Thank you everyone for your helpful advice! I've started gathering our documentation (green cards, 2023 tax returns, entry documents) and drafted a letter explaining our immigration timeline. My daughter is contacting her school's financial aid office tomorrow to ask about any additional forms they might require. I feel much more confident about moving forward with the FAFSA application now. I'll update once we've submitted everything in case it helps other immigrant families in similar situations.

Just wanted to add that you should also check if your daughter's school participates in CSS Profile for additional institutional aid. Some private colleges use this form alongside FAFSA for distributing their own scholarship funds. The CSS Profile has different requirements and might ask for additional documentation about your family's financial situation abroad before moving to the US. It's worth asking the financial aid office about this when your daughter contacts them tomorrow!

One more important point: If you're facing an enrollment deposit deadline at a school but haven't received your financial aid package yet, contact the admissions office (not just financial aid) and request an extension on your deposit deadline. Many schools are granting extensions this year due to the FAFSA delays. Get this request in writing via email so you have documentation.

I'm in the exact same boat! My FAFSA was processed around the same time as yours (March 20th) and I'm still waiting on packages from 6 schools. The uncertainty is killing me because I need to make a decision by May 1st. What's really frustrating is that some schools have been completely radio silent while others at least sent acknowledgment emails saying they received my ISIR. I've been checking my student portals obsessively but nothing yet. Reading through these comments is both reassuring (I'm not alone) and terrifying (this could take months). Definitely going to start making calls this week before my anxiety gets worse!

As someone who just went through this nightmare process with my older kid two years ago (pre-FAFSA redesign chaos), I feel for all of you! A few tips that might help while you're waiting: 1. Contact the financial aid offices at your top choice schools directly - many are creating "estimated" aid packages that include projected TAG amounts based on your FAFSA info 2. Most schools are being much more flexible with deposit deadlines this year, so don't be afraid to ask for an extension 3. If you're torn between two schools, consider putting down a deposit at your top choice if you can afford to potentially lose it - better than missing out entirely The waiting is absolutely brutal, but remember that TAG funding is allocated by the state and won't "run out" like some other aid programs. Once HESAA gets the data they need from the feds, your award will be processed. Hang in there - you'll have answers soon enough to make informed decisions!

I'm in the exact same situation and it's been such a stressful time! My family's been checking NJFAMS obsessively and calling HESAA with no luck. What's really frustrating is that this delay affects our entire college decision process - we can't compare true costs between schools without knowing our TAG amount. I did find one thing that helped a little: I called the financial aid office at my top choice school (TCNJ) and they were actually really understanding. They created an estimated aid package for me using last year's TAG table and my SAI, and they said they'd honor that estimate even if the final amount is slightly different. Maybe other NJ schools are doing the same? Also, has anyone tried contacting their state legislators about this? I'm wondering if enough pressure from families might get HESAA to provide more specific timelines instead of just saying "soon.

my niece works in financial aid at community college and she says they are telling students to just wait until march 15 if possible. the partial system is causing more problems than its solving. but if ur deadline is before then call your school!!!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue! I've been trying to correct my student asset information for three days now and keep getting that "unable to complete action" error. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like financial corrections are the most problematic right now during this soft launch. I'm going to try the suggestion about waiting 24 hours after clearing everything and logging out completely. If that doesn't work, I'll definitely contact my school's financial aid office with screenshots like @Micah Franklin suggested. One question for anyone who's gotten through - did you get any confirmation email when your correction actually processed, or did it just silently update? I want to make sure I know when/if it actually goes through! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least we know we're not alone in this mess! 🤞

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!