have u looked at michigan state instead of u of m? my brother goes there and its cheaper and he got better scholarships! might be less competitive too

That's a good suggestion. I think his heart is set on Michigan because of his girlfriend, but we should at least visit MSU while we're out there. Do you know if their out-of-state tuition is significantly less?

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to resolve this? If you're still having issues, I'd recommend calling your state's higher education assistance authority. Many have dedicated FAFSA support teams that can help with verification issues specifically. They often have direct lines to the FSA's technical team that regular callers can't access.

We made some progress! We tried multiple suggestions here - switched browsers, resubmitted using my FSA ID instead of my son's, and used Claimyr to finally reach someone helpful. They found that our foreign income was flagging the system and helped us submit the right documentation. The status now shows \

I want to emphasize what was said earlier - please contact the financial aid offices directly at each school your daughter is considering. As someone working in financial aid, I can tell you we're maintaining lists of students affected by FAFSA delays and working with them individually. Many schools are creating contingency plans for students caught in this situation, including offering preliminary aid packages based on the information you can provide directly to the school while waiting for the official FAFSA results.

Yes, sending your 2022 tax documents directly to the schools could definitely help them create a preliminary aid estimate. Some schools also have their own institutional aid application forms they can use as alternatives. Each school handles this differently, so when you call, ask specifically what documentation they need to create a preliminary aid package while waiting for the official FAFSA results. This approach won't work for federal aid directly, but it can give you a good idea of what to expect and help with your decision-making process.

I work part-time in my university's financial aid office, and we see Bright Futures issues all the time. Most common problems: - Student didn't send final high school transcript to their college (yes, even after being admitted) - Student's major is listed as "undecided" (some Bright Futures levels require a declared major) - Student didn't complete the FFAA verification steps after initial approval - Credit hours dropped below minimum for full funding Call your school's financial aid office and specifically ask: "Is my Bright Futures scholarship showing as eligible for disbursement in your system?" That exact wording will get you the right answer.

Also, one more thing I forgot to mention - make sure to check your school email regularly! UCF sent me three important emails about Bright Futures that went to my school email, not my personal one. One of them required action within 14 days or my funding would have been delayed. The whole system is designed to make you fail, I swear 🙄

One thing noone menitoned is that Parent PLUS loans can sometimes be transfered to the student after graduation using refinancing companies. Thats what we plan to do with our son when he gets his first job, but for now we're protecting his credit while hes in school

After reading your situation again, I'd recommend this specific strategy: 1. Have your daughter take the max federal Direct Subsidized loans first (~$3,500) 2. Then federal Direct Unsubsidized loans (~$2,000) 3. Then you take Parent PLUS for the remaining ~$8,500 This maximizes the loans with the best terms while splitting responsibility. The subsidized loans are particularly valuable since no interest accrues while she's in school. And remember, you can always help her pay her loans after graduation even if they're in her name - but having some loans in her name helps build her credit history.