For what it's worth, I went through something similar and the impact on aid wasn't as bad as I feared. The SAI calculation for parent assets only counts around 5.64% of assets above the Asset Protection Allowance, so even if it does need to be reported, it might only change your SAI by a relatively small amount. A $27,000 asset might only increase your SAI by about $1,500 (very rough estimate). But definitely clarify the ownership situation first!

As someone who just went through this process with my twins, I wanted to add that timing matters here too. If the grandparents are planning to make distributions for fall semester, you might want to coordinate with them about WHEN they make those payments. Even though grandparent 529 distributions don't count as student income anymore under the new FAFSA rules, some schools still track them internally for their own aid calculations. My suggestion would be to have them pay directly to the school rather than to you or your daughter, and keep all the documentation. Also, if they have $27k saved, they might be able to spread payments across multiple years to help with cash flow and avoid any potential issues with individual school policies. Just make sure to get clarity on the account ownership first - that's really the key piece that determines everything else!

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions! I'm going to: 1) Contact FSA to understand why our SAI jumped so much, 2) Request a professional judgment review based on our medical expenses, 3) Look into payment plans + my son's part-time work to reduce the loan amount, and 4) Have him contact his department about additional scholarships. If we still need Parent PLUS loans, we'll keep the amount as low as possible. This has been incredibly helpful!

I'm new here but dealing with a similar situation! Just wanted to add that some schools have emergency grant funds that aren't widely advertised - it's worth asking the financial aid office directly if they have any institutional emergency aid available for families whose financial situations have changed or who are facing unexpected hardships. Also, if your son is interested in work-study, those positions often pay better than regular part-time jobs and the hours are designed around class schedules. The application process varies by school but it's usually through the financial aid office. Don't give up hope - there are often more options than what's initially presented in the aid package!

now u just gotta wait for the SAI calculation which took like another 2 weeks for me lol

Welcome to the FAFSA struggle club! 🥲 I'm a new parent going through this nightmare for the first time and honestly thought I was losing my mind. Reading through everyone's experiences here makes me feel so much better - misery loves company, right? The fact that they completely overhauled the system and it's THIS broken is infuriating. My kid keeps asking if I've finished "the form" yet and I'm like... honey, this isn't just "a form," this is psychological warfare disguised as financial aid paperwork. Really grateful for all the tips shared here, especially about the recent patch. Going to try again tonight during off-peak hours. Fingers crossed! 🤞

UPDATE: We finally got it working!!! The issue was that my husband's middle name was entered as his first name on an old account. We never would have figured this out on our own. We used that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get through to an FSA agent who found the problem in their system. Just wanted to update in case anyone else runs into this. Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm dealing with a similar issue right now! My spouse also got the "SSN already associated with account" error. After reading through all these responses, it sounds like the key is getting through to an actual FSA agent who can look up what's causing the mismatch in their system. The fact that your husband's middle name was entered as his first name in the old account is exactly the kind of thing that would be impossible to figure out on your own. Really glad you got it sorted out before your deadline! This thread is super helpful for anyone else stuck on this frustrating error.

After all this back and forth, are you both finally on the same page? I wish someone had explained this to me and my parents before we started fighting about it too 😂

Just wanted to add that communication is really key here! I had a similar situation with my parents where we kept assuming what the other person was supposed to do. What helped us was having a quick conversation about expectations before we even started the application. I'd suggest sitting down with your mom and explaining that you WANT to take ownership of the process, but you literally can't complete it without her financial information. Maybe frame it as "I'll handle all the logistics and scheduling, but I need you to be my partner in this since the government requires your info." Also, don't underestimate how overwhelming the FAFSA can feel to parents who haven't done it before! My mom was actually nervous about "messing something up" on her section, so once I explained that we were doing it together and could ask for help if needed, she was much more willing to participate. Good luck! It sounds like you've got a good plan now.