Just wanted to add another troubleshooting tip for future students who might find this thread - if you're still stuck after checking all the suggestions above, try logging out completely and logging back in with your FSA ID. Sometimes there's a session timeout issue that isn't obvious, and a fresh login can resolve signature problems. Also, if you're using a school computer or public WiFi, try switching to your home internet or mobile data - some networks have security settings that interfere with the FAFSA submission process. Good luck to everyone dealing with these technical issues!

As someone who just went through this exact nightmare last semester, I feel your pain! One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're a dependent student, make sure your parent also has their own verified FSA ID and that THEY can log in successfully. Even if your sections show complete, the signature section won't work if there's any issue with the parent contributor's FSA ID status. I spent hours troubleshooting my own account when the real problem was my mom's FSA ID had expired and needed to be renewed. Also, try submitting during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) - the system definitely gets overloaded during busy times and can cause weird glitches like this. Hope you get it sorted before your deadline!

They'll already have your SAI from your FAFSA data, but it's always a good idea to talk directly with financial aid officers at each school, especially if you have any special circumstances that weren't captured in your FAFSA. With your negative SAI, you should definitely ask each school about additional need-based scholarships or grants they might offer beyond the federal aid programs.

Congrats on the negative SAI! That's actually great news for your aid eligibility. I went through this same confusion last year when the SAI system first launched. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - make sure to also look into state grant programs in addition to federal aid. Many states have their own need-based grants that use similar criteria to the Pell Grant, and with your -579 SAI, you'd likely qualify. I ended up getting an extra $2,000 per year from my state just by filling out one additional form. Also, don't forget to check if your schools participate in work-study programs - that can be another $2,000-3,000 per year in earning potential!

UPDATE: I want to thank everyone for the advice! I submitted the correction online, then went to the financial aid office in person this morning with all my documentation. They were actually really helpful and said they'd put a note on my file to expedite the review once my corrected FAFSA comes through. They also gave me a special circumstances form to fill out explaining the error, which might help speed things up. The advisor I spoke with said this happens more often than people think and that I should be eligible for Pell Grant and other federal aid once my income is corrected. Such a relief! I'll post another update once everything is finalized.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm a current college sophomore and I want to add that if anyone else is dealing with FAFSA corrections, it's also worth checking if your school has a FAFSA completion event or drop-in hours where financial aid staff can help you make corrections in real-time. My school does "FAFSA Fridays" where you can bring your documents and they'll help you navigate the correction process right there. It's way less stressful than trying to figure it out alone, and you get immediate confirmation that you're doing everything correctly. Also, don't forget to update your state financial aid application if your state requires a separate one - some states use FAFSA data but you might need to notify them of corrections separately!

After reviewing all the discussion, it sounds like you have two likely culprits: incorrectly including your retirement accounts and possibly a duplicate entry of income. When you submit your correction: 1. Verify all income is ONLY entered in the parent section (unless your daughter has her own income) 2. Exclude the 401k entirely from investments 3. Double-check household size is correct (just you and your daughter = 2) 4. Verify your filing status is correct (head of household most likely) If after correcting these items your SAI is still unusually high, you should definitely get on the phone with an FSA agent who can review your specific application. The corrections should significantly reduce your SAI back to something closer to last year's number.

I'm a financial aid counselor and I see this exact scenario SO often after divorces! The retirement account mistake is definitely the most common culprit - that $42k 401k being counted as an investment would absolutely cause your SAI to skyrocket like that. One additional thing to check that I haven't seen mentioned yet: make sure you're using the correct tax filing status. After divorce, you should likely be filing as "Head of Household" rather than "Single" if your daughter is your dependent. This can make a significant difference in the SAI calculation. Also, when you make your correction, be patient with the processing time - it can take 3-5 business days for the new SAI to be calculated and appear in your account. Don't panic if it doesn't update immediately! You're definitely on the right track now with everyone's help. The fact that your SAI was reasonable last year tells me your financial situation hasn't dramatically changed, so this is almost certainly a data entry error that can be fixed.

have u checked ur spam folder? sounds dumb but my calgrant emails ALWAYS go to spam lol might be worth checking

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My CalGrant has been stuck at GPA verification for over a month and I'm getting really anxious about my tuition payment deadline. Reading through these comments is actually really helpful - I had no idea about emergency loans or that this was such a widespread issue this year. I'm definitely going to call my school's financial aid office tomorrow to ask about short-term assistance while we wait for these CalGrants to finally process. It's frustrating that we're all dealing with this but at least we're not alone!