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Also worth noting that the SAI calculation treats these situations differently than the old EFC formula did. I've noticed that students with parents without SSNs often have higher SAI scores under the new system unless the income documentation is extremely thorough and properly categorized. Make sure your student understands how their SAI is calculated and what it means for their aid eligibility.
I actually co-wrote a guide for Virginia advisors on this exact topic after seeing so many issues with the new system. I'd be happy to email it to you - it includes sample forms, calculation examples, and a timeline of what to expect. Just DM me your professional email address.
my cousin works in finanical aid and she said most schools actyally have all the data they need to make a basic aid package but they wait for everything to be official so they dont have to deal with adjustments later. its all about reducing their workflow not helping students
This is partially true. Many schools can create estimates based on SAI, but final packages require the complete ISIR (Institutional Student Information Record) from the Department of Education. However, in situations like this with significant delays, schools should be willing to provide preliminary estimates. It's not always about reducing workflow - there are compliance considerations too.
UPDATE: Thanks to everyone's advice, we've made progress! All three scholarship organizations agreed to extend their deadlines to May 15th after I sent them news articles about the FAFSA delays and a letter from my daughter's high school counselor. Both universities have also agreed to provide preliminary aid packages by the end of this week. I also tried Claimyr as suggested and got through to the Federal Student Aid office in about 25 minutes. The agent confirmed there was an issue with our FAFSA data transmission to schools and has fixed it. The schools should receive everything within 3-5 business days. This community has been incredibly helpful - thank you all for helping us navigate this stressful situation!
So glad to hear this worked out! Would you mind sharing which articles about the FAFSA delays you sent to the scholarship organizations? My niece is in a similar situation and that documentation could help her too.
Sure! I sent them the Education Department's own press release about the delays from February, plus articles from the Washington Post and Chronicle of Higher Education. I also included screenshots of the Federal Student Aid social media posts acknowledging the widespread issues. The more official-looking documentation, the better!
Sometimes browser issues can cause the "in progress" status to get stuck. Try clearing your cache and cookies, then log back in. Also, try using a different browser altogether - I've had better luck with Chrome than Safari for FAFSA stuff. The new 2025-2026 FAFSA is particularly buggy with its "in progress" vs "submitted" statuses. If you've actually completed everything, sometimes it takes 24-48 hours for the status to update to "submitted" on its own.
YES!! Thank you all SO MUCH for your help! It turned out I had missed the school selection for my second daughter AND needed to e-sign again for both applications. Once I did that, I found the final "Submit FAFSA Now" button on the confirmation page. Both applications now show "submitted" status! Such a relief!!!
The whole FAFSA thing is COMPLETELY BROKEN this year!!!! My son's has been "processing" since JANUARY and he still hasnt got his SAI score!!! Meanwhile his friends who applied in MARCH already got theirs?? Make it make sense!! I'm so tired of this whole process I could SCREAM
AstroAdventurer
dont worry about the SAI too much, most of it is BS anyway. my brother had a super high SAI but still got tons of scholarships from his school. just make sure she has good grades and writes good essays for scholarship applications!!
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•While there is some truth to this, it's important to understand that the SAI primarily affects need-based aid (federal grants, subsidized loans, etc.). Merit scholarships are separate and aren't determined by your FAFSA results. Both pathways are important to explore.
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NebulaNova
Thank you all so much for the advice! I'm feeling a bit better about our options now. We're going to: 1. Reach out to each school's financial aid office about appeal options based on our medical expenses and my husband's job change 2. Look into the CSS Profile for the private schools 3. Help my daughter apply for more merit scholarships 4. Consider adding a few more schools where she might be more competitive for merit aid It's frustrating that the system seems to penalize middle-class families so much, but at least we have some strategies to work with now.
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Oliver Schulz
•Sounds like a good plan!! Don't give up - the system is complicated but there are always options!! Good luck to ur daughter!
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