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the paper form is THE WORST don't do it unless u absolutely have to!! took us 6 weeks to get processed and nearly missed the deadline for my kids scholarships
UPDATE: We got it working! For anyone facing the same issue, here's what solved it for us: 1. We cleared browser cache/cookies on both computers 2. I created a Gmail account instead of using Outlook 3. We made sure my name format exactly matched my tax documents (included middle initial only, not full middle name) 4. My daughter logged out and back into her FAFSA account completely After doing all this, the invitation came through immediately and I was able to complete my portion. Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions! The new FAFSA system definitely still has some serious bugs to work out.
To directly answer your original question about knowing if everything processed correctly: 1. You'll receive an official Student Aid Report (SAR) by email when processing is complete (check spam folder) 2. The SAR will have your final SAI calculation and any flags for verification 3. Your colleges will automatically receive your FAFSA data 4. If there are errors, you'll see notes or flags on your SAR 5. Schools may contact you if they need additional documentation If your SAI still seems wrong after you get your SAR, submit corrections online immediately, and consider contacting your schools' financial aid offices to let them know you've submitted corrections.
did ur daughter check if she entered the wrong email for him? my son put .con instead of .com on my email and thats why i never got anything lol. such a simple mistake but took us forever to figure it out
Just an update on what we've been seeing with our college access program - the FAFSA's "contributor" function has been one of the biggest technical issues this application season. The Department of Education actually acknowledged there's a bug affecting about 20% of parent contributors. One workaround some families have used successfully: have your daughter upload the signed Alternative Documentation for Contributors form (it's on the StudentAid.gov site) instead of waiting for the electronic contribution. It's not ideal, but it can get you past this roadblock.
when i did my FAFSA last year i had the same problem but it was becuz i forgot to sign the digital signature at the end LOL. make sure u actually signed everything with ur FSA ID. sometimes people just click through without doing the actual signature part at the end.
UPDATE: I contacted my school's financial aid office and they were super understanding! They said they're seeing delays with almost everyone's FAFSA this year and have extended their priority deadline by 3 weeks. They also gave me a provisional form to fill out so they can start preparing my aid package even without the official SAI number. I also checked my studentaid.gov account more thoroughly and found a small notification about income verification that I completely missed before. I've submitted the requested documents now. Thanks everyone for your help!
Charlie Yang
One more important point: When you get to the tax information section, you'll notice that Social Security benefits are generally not taxable (or only partially taxable in some cases). This means they might not appear on your tax return, but you still need to report them separately in the untaxed income section of the FAFSA. This is one of the most common mistakes people make - they assume that if it's not on their tax return, it doesn't need to be reported on FAFSA. Always better to report and be transparent!
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Emma Bianchi
•That's really helpful information! We only reported about 15% of his SSDI on our taxes last year because most of it wasn't taxable. I'll make sure to include the full amount on the FAFSA though. These forms are so confusing.
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Lucas Kowalski
After you submit the FAFSA, I recommend keeping an eye on the SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation. With disability income, sometimes the formula doesn't accurately reflect your actual financial situation. If the SAI seems too high based on your family's circumstances, contact your daughter's college financial aid office about a 'professional judgment' review. They can adjust the SAI to account for special circumstances like disability and medical expenses.
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Emma Bianchi
•I had no idea this was possible! We do have a lot of ongoing medical expenses from my husband's injury that aren't fully covered by insurance. I'll definitely look into this if her aid package isn't sufficient. Thank you!
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