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For your appeal, it's best to be specific about what you need financially. Look at what you can realistically afford monthly, calculate that annual amount, and then specify the gap you need filled. For example: "We can manage $X per year, leaving a gap of $Y that we're requesting in additional grant/scholarship aid." This approach shows you've done the math and are being reasonable. Also mention competing offers from other schools - "School B offered us $22,000 in institutional grants, making it $7,000 per year more affordable than your current offer." Documenting those medical expenses could be very significant for your appeal. Make sure to quantify the impact on your finances.
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kinda off topic but does anyone know if you can update your fafsa after submitting? i forgot to add my mom's spouse and now im worried my SAI is wrong
yeah you can update it on studentaid.gov just login and click the update button. might delay your results tho
Thank you all for your helpful responses! I'm going to call my financial aid office tomorrow morning to discuss my specific situation. It sounds like the SAI is just one factor they use, and my $5108 should still qualify me for some Pell Grant money. Fingers crossed my total package will be enough to cover most of my costs!
Good luck! Let us know what they say!
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That's great news! And smart strategy with the shared spreadsheet - I wish we'd thought of that. Glad everything worked out!
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I work in higher ed financial aid, and I want to clarify something important: while legal guardians cannot take out Parent PLUS loans, your foster daughter's independent status means she qualifies for higher Direct Unsubsidized loan limits than dependent students. Independent students can receive up to $9,500 for freshman year ($3,500 subsidized + $6,000 unsubsidized) compared to $5,500 for dependent students. For special cases like yours, many institutions have the authority to make additional unsubsidized loans available to students in exceptional circumstances. This is different from professional judgment and isn't advertised widely. Specifically ask about "additional unsubsidized loan eligibility for students whose parents cannot obtain PLUS loans" - this provision exists but many front-line financial aid staff don't know about it.
This is incredibly valuable information! So you're saying there might be additional unsubsidized loan amounts available beyond the $9,500 limit? I had no idea this provision existed. When we spoke with financial aid, they only mentioned the standard independent student loan limits. I'll definitely ask about this specific provision. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise!
Yes, exactly! Under certain circumstances, financial aid administrators can offer the same additional unsubsidized loan amounts that would normally be available when a parent is denied a PLUS loan. It's addressed in the Federal Student Aid Handbook, but not all financial aid advisors are familiar with applying this to guardian situations. Since your foster daughter is already independent, the financial aid office might not have considered this option automatically. Be persistent and specifically reference the provision for "additional unsubsidized loan eligibility when parents cannot obtain PLUS loans due to exceptional circumstances." Also, reach out to your state's higher education agency - many states have supplemental grants specifically for former foster youth that operate separately from the federal Chafee program and have different eligibility requirements.
Thank you so much for this clarification! I've written down the exact language to use when we talk to financial aid. This could potentially make a huge difference in closing the funding gap. I really appreciate you taking the time to share this specialized knowledge.
Melody Miles
My nephew had a -2200 SAI last year and got COMPLETELY different packages from different schools. One private college covered almost everything with grants while a state university left a $15,000 gap even with the negative SAI. It's ridiculous how inconsistent the system is!!! And some schools took FOREVER to send aid packages. The financial aid system is just broken.
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Kaitlyn Otto
•This is unfortunately common. Many public institutions have limited institutional aid funds compared to wealthy private colleges. While the federal methodology (FAFSA) provides a standardized need assessment via the SAI, each school's ability to meet that need varies dramatically. This is why comparing final aid packages is crucial rather than making assumptions based solely on sticker price or institution type.
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Brandon Parker
Thank you all for the helpful information! I feel much better prepared now. I'll wait for the aid packages to arrive and carefully compare them using the spreadsheet method. I'm relieved to hear the negative SAI is good news for the Pell Grant at least. I'll also check out Claimyr if we end up waiting too long for any schools to respond. Will update here when we start getting packages!
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Adriana Cohn
•Good plan! And don't hesitate to contact financial aid offices directly if you have questions about specific offers. Sometimes they can adjust packages if you have special circumstances not captured on the FAFSA. Good luck to your daughter!
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