Since you've tried all the standard methods, here's what worked for me after dealing with this same issue last month: 1. Use the studentaid.gov mobile app instead of the website - sometimes the SAI appears there when it doesn't show on the web version 2. Look for "View Student Aid Report (SAR)" under the FAFSA status section and download the PDF - the SAI should be at the top 3. If you still can't find it, your son should ask his college financial aid office if they can see his SAI - they often have access to it even when families can't see it The FAFSA system is experiencing unprecedented issues this year due to the major overhaul. Many schools are aware of these problems and have workarounds in place.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My daughter's FAFSA shows "processed" but we can't locate the SAI anywhere. After reading all these responses, it's clear this is a major system-wide issue with the new FAFSA. I called her college's financial aid office yesterday and they confirmed they can see her SAI on their end, so they're just using that instead of requiring us to provide it. Definitely recommend calling the school directly - it might save you hours of frustration trying to navigate the broken studentaid.gov system. The financial aid counselor I spoke with said they're getting dozens of calls about this exact problem every day.

As someone who works in financial aid administration, I can confirm everything that's been shared here is accurate. Your original $18,000 is completely safe - the system treats increases as supplemental requests. One thing I'd add: when you submit the increase request, keep a screenshot of your confirmation page with the request number. If there are any processing delays, having that reference number will help expedite things when you call FSA. Also, once approved, the additional funds typically disburse within 3-5 business days after your school certifies the amount. Given your 3-week timeline, you should be in good shape!

I went through this exact situation last year with my daughter's Parent PLUS loan! Your original $18,000 is absolutely safe - they can't take that back once it's been disbursed to the school. The increase request is processed separately, so worst case scenario is they deny the additional $5,000 but you keep what you already have. I'd recommend calling your son's school first to confirm their internal deadlines for loan increases - some schools need the paperwork submitted to them by a certain date even if FSA approves it later. Also, when you log into studentaid.gov to request the increase, make sure you're selecting "request additional loan amount" rather than "modify existing loan" - I accidentally clicked the wrong option initially and it delayed my processing by a week. You've got plenty of time with 3 weeks, but definitely get that request submitted ASAP to avoid any last-minute stress!

Thank you everyone for the advice! I'm going to start over with my daughter's application first, then have my husband join as the first contributor, followed by me. I'll make sure we have all our documents ready to go this time. One last question - approximately how long after submitting should we expect to receive the SAI calculation?

Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me when I was in a similar situation - when you restart, take screenshots of each page as you complete it. The FAFSA system can be glitchy and sometimes kicks you out, so having those screenshots saved me from having to re-enter everything multiple times. Also, if you run into any weird error messages during the process, don't panic - just close the browser completely, clear your cache, and start that section again. The system seems to have memory issues sometimes. Good luck with the restart!

Another important consideration is whether you want loans in your name or your son's name with you as co-signer. Parent PLUS loans are solely in your name, while private loans co-signed for your son build his credit history but keep you equally liable. We decided to split the difference - some in our daughter's name (co-signed) to help her build credit, and some as Parent PLUS to maintain certain federal protections. Just something to think about in your planning.

I went through this exact same situation with my daughter at UCLA last year - the sticker shock of UC tuition is real! Here's what worked for us: we applied to 6 different lenders and the rates ranged from 4.2% to 8.9% with identical credit scores (mid-700s). Our best offers came from SoFi (4.2% fixed), Earnest (4.6% fixed), and CommonBond (4.8% fixed). The key was applying within a 2-week window so all the credit checks counted as one inquiry. Also, don't overlook local credit unions - ours offered a competitive rate and much better customer service than the big national lenders. One last tip: see if Berkeley offers any emergency grants or work-study positions that might reduce what you need to borrow. Sometimes they have last-minute funding that doesn't show up in the initial aid package.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! This is exactly the kind of real-world advice I was looking for. It sounds like the consensus is that we're stuck with one borrower per loan, which is disappointing but at least now I know what our options are. I'm leaning toward either the alternating years approach that Aisha suggested or possibly splitting it with separate loans, though those extra fees are concerning. I think we'll start by figuring out which of us has the better credit score and go from there. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating all this financial aid confusion!

Hey there! I just went through this exact same situation with my twin daughters starting college this fall. What we ended up doing was having me apply for the PLUS loan since I had the slightly better credit score, but we set up a joint savings account specifically for making the loan payments so we're both contributing equally each month. It's not the same as being official co-borrowers, but it works for us practically speaking. Also, pro tip - make sure whoever applies has checked their credit report recently for any errors that might cause issues with approval. The PLUS loan credit check is pretty lenient compared to private loans, but it's still worth being prepared!