Went through this last year with my daughter's application. We just printed out statements for all accounts on the day we submitted and kept them in a folder in case we got selected for verification. Made the process much less stressful knowing we had documentation ready. We didn't end up needing it, but better safe than sorry!

As someone new to this process, I'm finding all these responses incredibly helpful! I had no idea about the timing strategy with major expenses - that could save us thousands in aid eligibility. One question though: if we're planning to submit after a large payment clears, should we still gather all our account statements from the actual submission date? And is there a risk that schools might question why we waited to submit if it's well after the FAFSA opened? Want to make sure we're being strategic but also transparent about our approach.

That's fantastic news! I'm so glad the pending records approach worked for you. It's really helpful to know that emailing the confirmation page and specifically asking about pending records can get things moving. For anyone else dealing with this issue, it sounds like the key is being persistent and asking the right questions rather than just waiting for the system to magically fix itself. Thanks for updating us on what worked - this whole thread is going to be super useful for other people stuck in FAFSA limbo!

I'm going through the exact same thing and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I submitted my FAFSA in late April for grad school and it's been radio silence from my financial aid office. Reading through everyone's experiences, I think the key takeaways are: 1) Email your confirmation page showing your SAI score to your financial aid office, 2) Ask specifically about "pending records" rather than just received applications, and 3) Request a preliminary aid package based on your SAI while waiting for full transmission. It's reassuring to know this is a widespread system issue and not something we did wrong. Going to try these steps tomorrow morning. Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions!

Quick update for everyone about the May 1st deadline: The Department of Education released guidance to states yesterday recommending flexibility with state aid deadlines due to the FAFSA processing delays. Many states have already announced extended deadlines or special consideration for students with pending corrections or verifications. If your state hasn't made a public announcement, have your student contact their school's financial aid office specifically about state grant eligibility. Many schools have been authorized to use professional judgment for state aid eligibility when FAFSA delays were outside the student's control. And remember, Pell Grants aren't affected by these state deadlines - they follow the federal processing deadlines which extend through the 2024-2025 academic year.

I'm so glad to see this thread because I'm dealing with something similar! My son's FAFSA has been stuck in verification since early March, and I was losing sleep over our state deadline too. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really reassuring. For anyone still struggling with getting through to FSA - I finally got connected yesterday after weeks of trying. The key thing I learned is that if you have any address changes in the past two years (even temporary ones), make sure everything matches EXACTLY between your tax returns, FAFSA, and any other documents. That was causing our verification loop. Also want to echo what others said about contacting your school's financial aid office directly. They've been much more helpful than trying to get through to the federal helpline, and they can see things in their system that we can't see on our end. Don't give up - this year's FAFSA rollout has been rough for everyone, but there are people who want to help!

oh I forgot to mention! for some of the bigger scholarships theres multiple rounds, so the deadlines might seem far away but theyre actually for the FINAL round. like the coca-cola scholarship has regional deadlines way before the main one everyone knows about. double check everything!!

Welcome to the scholarship journey! As someone who just went through this process with my oldest, I wanted to add a few more tips. First, don't overlook your state's specific scholarship programs - many states have really generous merit-based aid that people forget about. Also, since your daughter is in TRIO/Upward Bound, check if your state has any first-generation college student scholarships - those can be substantial and less competitive than national ones. And here's something I wish I'd known earlier: some employers offer scholarships not just to their employees' kids, but also to kids of their vendors or customers. So think broadly about any organizations you're connected to through work, church, community groups, etc. The smaller, local scholarships often have way fewer applicants than the big national ones, so your daughter's odds are actually better! Good luck - you're asking all the right questions!

Based on your follow-up comments, I think you have more options than you initially realized. With a 3.7 GPA and 27 ACT, your daughter has a good chance at merit scholarships at Western State. Their automatic merit scholarships typically range from $4,000-$8,000 per year for those stats. Regarding your medical expenses: ABSOLUTELY mention those in a special circumstances appeal. Medical expenses over 11% of your income can significantly adjust your SAI calculation. Make sure to document everything thoroughly. At minimum, your daughter should qualify for: - $5,500 in federal loans her first year - Likely around $5,000-$7,000 in merit scholarships - Potentially work-study or campus employment ($3,000-$4,000/year) That could bring the actual out-of-pocket cost down to around $8,000-$10,000 per year, which is much more manageable than the full $24,000.

I'm in a very similar situation as a newcomer to all this! My son is a junior and I'm already starting to panic about college costs. Reading through all these responses gives me so much hope - I had no idea about federal loans not requiring parent credit scores or that merit aid could bring costs down so significantly. @Mateo Rodriguez - your daughter's stats sound great for merit scholarships! I've been lurking in college financial aid groups and keep seeing that combination of filling out FAFSA + applying for merit aid + documenting special circumstances can really open doors. The medical expense documentation sounds like it could make a real difference in your case. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is incredibly informative for those of us just starting this journey!