student add you as a contributor really does work smoothly. The key seems to be making sure you use the same email address for both your FSA ID and when your student enters your info as a contributor. Good luck with the financial aid process!

As someone who just went through this process with my twin daughters last month, I can confirm that creating your FSA ID independently is definitely the way to go! The key thing I learned is to make absolutely sure your student has your correct email address when they add you as a contributor. One of my daughters accidentally typed my email wrong the first time and I was sitting there wondering why I wasn't getting the invitation. Once she corrected it and re-sent, I got the email within minutes. Also, don't panic if the FAFSA website seems slow or glitchy during peak times - I found early morning or late evening worked much better for completing forms. You're being smart by starting early with that 3-week deadline!

Ok here's my ACTUAL appeal letter template that worked for us. I took out our personal details but this structure got us an additional $9k/year: Dear [Admissions Committee], [Student name] was honored to receive admission to [University] and the merit scholarship of [amount]. As [University] remains [Student]'s first-choice school due to [2-3 specific academic programs/opportunities], we are writing to respectfully request reconsideration of [his/her] merit scholarship amount. [Student] has received the following merit offers: - [University 1]: $XX,XXX per year (total $XXX,XXX) - [University 2]: $XX,XXX per year (total $XXX,XXX) Since submitting [his/her] application, [Student] has also achieved the following: - [New accomplishment] - [New award] - [New leadership position] [Student] is committed to contributing to the [University] community through [specific contributions]. While the other offers are generous, [University] remains [his/her] first choice for [specific reasons]. We appreciate your consideration of this request. [Student] would be proud to join the [University] Class of [Year] and contribute to its legacy of excellence. Sincerely, [Parents] [INCLUDE 1-2 PARAGRAPHS FROM STUDENT IN THEIR OWN WORDS]

As someone who just went through this process successfully last month, I want to add a few practical tips that really made a difference for us: 1. **Timing matters** - Don't wait too long, but also don't rush it immediately. We sent ours about 10 days after the initial offer, which gave us time to craft a thoughtful letter. 2. **Get the student involved early** - My daughter actually initiated the conversation with her regional admissions counselor during a campus visit. That personal connection helped when the formal appeal came later. 3. **Be prepared for a phone call** - They called us within a week to discuss the appeal rather than just sending a written response. Have your talking points ready! 4. **Consider your deposit deadline strategy** - We were honest that we needed to hear back before committing elsewhere, but didn't make it sound ultimatum-ish. Our initial offer was $12k and we got it bumped to $18k. The key was showing genuine enthusiasm for the school while being factual about the financial reality. The template Grace shared is really solid - definitely use that structure! Good luck with your appeal - your daughter's stats are strong so there's definitely hope!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I feel much better knowing I should stick with my existing parent FSA ID. I'll make sure to answer the questions about multiple students in college carefully. I'm definitely going to look into getting specific advice about our situation through that Claimyr service too, since we have some complicated retirement account situations I want to make sure are handled correctly. Really appreciate all the advice!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation! I have twins who started college the same year, plus an older child who was already enrolled. The key thing that helped me was keeping a spreadsheet with each child's FSA ID, their school codes, and important deadlines since managing three FAFSAs can get overwhelming. Also, don't forget that some schools have earlier priority deadlines than the federal FAFSA deadline, so make sure you're tracking each college's specific requirements. The good news is once you get the system down with your first two kids, adding the third will feel much more manageable!