Yes, you can absolutely appeal financial aid offers! This is called a "professional judgment review" or sometimes a "financial aid appeal." Each school handles these differently, but the process typically involves: 1. Writing a formal letter to the financial aid office explaining why you believe additional aid is warranted 2. Providing documentation of any special circumstances not captured on the FAFSA (job loss, medical expenses, etc.) 3. Sometimes including a competing offer from another comparable institution Colleges have discretion to adjust their offers, especially if there are circumstances that the standardized FAFSA formula doesn't account for. Some schools have limited funds for adjustments, while others (particularly private colleges with large endowments) have more flexibility. The most effective appeals are those with documented changes in financial circumstances since your tax year data or exceptional expenses that affect your ability to pay the expected contribution. Simply saying "we can't afford it" without documentation typically isn't effective.

Just wanted to add one more thing that really helped us - create a spreadsheet to track all the different deadlines and requirements for each school your son applies to. Every college has different FAFSA priority dates, some require CSS Profile, some have their own supplemental forms, and scholarship deadlines can be all over the place. We had a simple spreadsheet with columns for school name, FAFSA deadline, CSS Profile required (Y/N), CSS deadline, any school-specific forms, and scholarship application deadlines. It saved us from missing anything important and helped us stay organized during what can be a really chaotic time. Also, if your son ends up applying to any schools that meet 100% of demonstrated need (mostly highly selective private colleges), those tend to be much more generous with aid even for middle-income families. The trick is getting accepted, but it's worth looking into if his stats are competitive!

Make sure you specifically ask about the HESC Form H (Special Consideration Form). This is typically the form used for TAP dependency overrides in McKinney-Vento cases. Not all college financial aid advisors mention it immediately, but it's the official pathway for these situations in New York State. The student's high school McKinney-Vento liaison should be familiar with this form as well.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share some hope! My sister went through almost the exact same situation last year as a McKinney-Vento student. The initial TAP rejection was devastating, but we didn't give up. Working with her college's financial aid office, we gathered every piece of documentation we could find - the McKinney-Vento determination letter, statements from her high school counselor and principal, even a letter from the family she was staying with. The key was being very persistent and detailed in explaining her complete lack of contact with her parents. It took about 6 weeks total, but TAP finally approved her dependency override. Don't lose hope - the system is frustrating but it can work! Make sure to keep copies of absolutely everything you submit.

btw one more thing - sometimes if u have a major change in financial situation u can appeal the SAI. my friend lost her job after filing fafsa and they got it reduced. so keep that in mind if anything big changes

I'm in a similar situation with my son - our SAI came back at 22,500 and I was initially panicked thinking we'd only get loans. But after reading through all these responses, I feel much more hopeful! It sounds like the key is really applying to a good mix of schools and comparing their actual aid packages rather than assuming the worst based on the SAI alone. One thing I'm planning to do is create a spreadsheet to track each school's total cost, what aid they offer, and our actual out-of-pocket cost so we can make an informed decision. Has anyone else found that helpful for comparing offers across multiple schools?

Thank you all for the incredibly helpful information! Just to make sure I have everything straight: 1. Use 2023 tax return for 2025-26 FAFSA 2. Have my son create his FSA ID early 3. For our changed financial situation, complete FAFSA first, then contact each school individually 4. Use the FAFSA Simulator to get an early estimate of our SAI 5. Make sure to mention multiple children in college when talking to financial aid offices 6. Pay extra attention to parent/contributor sections to avoid delays This has been so much more helpful than anything I've found on the official websites. I feel much more prepared now!

As someone who just went through this process with my oldest, I can confirm everything mentioned here is accurate! One additional tip: if you're planning to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to automatically import your tax info, make sure you've filed your 2023 taxes using the EXACT same name and address that's on your FSA ID. Even small discrepancies like middle initials or apartment numbers can cause the DRT to fail, and then you'll have to enter everything manually. Also, keep in mind that if you filed an amended return for 2023, you might not be able to use the DRT and will need to enter the information manually from your tax documents. Starting early like you're doing is definitely the smart approach!

Thanks for sharing this thread - it's so helpful to see the resolution! I'm currently dealing with the same blank SAI issue (day 2 for me) and was starting to panic about my upcoming deadlines. Reading that it resolved itself in 72 hours for you and that most financial aid offices are understanding about this gives me so much relief. I'm going to follow the same steps you outlined - wait the full 3 days and reach out to my school's financial aid office proactively with documentation. This community is amazing for first-gen students like us who don't have parents who've been through this process before!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - my FAFSA shows "processed" but blank SAI for the past 5 days now. I've been so stressed thinking I did something wrong since I'm also first-gen and navigating this alone. Reading everyone's experiences here is reassuring that it's a system issue, not something I messed up. I already contacted my school's financial aid office with screenshots like Derek suggested, and they were super understanding - they said they've had dozens of students with the same issue this year. Going to give it one more day before trying to call FSA directly. Thanks for sharing your journey and resolution, it gives me hope mine will sort itself out soon too!