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my daughters counselor said like 30% of all fafsas r getting flagged for review this year bcuz of the new system. its normal but super annoying!!!
That makes me feel better that it's not just us! Thanks for sharing what the counselor said.
Update on your situation: I've just learned from a financial aid conference call that the Department of Education is specifically reviewing applications with multiple students from the same household at a higher rate this year. This is because the new simplified FAFSA doesn't have as many cross-verification questions as previous versions. For families with students in different grade levels (like your junior and senior), they're looking to verify that household information is consistent across applications. Your daughter's application going into review after initially being processed is actually a normal part of this new protocol. As long as you reported consistent information for both students, everything should resolve itself within 2-3 weeks. Just make sure to respond to any document requests within the timeframe specified.
This is incredibly helpful information! I had no idea they were specifically targeting multi-student households for review. Both applications should have identical household information since I helped both kids complete them, so hopefully we'll be okay. Thank you for sharing this insight from the conference call!
Income verification can take longer than simple corrections. If you've been waiting 3+ weeks, I'd definitely recommend calling FSA directly to check on the status. Sometimes applications get stuck in the system and a phone call can move things along.
FINAL UPDATE: Got the new SAI number today - only took 3 business days! And good news - updating our family size from 3 to 4 people lowered his SAI by about $2,500. Already notified his schools about the change. Thanks again to everyone who helped!
does anyone know if the same rules apply for the CSS Profile too? my daughters school requires both fafsa and css profile and im confused about which parent info goes where
CSS Profile has different rules! For CSS, many schools want information from all parents - biological and step - regardless of who has legal responsibility. Some CSS schools even require the non-custodial biological parent's information. It's best to check with each specific school about their CSS requirements, as they can vary significantly.
Thank you all so much for the helpful advice! I'm going to start collecting all these documents now and will try to get through to FSA with that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I'll also reach out to all the schools my son is applying to about their specific requirements. It sounds like I'm in for a paperwork marathon, but at least I have a clearer picture of what to do now. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!
my brother went thru this last year and he said the most annoying part was each school formats their aid letters totally different so its super confusing to compare them side by side. some schools make loans look like scholarships if ur not reading carefully
also just fyi the timing on this stuff is so random. my daughters first school sent her aid package like 2 weeks after she got accepted but another one took until like april even tho she was accepted in january. dont panic if they all come at different times
Sophie Duck
This new 2024-2025 FAFSA system is GARBAGE. I work in a college financial aid office and we're seeing hundreds of these issues. The auto-submit feature is causing massive problems. Here's what you need to know: 1. Yes, the system auto-submits after 48 hours of inactivity 2. Yes, this WILL likely cause problems with your daughter's application 3. Yes, it will probably get flagged for verification 4. NO, submitting another correction right now isn't recommended You NEED to speak with an FSA agent directly. They can add a note to your daughter's application explaining the auto-submission issue and guide you on next steps. Without both parents' signatures (assuming you're both required contributors), the SAI calculation will be incorrect, which affects all aid determinations.
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Liam Cortez
•Thank you so much for this insider perspective. It's reassuring to hear from someone who understands the system, even if the news isn't great. I'll definitely prioritize speaking with an FSA agent directly.
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Sophie Duck
•No problem! One more thing - make sure you check your daughter's SAI once it's calculated. If it seems unusually high or low, that's another sign that your information wasn't properly included. The schools can help with corrections too, but it's faster if you resolve it directly with FSA first.
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Liam Cortez
UPDATE: I finally got through to an FSA agent! They confirmed that the system does auto-submit after 48 hours, but said the good news is that they can see my information was included in the correction, even though my signature wasn't. They're adding a note to our application and sending instructions for me to provide my signature through a special process. The agent said this happens frequently and schools are aware of the issue. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Christian Bierman
•That's great news! Make sure you follow their instructions for adding your signature exactly as directed, and I'd recommend keeping a record of your conversation with the agent (date, time, reference number if provided). This can be helpful if questions come up later during the aid process.
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Liam Cortez
•That's a great suggestion - I did write down the agent's name and the case number they provided. Hopefully this gets resolved soon. My daughter's school has a May 1 deadline for financial aid documents.
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