I just wanted to update everyone and say THANK YOU for all your advice! I've started the special circumstances appeal process with her school and extended her decision deadline. I also got through to Federal Student Aid using the Claimyr service someone recommended (it really did get me to a person quickly!). The FSA representative confirmed that we have a strong case for recalculation since the divorce was finalized after the tax year used. I'm feeling much more optimistic now. Will update when we hear back about the appeal!

I'm so glad to see you got some movement on this! As someone who went through a similar situation 3 years ago, I wanted to add that you should also ask the financial aid office about work-study opportunities when you're there for the appeal. My daughter didn't qualify initially but after our special circumstances appeal was approved, they were able to offer her work-study too which added another $2,400 to her aid package. Also, keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit - I had to resubmit documents twice because they got "lost in the system." You're doing all the right things and advocating well for your daughter!

Just checking in - were you able to make any progress with contacting FAFSA? If you're still struggling, I recommend documenting everything and bringing it to your school's financial aid office ASAP to request an extension on their deadline. Most schools have contingency plans for FAFSA verification delays, especially with all the problems this application cycle.

That's such great news that your financial aid office was able to help! This is exactly why I always tell students to get their school involved early - they have so much more power to work with FAFSA behind the scenes than people realize. The 3-week extension should give you plenty of time to resolve the verification issue. For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, Evelyn's experience shows that visiting your financial aid office in person with all your documentation really is the way to go. They can often work magic that individual phone calls to FAFSA can't accomplish!

Thanks everyone for your help! I feel much better knowing that getting married won't prevent me from getting the Parent PLUS loan to cover her education. I'll definitely fill out the FAFSA as soon as it opens in October, and I'm going to try that Claimyr service to speak with someone at FSA directly about my specific situation with the custody arrangement. One more question - does anyone know if I need to get any documentation from my ex-husband stating that he's not contributing financially? Or can I just proceed with the FAFSA and PLUS loan application on my own?

I'm going through something very similar right now! My daughter is also starting college next year and I'm the only parent willing to help financially. From what I've learned through this process, you should be fine with the Parent PLUS loan even after marriage. A few things that might help ease your mind: - Parent PLUS loans are approved based on credit, not income, so your new spouse's income won't disqualify you - You can borrow up to the full cost of attendance minus any other aid she receives - Since you're providing the financial support (not just physical custody), you should be the one completing the FAFSA I'd also suggest having a backup plan ready - maybe look into private parent loans as an alternative option, just in case. Some have better interest rates than Parent PLUS loans anyway. Don't let this financial stress overshadow what should be an exciting time for both your daughter's college journey and your upcoming marriage!

good for u!! just make sure u save ALL the paperwork they send u and take screenshots of everything. my sis had to send proof like 3 different times cuz they kept "losing" it 🙄

Welcome to this community! As someone new to navigating the FAFSA process, I'm really glad I found this discussion. It's reassuring to see how supportive everyone is here and how many people have dealt with similar unexpected loan situations. @FireflyDreams, your story really highlights how important it is to check for any old accounts before starting the FAFSA process. I'm going to make sure to do a thorough search of my own financial aid history before helping my kids with their applications in the future. Thanks to everyone who shared such detailed and helpful advice - this thread is going to be a great resource for other parents who might find themselves in similar situations!

Update: I tried the correction option this morning and it worked! I was able to add my additional schools. The system showed my application as "processed" even though I haven't received my official SAI calculation yet. Thanks everyone for the help!

Paolo's update is really helpful! For anyone still worried about this - I went through the same thing last year and was able to add schools immediately after submission without any issues. The key thing to remember is that even if you add schools right away, they won't receive your info until your FAFSA is fully processed anyway. So there's really no downside to adding them as soon as the system lets you. Just make sure to double-check that all your school codes are correct before saving the changes!