To add to the excellent advice already given, here's a rough timeline you can expect: - FAFSA data reaches schools: 3-10 business days after processing - Initial review by schools: 1-3 weeks - Award letters generated: 2-6 weeks after FAFSA receipt - Potential verification requests: Can happen anytime during the process I recommend having your daughter check both her email AND the student portals for each school at least twice a week. Some notifications can go to spam or get lost in the shuffle. Also, keep an eye out for any verification requests. About 25% of FAFSA filers get selected for verification, which requires additional documentation. Responding quickly to these requests prevents delays in finalizing the aid package.

One more tip - have your daughter write down all her login information for studentaid.gov and each college portal in ONE secure place. My son lost access to his email temporarily and we couldn't access any of his financial aid info because we couldn't remember all his different passwords. It was a mess trying to reset everything while deadlines were approaching!

dont 4get 2 check if her scholarships from freshman yr automatically renew! my daughter lost her merit scholarship bc she didnt know there was a gpa requirement and the school didnt tell her until it was 2 late 😠

One thing I learned from going through this process with my twins last year - make sure your daughter's contact information is up to date in both her studentaid.gov account AND her school's student portal. My son almost missed his award notification because it went to his old high school email address that he wasn't checking anymore. Also, some schools send award letters as secure messages through their portal rather than regular email, so she'll need to log in periodically to check for new messages. The whole system definitely feels overwhelming at first, but you're asking all the right questions!

One additional thing to check: Did you properly account for all contributors? With the new FAFSA, if there are divorced/separated parents or other contributors, their information needs to be entered correctly. Sometimes the system counts income twice or applies formula components incorrectly when multiple contributors are involved. And remember, once your application is fully processed, you can always contact each individual college's financial aid office to request a professional judgment review if you believe your SAI doesn't accurately reflect your ability to pay.

Did you check if your SAI includes any untaxed income like contributions to tax-deferred pension plans? The new FAFSA treats those differently than the old system did. I found out I was double-counting some retirement contributions which totally messed up my numbers.

cant u just move the money to someone elses account until after u file fafsa? thats what my cousin did lol

I went through something similar when my basement flooded and I got an insurance payout. The advice here about using the Professional Judgment process is spot on. I submitted my FAFSA with the insurance money showing in my account balance, then immediately contacted my school's financial aid office with a letter explaining the situation. I included copies of the insurance claim, photos of the damage, and repair estimates. They adjusted my aid package within about 3 weeks. The key is being proactive and transparent - don't try to hide it or game the system. Most financial aid officers have seen this situation before and know how to handle it properly. Good luck with the repairs!

One last important point that hasn't been mentioned yet - the Parent PLUS loan process has two steps: 1) the application/credit check and 2) completing a Master Promissory Note (MPN). Make sure you do both or the funds won't disburse. Many parents complete the application but forget the MPN step, causing disbursement delays. Both steps are done on studentaid.gov.

As someone who just went through this process last semester, I want to emphasize timing - don't wait until the last minute! Even though the application only takes 20 minutes, the credit check results can sometimes take a few days, and if there are any issues, you'll want time to resolve them or explore alternatives. Also, once approved, it can take 1-2 weeks for the funds to actually disburse to your daughter's school. With 6 weeks until her tuition is due, you're in good shape timing-wise, but I'd recommend starting the application within the next week or two just to be safe.