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While searching is absolutely helpful, I also want to point out that the FAFSA has undergone significant changes for the 2025-2026 application cycle. The SAI calculation methodology has several key differences from previous years, particularly regarding how business income, multiple students, and divorced parent contributions are assessed. Make sure you're looking at posts from this current application cycle, as advice from even last year might be outdated. For example, the multiple children in college benefit was reduced, and the small business protection threshold changed from $175,000 to $240,000. There's also more emphasis on actual cash income rather than adjusted gross income in some calculations. So while search is valuable, verify information is current!
wait what?? i didnt know about the multiple children thing changing!! my brother and i are both in college and my parents were counting on that discount.... is there somewhere i can read more about this???
Yes, you can find the official explanation on studentaid.gov under the 'What's Changed' section. The multiple student benefit still exists but was reduced by about 35% compared to previous formulas. Your family will still receive some consideration for having multiple students, just not as much as in prior years. It's worth having your parents recalculate their expected contribution with the new formula to avoid surprises.
I think this thread is a perfect example of why the search function AND new posts both have value! We've gone from a simple tip about searching to a discussion about the new FAFSA changes that might not have happened otherwise. This is super helpful information.
Totally agree! I'm learning new things just from this thread that I wouldn't have found in my searches. Maybe my original post was a bit overzealous 😅
has anyone tried starting a new fafsa application? my counselor suggested that but im scared it will mess things up even worse
Financial aid advisor here - DO NOT start a new application! This creates duplicate records in the system and can cause even longer delays. The original application is still in their system even if you can't see it. Starting a new one creates more problems and potentially flags your account for fraud investigation (multiple submissions).
I think they might be prioritizing certain applications right now? My wife and I filed our daughter's FAFSA late (last week) and it was processed in 2 days. My coworker filed his son's in March and it's still processing. Maybe they're focusing on getting newer applications through the system first? Either way, definitely faster than when I went to college!
Update: I just got an email that we've been selected for verification too, despite the quick initial processing! Ugh, back to waiting I guess. They're asking for 2023 tax transcripts and W-2 forms. Is this happening to a lot of people this year?
I told you not to get too excited! Verification is completely random from what I understand - they select a percentage of all applications. Some schools verify 100% of their FAFSA applicants too. Hope your verification goes smoothly though!
One more thing to consider: many schools require you to actively decline aid you don't want. If you simply ignore the financial aid offer, they might assume you're not attending or place a hold on registration. Always formally accept or decline each component of your package by their deadline.
That's a really important point I hadn't considered. I'll make sure to formally respond to each part of the package after I talk to the financial aid office.
also dont 4get some of the institutional scholarships might have DIFFERENT deadlines than the federal aid parts!!! my sons honors scholarship had an earlier acceptance deadline than his federal loans did. its all so confusing!!!
Oh great, another layer of complexity! 😩 Thanks for pointing this out - I'll ask about ALL deadlines when I call.
Amina Sy
Did you fix this? I'm curious what ended up working because we might run into the same problem soon.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Yes!! It was exactly what @helpful_parent suggested - my daughter had checked "No" for my husband providing financial support. Once she fixed that and sent a new invitation with his SSN included, he got all the questions. Such a relief!
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QuantumQuest
the new fafsa is so bad lol. took me 5 tries just to get logged in yesterday. good luck!
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