Based on your comments, here's what you should do tomorrow: 1. Call your financial aid office first thing and tell them about the Parent PLUS denial. Request the additional unsubsidized loan amount immediately. 2. While on the phone, schedule an appointment for a Professional Judgment review based on your sister's medical expenses. Ask what documentation you need to bring. 3. Inquire about nursing-specific scholarships at your school and any emergency funds they might have available. 4. Request a detailed breakdown of your SAI calculation to check for possible errors. With the additional unsubsidized loans bringing you to $9,500, you'll still have a gap of around $15,500. A combination of professional judgment review, departmental scholarships, payment plans, and possibly a smaller private loan might get you through the first year. Then you can reassess and apply for external scholarships with more lead time for your sophomore year.

Also look into your state's financial aid programs! Many states have grant programs that aren't tied to FAFSA results or have different income thresholds. Some states also have loan forgiveness programs for certain majors like nursing. Since you mentioned you're going into nursing, definitely check if your state has any healthcare worker incentive programs - some will pay for school in exchange for working in underserved areas after graduation. Your state's higher education website should have a list of all available programs.

Yes, absolutely contact your school's financial aid office directly. Explain the technical issues you experienced. Many schools are making accommodations for students who faced technical difficulties with the new FAFSA system. Bring documentation of your attempts (screenshots of errors, notes from when you called support, etc.). Also, once your FAFSA processes (usually 3-5 days), log back in to check your SAI (Student Aid Index) score. This replaces the old EFC and determines your aid eligibility. If it seems incorrect, you can submit corrections or appeal directly to your financial aid office with documentation of any special circumstances.

So glad to see you got through with Edge browser! I'm a college senior who went through similar FAFSA nightmares last year. Just wanted to add that if you run into any more technical issues, try using a different device entirely if possible - sometimes it's device-specific cache issues that cause problems even in incognito mode. Also, definitely keep checking your student aid email regularly over the next few weeks. The new system has been sending verification requests and updates at random times, and some schools are being more flexible with deadlines for students who can document technical difficulties. You've got this!

alguien sabe si la fecha limite sigue siendo el 30 de junio? o cambio con el nuevo sistema FAFSA?

¡Hola! Como alguien nuevo en este proceso, quería agregar que si decides ir por la ruta del papel, también puedes llamar a la línea de ayuda federal al 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) para confirmar que recibieron tu formulario después de enviarlo. Me parece increíble toda la ayuda que están dando aquí - definitivamente intentaría todas las opciones electrónicas primero basándome en las experiencias que han compartido. ¡Mucha suerte con tu solicitud!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at FSA! Used the Claimyr service that was recommended and it worked perfectly. The representative confirmed it's a known system issue where joint-filing spouses sometimes get flagged incorrectly. They fixed my husband's SSN and unlocked the contributor section so I could add our asset information. Our daughter's updated SAI should be available in 3-5 business days. Thank you everyone for your help!

So glad you got this resolved! I'm dealing with a similar issue right now where my spouse's SSN isn't showing up correctly even though we filed jointly. Just signed up for that Claimyr service you mentioned - fingers crossed I can get through to someone soon. It's so frustrating that such a basic thing like recognizing joint tax filers is causing so many problems with the new system. Thanks for sharing your experience and the solution that worked!

When my daughter got her package from UNC last year, we had the same confusion! Called in and they explained that federal loans aren't automatically added to the initial package - we had to sign in and specifically request them after accepting the scholarships. It's apparently a strategy to reduce student borrowing by making loans an opt-in choice rather than including them as part of the initial offer. Honestly, I think it's smart since it makes students think carefully about whether they actually need the loans.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same confusion last year with my daughter! Northwestern State definitely does things differently - they show merit aid first, then you have to actively request federal loans through their portal after accepting the initial package. It's not that your aid is incomplete, it's just their process. Look for something like "Request Additional Aid" or "Loan Options" in the student portal after you accept the scholarship offer. The loans won't automatically appear until you complete that step. Don't stress - this is totally normal for their system! Your son should be eligible for the freshman loan limits ($5,500 total) once you go through the proper channels.