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UPDATE: We figured it out! It turns out my son had entered my husband's email address incorrectly (switched two letters). Once we fixed that and resent the invitation, my husband got the email within minutes. He's created his FSA ID and is completing his portion now. Thanks everyone for your help! The FAFSA process is definitely not user-friendly this year.
Great to see you got it resolved! This is such a common issue with the new FAFSA system. For anyone else reading this thread who might be dealing with similar problems, I'd also recommend having your student screenshot or write down exactly what they entered for each parent's email address before submitting. That way if there are delays, you can quickly spot any typos without having to dig back through the application. The new contributor system is definitely more complicated than the old FAFSA, but once you get through it the first time, it makes more sense. Hope your son gets his aid package soon!
One final piece of advice: after you submit the FAFSA, check the Student Aid Report (SAR) that comes to your email about 3-5 days later. Review it carefully for any errors that could affect your daughter's aid eligibility. If you find mistakes, you can make corrections online. Also, don't be surprised if you're selected for verification - it's random and happens to about 30% of applicants. Just respond promptly with the requested documents if this occurs. Best of luck with the process! Remember that you're not alone in finding it overwhelming - almost every first-time parent feels this way.
As someone who just went through this process with my oldest last year, I want to echo what others have said about not panicking! The new FAFSA really is more streamlined. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you have your Social Security numbers handy for both you and your daughter, and if you're married, your spouse's SSN too. Also, if you have any untaxed income like child support received or tax-exempt interest, gather those numbers as well. The form will ask for current bank account balances, so I'd recommend doing the FAFSA on a day when your accounts reflect your typical balance (not right after a big deposit or payment). You've got this!
One last piece of advice - if your enrollment deposit deadline is coming up and this isn't resolved, contact the admissions office (not just financial aid) and explain the situation. Many schools will grant you an extension on the deposit deadline if there's a pending financial aid issue. Make sure to request this in writing as well.
As someone who just went through this exact situation last month, I wanted to share what worked for me. My son's SAI was corrected due to a medical expense adjustment, but his school took almost 2 weeks to update it even after multiple calls. What finally worked was emailing the financial aid office instead of just calling. I sent an email with the subject line "URGENT: Request to Download Corrected ISIR - Enrollment Deadline Approaching" and included: - My son's student ID number - The FAFSA correction confirmation number - Screenshots showing the corrected SAI on studentaid.gov - Our enrollment deposit deadline date I got a response within 4 hours saying they would expedite the ISIR download, and the corrected aid package was available the next day. Sometimes having everything in writing gets faster results than phone calls. Good luck!
Just to follow up - I want to address the timing question. Since we're still early in the FAFSA cycle for 2025-2026 aid, making this correction now shouldn't negatively impact your aid timeline as long as you do it promptly. Schools typically don't finalize aid packages until late spring/early summer, so you have some time. But don't delay - the sooner you correct it, the sooner your accurate SAI will be calculated.
This is such a helpful thread! I'm a parent who just went through the FAFSA process for the first time and I can't believe how confusing some of these sections are. The family size question seems straightforward but there are so many edge cases - like do you count yourself if you're married filing separately, or what about dependents who are over 18 but still in high school? I ended up calling the helpline twice just to make sure I had it right. For anyone else who might be unsure, the FAFSA website has a pretty good worksheet that walks you through who to include in your household size. Better to double-check than end up in Oliver's situation!
You're absolutely right about how confusing the family size section can be! As someone new to this whole FAFSA process, I had no idea there were so many nuances to something that seems like it should be simple. I'm glad you mentioned the worksheet - I wish I had known about that before submitting mine. It's scary how one blank field can potentially cost thousands in aid. This thread has been such an eye-opener about how important it is to double and triple check everything before hitting submit!
Madison Allen
If you do end up needing private loans, one more tip: many lenders offer an interest rate reduction (usually 0.25%) if you set up automatic payments. It doesn't sound like much, but it adds up over the life of the loan. Also, some lenders offer graduation rewards or on-time payment incentives that can help reduce the overall cost.
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Zara Perez
•YES! Even small discounts matter with big loans. My daughters lender gave .5% off for autopay AND another .25% when she maintained a 3.0 GPA. Saved thousands over the loan.
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Katherine Harris
Update: Thank you everyone for the great advice! We visited the financial aid office during orientation and explained our situation. They found an institutional grant for $3,500 and helped us understand our Parent PLUS options better. We're still exploring private loans for the remaining gap, but narrowed it down to either our local credit union or Discover based on your recommendations. I'll post again with our final decision in case it helps future families!
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Ava Johnson
•That's awesome news! So glad the financial aid office was able to help close part of that gap. Between you and your local credit union vs Discover, I'd definitely lean toward the credit union if their rates are competitive - they tend to be much more flexible and personal when life happens. Plus you can walk in and talk to someone face-to-face if needed. Good luck with whatever you decide!
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Vince Eh
•Congratulations on getting that institutional grant! That's a huge help. I agree with @Ava Johnson about credit unions - they really do tend to be more personal and understanding. My family has been with our local credit union for years and when my son needed a student loan, they worked with us on everything from the application to setting up a payment plan that worked with our budget. Definitely worth comparing their rates and terms closely. Keep us posted on what you decide!
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