Just a quick tip - while you're waiting for your correction to process, take some time to prepare all the correct information for your next correction. Write down the exact changes you need to make so you don't miss anything again. The FAFSA correction process can be overwhelming, especially with the new 2025-2026 form changes, so having everything organized will help ensure you get it right the next time.

I'm new to the FAFSA process and this whole correction situation sounds really stressful! Reading through everyone's experiences makes me realize how easy it is to make mistakes. For someone who hasn't submitted their FAFSA yet for 2025-2026, what's the best way to avoid needing corrections in the first place? Should I be using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool that Miranda mentioned, or are there other tools/resources that help ensure accuracy on the first try? I'd rather spend extra time getting it right initially than deal with multiple corrections and potential verification issues.

To summarize what you should do now: 1. Wait for your official financial aid packages from each school before making decisions 2. Compare all offers side-by-side (some schools include loans in their "aid" number which is misleading) 3. Apply for school-specific scholarships as suggested above 4. Contact each school's financial aid office for clarification on their packages 5. Only after understanding your true remaining need, consider additional funding sources For that last step, the order to consider is: additional scholarships → federal student loans → parent PLUS loans → private loans (absolute last resort). Based on your SAI and a $24k cost, you'll likely have some gap to fill, but don't panic until you see the actual packages!

Hey Emily! As someone who went through this process a few years ago, I totally understand the stress you're feeling. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track everything once I started getting my financial aid packages. I listed each school, their total cost, federal aid offered, scholarships, and then calculated my actual out-of-pocket need. This made it SO much easier to compare schools and see where I might need additional funding. Also, don't forget to check if your state has any need-based grant programs - many do and they're not always included in your initial FAFSA estimate. Your state's higher education agency website should have info on this. You're being really smart by researching early rather than waiting until the last minute like I did! The fact that you're asking the right questions now puts you way ahead of where I was at this stage.

I'm having the EXACT same problem right now but with the PARENT signature part. My dad keeps trying to sign but nothing happens when he clicks. Has anyone had this specific issue with the parent signature portion? Is it the same fix?

Just wanted to add another potential solution for anyone still struggling with this - I work at my college's financial aid office and we've been seeing this signature page issue a LOT this year. One thing that often helps is making sure you're not using any VPN services when trying to sign. The FSA system flags VPN traffic as potentially suspicious and can block the signature process. Also, if you're using a work or school computer, sometimes the institutional firewalls interfere with the secure connection needed for signing. Try using your personal device on your home network if possible. The good news is that your application data IS being saved even when the signature fails, so you won't lose your progress!

Something not mentioned yet - check if your state has grant programs with higher SAI thresholds than the federal Pell Grant. For example, in my state, students can qualify for state grants with an SAI up to 15500 for some programs and up to 42000 for others, which is much higher than the Pell cutoff. Your SAI of 33814 might still qualify for state-specific aid programs even if federal Pell is off the table. The review status shouldn't affect your ability to apply for these state programs in most cases.

I went through something similar with my son two years ago! The "under review" status appeared right after we submitted his FAFSA, and I was panicking thinking we'd made some error. Turns out it was completely routine - they were just cross-checking our tax information with IRS records since we had some retirement account distributions that year. The whole thing resolved in about 2.5 weeks without us having to do anything. One tip that really helped us during the waiting period: I created a spreadsheet tracking all the different aid deadlines for his schools, including their priority deadlines for institutional aid. Most schools were understanding when I explained the FAFSA was under review and didn't penalize us for the delay. Some even gave us preliminary aid estimates based on the SAI we had, with the understanding it might change slightly after review (though in our case, it stayed exactly the same). Don't let the stress get to you too much - at an SAI of 33814, you're in a pretty predictable range where the review is unlikely to change things dramatically either way. Focus your energy on researching those institutional aid opportunities!

Most schools have a formal process called a Professional Judgment Review or Special Circumstances Appeal. You'd typically need to submit a letter explaining your situation (that you own the property but your brother lives there with minimal rent) along with documentation. Start by calling the financial aid office to ask about their specific process, as it varies by institution. They'll guide you through their requirements. Be prepared to provide mortgage statements, any rental agreement with your brother, and tax returns showing the actual income from the property.

As someone new to this process, this whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently working on my daughter's FAFSA and now I'm paranoid that I might miss the parent asset section too. Can someone clarify - at what point in the application should those parent asset questions appear? I want to make sure I don't make the same mistake as Kyle. Also, should I have all my asset information ready before I even start, or does the form give you time to look things up as you go?