my daughter had something similar, not with ssn but they said her date of birth was wrong 🙄 so ridiculous. anyway we got it fixed by going in person with her birth certificate. also make sure to keep checking both studentaid.gov AND your daughter's student portal at her university. sometimes the school processes things temporarily while waiting for the official correction

Quick follow-up question - did the email about the SSN error come directly from Federal Student Aid (studentaid.gov) or from the university? If it came from the university, they may already have procedures in place to help with this situation. Many schools have contingency processes specifically for FAFSA issues that arise right before classes start. Also, when you visit the financial aid office tomorrow, ask about a "conditional financial aid clearance" - this is a temporary approval some schools provide while FAFSA corrections are being processed.

Has anyone heard if this will affect current college students too? My son is already enrolled and relies on his financial aid package for sophomore year. Will this delay his fall aid disbursement??

UPDATE: Just got off the phone with my daughter's first-choice school. They're extending their decision deadline to June 1st and are creating estimated aid packages based on our CSS Profile and tax info we submitted directly. They hope to have those out next week, with final packages once the FAFSA data issue is resolved. They also said they're establishing an emergency grant fund for students who commit without full aid info and then discover a gap once official packages come through. I'm still frustrated with the whole situation, but at least schools seem to be trying to adapt.

Omg an $8000 drop is amazing! My daughter's only dropped by $2100 after corrections and even that made a difference at two schools. Definitely call them all ASAP. If they already sent acceptance packages they might have a special form for reconsideration. Also check deadlines - some schools stop making adjustments after certain dates!

UPDATE: I've contacted 4 out of the 6 schools so far. Two said they'd automatically review the new SAI and get back to us in 7-10 business days. One said we need to fill out a formal appeal form which they emailed me. And one said they'd already noticed the change and are recalculating, which is promising! Thanks everyone for your advice - definitely worth making the calls!

ur lucky shes even getting the fafsa processed. ive been stuck with the stupid contributor section error for WEEKS and cant get anyone on the phone!!! my daughters apps are all due soon and we still cant submit!!!

To address your specific concern about appeals: The financial aid appeals process doesn't typically deplete funding for initial aid offers. Schools budget separately for initial aid offers and for successful appeals. Also, for an in-state student who qualifies for a full Pell Grant, most public universities have specialized programs with guaranteed funding. These programs usually consider all eligible students regardless of when they applied, as long as it's before certain priority deadlines (which are typically much later than now). Your best approach is to have your daughter contact both the Federal Student Aid office to expedite adding the school, and the university's financial aid office to alert them of the incoming application and inquire about any state-specific programs she might qualify for.

Have you tried reaching out to ASU's financial aid office directly about an extension? When my son had FAFSA technical issues, Ohio State gave him a 2-week extension on their priority deadline since he could document that he'd been trying to resolve the issue. Worth asking about!

What a nightmare situation! This is exactly why I decided to do my FAFSA alone without parents. I declared myself independent (I'm 24 so I qualify) even though it probably meant less aid. The system is SO confusing when you have to deal with parent contributors! If I were you, I'd start over with a completely fresh application using a new email for your ex-husband's account. Yes, it's annoying to redo it all, but it's better than losing out on thousands in aid. ASU *might* be understanding about the deadline, but don't count on it - some schools are super strict.