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! 🤞

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.

Just wanted to follow up - did you get this resolved? I'm helping several families with the same issue and curious which solution ended up working for you.

Glad to hear you got it resolved! This contributor visibility issue seems to be one of the most common problems with the new FAFSA system. For anyone else still struggling with this, here are the key takeaways from this thread: 1. The issue affects about 7% of applications according to the Department of Education 2. The most effective solution seems to be calling FSA and asking them to completely remove and re-add the contributor (may need supervisor approval) 3. Contact your school's financial aid office immediately to document the issue and request deadline extensions 4. Check if your contributor has multiple FSA IDs tied to different emails 5. Try looking under "Messages" instead of "Activities" on the contributor's account The new FAFSA rollout has definitely been rough, but it's encouraging to see schools being understanding about deadline extensions for these technical issues. Don't give up - keep pushing for that supervisor escalation if the first agent can't help!

my cousin had this problem too and IT TOOK FOREVR to fix. glad u got it working!!! the new FAFSA is such a mess lol

So glad you got it resolved! This is such a common issue this year - I'm a financial aid counselor and we've been seeing this exact problem with contributor invitations constantly. The browser cache clearing + going directly to the site instead of using email links seems to fix it about 80% of the time. For anyone else reading this thread, another tip is to make sure the contributor's personal information (name, SSN, etc.) in their FSA ID profile exactly matches what the student put on their FAFSA - even small differences can cause the invitation to not show up properly. Thanks for posting the update, it'll definitely help other students dealing with this frustrating issue!

I think everyone should be calling Congress about these ridiculous college costs instead of going into debt! In the 80s my parents paid my tuition from their regular salaries. Now we're all talking about taking out MASSIVE loans like it's normal. It's not normal!!!

As someone who works in financial aid administration, I want to add a few key points that might help with your decision: 1. **Appeal Process**: Definitely call the financial aid office as others suggested, but also submit a formal appeal in writing if your family's financial situation has changed since filing FAFSA (job loss, medical expenses, etc.). Many schools have additional institutional aid they can award through appeals. 2. **State-specific programs**: Check if your state offers any grant programs for residents attending in-state schools that you might have missed. Some have later deadlines or supplemental applications. 3. **Payment plan options**: Many schools offer interest-free monthly payment plans that can help spread costs over 10-12 months instead of taking loans. This might reduce how much you need to borrow. 4. **Tax benefits**: Don't forget about the American Opportunity Tax Credit (up to $2,500/year) and potential state tax deductions for college expenses - these can offset some costs. Given your situation, I'd suggest: maximize her Direct loans first ($5,500), explore private loans with you as cosigner for better rates, and use Parent PLUS only as a last resort due to the higher rates and fees. The key is keeping total debt reasonable across all four years - engineering programs often require 5 years, so plan accordingly!