@profile7 Yes, COVID-related income impacts are still being considered by many institutions through professional judgment reviews. The key is documenting the impact clearly: 1. Provide tax returns or profit/loss statements showing the decline 2. Include information about the recovery (current pay stubs, updated profit/loss) 3. Explain specifically how COVID affected the business 4. Note any COVID relief funds received Most schools have specific COVID impact forms or sections in their appeal process. While the acute phase of the pandemic has passed, the ongoing economic impacts are still valid grounds for appeal at many institutions.

@profile5 We were actually considering a gap year too because of all this chaos! But after talking with several admissions counselors, we decided that might create even more problems. Transfer students often receive less institutional aid than first-year students, and gap years can sometimes affect scholarship eligibility. Instead, we're planning to commit to the school that seems most flexible with their financial aid process, even if it's not our daughter's absolute first choice. The admissions counselor we spoke with yesterday said they're creating a special mid-year review for families affected by the FAFSA delays, where they'll reevaluate aid packages in January once everything has stabilized.

Quick update: I checked with my son, and what finally worked for us was having the financial aid office submit a case to FSA's "Application Processing Division" - not just regular support. Apparently they can do this through a special school portal. Maybe ask your financial aid office if they can submit a processing case for your daughter specifically about the signature issue?

One other technical troubleshooting step: Make sure your daughter's name, DOB, and SSN are EXACTLY the same between her FSA ID account and the FAFSA application. Even a single missing hyphen or middle initial can cause these signature verification loops. This is especially true with the new FAFSA system rollout for 2024-2025.

Have you tried creating a new FSA ID for yourself and starting over? Sometimes that works when there's a corrupt account issue. Just make sure to document your current FSA ID info before creating a new one. For the Professional Judgment requests for both children, make sure you're using the exact terminology each school requires. Some call it "Special Circumstances Appeal" while others use "Income Adjustment Request" or "Professional Judgment Review." Each school's financial aid office will have slightly different forms and processes.

One final important suggestion - if you can't resolve the technical issue quickly, contact your sophomore's school financial aid office DIRECTLY. Explain the technical problem with FAFSA, and ask if they can process a provisional financial aid package based on last year's information while you resolve the FAFSA issues. Many schools have emergency procedures for FAFSA technical problems, especially when they're this close to the semester starting. They may be able to extend payment deadlines or offer an emergency loan until the FAFSA is processed. This won't solve the long-term issue, but it could prevent registration or housing problems in the immediate term.

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?

Update on timelines from what I'm hearing across several schools where I work with students: Applications processed in early March are starting to have SAIs appear this week. The Department of Education seems to be working through a backlog in roughly chronological order. For the original poster - since yours was processed on 3/22, I'd expect you'll see an SAI within the next 7-10 days based on current patterns. If schools need financial information before then for scholarship consideration, you can request an extension based on FAFSA delays - most institutions are being flexible this year given the widespread issues.

btw did u check the actual student aid report pdf not just the dashboard? sometimes the SAI is in there even when it doesn't show on the main screen. click on "view student aid report" under the processed application