my daughter just put like 3 random schools on her fafsa at first cause she wasn't sure where she was applying yet lol. then we added the real ones later after she decided. worked fine!

Thanks everyone for the super helpful advice! I submitted our FAFSA last night with the 8 schools she's already applied to. The process was much smoother than I expected! Now I feel prepared to add those other 2 schools once she submits those applications. Such a relief to know we're not missing out on aid by doing it this way!

One important thing nobody has mentioned yet - if your daughter is applying to multiple schools, you'll need to complete the Professional Judgment process at EACH school separately. They don't share this information with each other. Also, the timing can be tricky. Some schools want you to wait until you receive the initial aid package before requesting a review, while others prefer you start the process immediately after FAFSA submission. I recommend calling each financial aid office after submitting your FAFSA to ask about their specific process and timeline. Don't get discouraged if one school is more difficult than others - each institution has different policies and available funding. Some might adjust your aid significantly while others might make minimal changes even with the same documentation.

One thing that helped me when I went through this process was creating a spreadsheet to track each school's requirements and deadlines for Professional Judgment appeals. Some schools had online portals for uploading documents, others wanted everything mailed or faxed (yes, faxed in 2024!). Also, when you're gathering documentation, include a brief cover letter explaining the timeline of your job change. I found that being very specific about dates (like "employed at Company A until January 31, 2024, started at Company B on February 5, 2024") helped the financial aid officers understand the situation quickly. Your income drop from $74K to $52K is substantial enough that most schools should make a meaningful adjustment. Don't let anyone tell you it's "not enough of a change" - that's over a 29% reduction in income!

I had a similar panic last year with my son! What saved us was paying the deposit to hold his spot at his top choice ($500 we wouldn't get back) while we sorted out financial aid appeals. But I ALSO had him enrolled at community college as a backup. By mid-June, the university came through with a better aid package, and we canceled the CC enrollment. The $500 non-refundable deposit was worth the peace of mind. Don't forget to check for private scholarships too - my son got $3500 from local organizations that didn't even have many applicants!

I'm going through something very similar right now! My daughter's SAI also came back much higher than expected, and the FAFSA delays have made everything so stressful. What I've learned from talking to other parents and financial aid offices: 1) Definitely apply to CC as backup - most have rolling admissions through summer, 2) Call the dream school's financial aid office and ask about their appeal process AND if they can give you a preliminary estimate, 3) Consider paying the enrollment deposit if you can afford to lose it - it buys you time while keeping options open. The financial aid officers I've spoken with have been surprisingly understanding about the FAFSA chaos this year. Hang in there - you're being a smart parent by planning ahead!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'll make sure my daughter checks her studentaid.gov account daily rather than just waiting for email notifications. And we'll be prepared to follow up directly with schools if we don't hear about aid packages soon. Really appreciate all the insights about how the system works!

One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned - make sure your daughter has enabled text notifications in her studentaid.gov account settings! I almost missed my SAR notification because it went to my spam folder, but the text alert saved me. Also, if any of her schools use their own student portals for financial aid updates, set up notifications there too. Some schools barely send emails anymore and just update the portal. With the May 1st deadline approaching, you want every possible alert system working for you!

PSA: Always save copies of your FAFSA confirmation emails and screenshots of your submitted application. You never know when you'll need proof!

idk if this helps, but I had a similar issue and it turned out there was a hold on my account because I hadn't submitted my vaccination records to the school. Might be worth checking if there are any random administrative holds?