


Ask the community...
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.
This is so reassuring to hear! I was starting to think we were doing something wrong. Just got off the phone with my son's financial aid office and they confirmed they can see his SAI in their system too. They said they're dealing with this issue constantly and are totally understanding about it. Thanks for sharing your experience - it really helps to know we're not alone in this mess!
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!
This is exactly the kind of insider perspective I was hoping to get! Thank you for confirming everything and for the tip about taking a screenshot of the confirmation page - I definitely wouldn't have thought of that. It's reassuring to hear from someone who actually works in financial aid that the timeline should work out. I'm feeling much more confident about submitting the request now!
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?
The Department of Education quotes 3-5 business days for SAI calculations, but the reality this application season has been more like 7-10 days for most families. Make sure your daughter checks both her student aid account AND her email regularly for any notices about verification requests or additional information needed.
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!
Great job figuring it out! That's a very common mistake with the new FAFSA form. Make sure both your mom and stepdad sign again after you make the correction. Your SAI should come through much faster this time around.
Glad you figured out the W-2 issue! Just went through something similar myself. Pro tip - after you and your parents e-sign, you'll get a confirmation email, but it might take up to 24 hours to actually show the "submitted" status on studentaid.gov. Don't panic if it doesn't update immediately like I did lol. The Box 1 vs Box 5 mistake is SO easy to make, especially when you're stressed about deadlines. Good luck with the reprocessing!
Christian Bierman
Update: Thanks everyone for your help! My husband created his FSA ID last night and was able to sign. The whole process took less than 10 minutes once I showed him where to go. Our son's FAFSA is now officially submitted with both parent signatures. Such a relief to have this done correctly!
0 coins
Lucas Lindsey
•Great news! Glad to hear you got it sorted out. Now your son's application can be processed without delays.
0 coins
Logan Chiang
•YAYY!! One more college prep task conquered! 👏
0 coins
Zoe Papanikolaou
Congrats on getting it figured out! This thread is super helpful - I'm bookmarking it for when I help my daughter with her FAFSA next year. The signature requirement definitely seems like one of those things that catches a lot of families off guard. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences!
0 coins
Malik Davis
•Yes, definitely bookmark this! I wish I had found a thread like this before going through the FAFSA process. The signature requirement really does catch so many people off guard - it seems like such a simple thing but can cause major delays if you miss it. This community has been incredibly helpful for navigating all these confusing financial aid requirements!
0 coins