when my son was applying we almost missed a bunch of school specific financial aid deadlines because we didnt know they were different from the regular application deadlines!! make sure you check each college's website for their FAFSA priority dates

You're doing great by getting started early! I just wanted to add a couple more tips that helped us last year: 1. Make sure both you and your daughter use the SAME browser when working on the FAFSA - we had weird syncing issues when she used Chrome and I used Safari 2. The parent contributor section will ask about untaxed income too (like 401k contributions, child support received, etc.) so have those numbers ready 3. If you're divorced or separated, only the parent who provides more financial support fills out the parent section 4. Save your work frequently! There's an auto-save feature but it's not always reliable The process seems overwhelming at first but you'll get through it. The hardest part is just getting started, which you've already done! Good luck with the application this weekend.

So glad you got it figured out! Thanks for posting the update - I'm sure this will help other parents who run into the same confusion. It's actually kind of reassuring to know that you were the third parent today with this exact question. Makes me feel less alone in finding the whole Parent Plus process confusing. The fact that it's such a common issue really shows they need to make the instructions clearer from the start!

This thread is a perfect example of how confusing the Parent Plus loan process can be for families! I'm a college counselor and I see this exact scenario play out with parents all the time. The key issue is that the FAFSA form doesn't clearly explain that selecting Parent Plus is just indicating interest - not actually applying for the loan. For anyone reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, here's a quick checklist: 1. Check your daughter's school financial aid portal for any action items 2. Call the financial aid office to confirm their specific Parent Plus process 3. Be prepared to formally accept the loan amount in their system first 4. Only then can you complete the actual application on studentaid.gov The good news is that this confusion doesn't impact your eligibility or deadlines - it's just a process issue that gets resolved once you connect with the school. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - it's so helpful for other families navigating this!

To address your follow-up question about co-op programs: Yes, most established co-op programs at universities have arrangements that allow international students to work off-campus through CPT (Curricular Practical Training) authorization. This is a major advantage since it's built into your curriculum and doesn't count against your OPT time after graduation. Regarding the CSS Profile that you asked about earlier - yes, you should complete it as soon as possible if you're applying to private universities. About 200 schools use it to determine institutional aid eligibility for international students. It costs $25 for the first school and $16 for each additional school. You'll need financial documents from your family translated into English. Also, many schools with later deadlines for fall entry are listed on the NACAC website under their College Openings Update (usually published in May).

Just wanted to add that you should also look into merit-based scholarships at public universities - many have automatic scholarships based on GPA and test scores that don't require separate applications. For example, University of Alabama, University of Mississippi, and University of Kentucky offer substantial merit awards to international students with strong academics. Also, consider starting at a community college for your first two years to save money, then transferring to a 4-year university for your IT degree. Many community colleges have transfer agreements with state universities, and you'll get the same degree at the end but pay much less overall. Just make sure the credits transfer properly before enrolling. One more tip: some schools waive application fees for international students if you apply online or attend virtual information sessions. Every bit helps when you're applying to multiple schools!

I had this exact nightmare scenario with my mortgage last month! The solution that finally worked was having my mortgage loan officer submit a "Third Party Authorization for Information Request" directly to StudentAid. For some reason, they responded to my lender's formal request when they kept giving me the runaround as an individual borrower. My lender specifically requested documentation showing: 1. Current forbearance status and reason (citing the SAVE plan litigation) 2. Estimated payment under Income-Based Repayment (which is calculated differently than SAVE but acceptable for mortgage underwriting) This approach worked where nothing else did. Maybe ask your loan officer if they can take this approach?

This whole situation is such a mess! I've been dealing with similar SAVE plan confusion, and what's really helped me is keeping detailed records of every single interaction. I created a spreadsheet with date, time, rep name/ID, and exactly what they told me - this has been crucial when I get contradictory information. For your mortgage situation specifically, I'd recommend trying multiple approaches simultaneously: 1. Use the exact document names that @Tyrone Johnson mentioned - those specific terms seem to unlock better responses 2. Have your loan officer submit the Third Party Authorization like @Raj Gupta suggested - this dual approach might speed things up 3. If all else fails, escalate to the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman (they have a separate complaint process for situations like this) The key thing for your February closing is getting ANY official documentation that explains your current payment status, even if it's not the exact amount. Most underwriters will work with you if you can show you're actively trying to resolve the situation and have documentation of the forbearance. Don't let this derail your home purchase - there ARE solutions, it just takes persistence and knowing the right terminology to use with StudentAid!

Just following up - were you able to get this resolved? I'm curious if contacting FSA directly worked for you like it did for me.

I'm so glad you were able to get this resolved! This whole thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding the duplicate application issue. As someone new to navigating FAFSA (my daughter is a high school senior), reading about everyone's experiences with the signature glitch and duplicate applications is both terrifying and reassuring. It's scary that these technical issues are happening, but it's comforting to know there are solutions and that the financial aid offices are working to fix them. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and tips - especially about contacting FSA directly and requesting deadline extensions. This community is a lifesaver for stressed parents trying to figure out this whole process!