For anyone else reading this thread later - I found that if you try to update any SSN issues, do it during non-peak hours (like very early morning). The system seems to work better then. Also, triple-check all dates of birth against official documents. And start the process EARLY! Don't wait until deadlines are close like I did.

This is such a common issue this year! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with the exact same SSN display problem. What really helped me was contacting my daughter's college financial aid office directly - they were able to flag our application as having technical issues and gave us an extension on priority deadlines. They said they're processing a lot of these cases manually while the Department of Education works on the system bugs. Don't panic about the deadlines - most schools are being very understanding about FAFSA technical problems this cycle. Document everything and keep trying!

UPDATE: Problem solved! Dad checked and he had accidentally started the process from his 2024-2025 dashboard. He sent a new invitation from the correct 2025-2026 application, and now I can see and access the right form. Thanks everyone for your help!

So glad to see this got resolved! This seems to be a really common issue this year. For anyone else running into this problem, the key takeaway is to make sure the parent starts from the correct year's application when sending the invitation. The FAFSA system doesn't seem to give clear error messages when there's a year mismatch, so it's easy to get stuck in the wrong application cycle. Definitely worth double-checking before spending hours troubleshooting!

my sisters at kennesaw!!! they totaly do this every year, its super annoying. the loans will show up eventually but if ur really worried u can go to the financial aid office in person, they actually super helpful there!!!!

Don't stress too much about this! As someone who went through the exact same thing with my son at a Georgia school, this is totally normal timing. Most Georgia universities process aid in waves - state aid first (like your daughter's HOPE), then institutional scholarships, and federal aid comes last. Since you mentioned her acceptance was a bit late, that could definitely explain the delay. Federal loans almost always show up eventually, especially since your FAFSA was filed properly in January. If you're still not seeing anything by mid-July, that's when I'd start making calls. But honestly, with an August payment deadline, you've got plenty of time for everything to process normally.

one thing nobody mentioned! check if ur in verification!! if ur selected for verification that takes FOREEVERRR to process and u have to send in extra documents. my roomate got selected last year and it took like 2 extra months to get her aid package!! the late submission might make them pick u for verification so be prepared!

Hey Raul! I went through something super similar at Texas A&M last year - thought I had submitted my FAFSA but it was just saved as a draft for MONTHS. The panic is real, but you're going to be okay! Since you're meeting with UT Austin tomorrow, here's what helped me: bring a printed timeline showing when you started the application (those November screenshots you mentioned are GOLD), and emphasize that this was a genuine technical confusion, not procrastination. UT's financial aid office is actually pretty compassionate about these situations. Even though you missed the January 15th priority deadline, federal Pell Grant and loan eligibility doesn't have the same hard cutoffs. And UT often has institutional emergency grants for exactly these kinds of situations - definitely ask about those! One heads up: if your EFC/SAI comes back different than expected, double-check all your tax info entries. When I was rushing to resubmit, I made some data entry errors that caused delays later. You've got this - and honestly, dealing with this now in March is way better than discovering it in August when school starts!

Just wanna say good on you for thinking creatively about financing your kid's education! This is the kind of thinking that shows you care and are looking at all options. Whatever route you go with, your daughter is lucky to have a parent so invested in her future. My parents didn't even know what FAFSA was lol.

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I'd say the processing fees really are the dealbreaker here. Even without fees though, I'd be cautious about the timing risk. What helped me was looking into whether my daughter's school offered an interest-free payment plan - many schools will let you spread tuition over 10-12 months with just a small setup fee (like $50-100). That way you get the cash flow benefit without the credit risk. Also worth double-checking if she's maxed out her federal direct loan limits - those rates are much better than what you'd face if something went wrong with the credit card plan.