I just dont understand why they didnt EMAIL US about this!!! How are we supposed to know whats going on if they dont tell us??? The whole system is broken and they expect us to just figure it out!

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - I checked with some colleagues today, and based on what we're seeing, these automatic corrections are taking about 3-5 days to process (not the 2-3 days the system claims). After that, schools typically need 5-7 business days to reprocess aid packages. Most schools are being very understanding about deposit deadlines right now. Don't panic if you don't have all the aid information by the standard May 1 deadline - just be proactive in communicating with the schools.

I'm a financial aid counselor (not in MD though). The Parent_IRS_EdCredit_01 error typically means there's a validation issue between what you reported for education credits and what the IRS has on file. The problem is that with the new FAFSA, many of these verification flags are triggering unnecessarily. Here's what I recommend: 1. Call MHEC first thing tomorrow 2. Have your 1040 form ready (specifically looking at line 29) 3. Request an expedited review due to approaching payment deadlines 4. Ask if they need the correction from FSA or if they'll accept direct documentation 5. If they require FSA correction, ask for the specific steps they recommend Many schools are being flexible this year due to the FAFSA delays and verification issues. Have your son check with his school's financial aid office about possibly extending payment deadlines while this gets resolved.

btw one more thing... when my brother had this problem we finally got through to someone who explained that for Maryland scholarships specifically, if the FAFSA correction takes too long, you can request an emergency review. you need to ask for this specifically though, they won't offer it unless you know to ask!

Just realized I forgot to mention - make sure both you AND your son save the challenge questions and answers somewhere safe! My son forgot his and we had to go through this whole complicated process with calling in to reset it all. The system is super strict about security now.

after u get verified make sure u both check that the emails and phone #s are right in your profiles!!! they send all important stuff there and if its wrong u miss deadlines

Anyone else notice how EVERY YEAR there's some new "glitch" with FAFSA? Last year it was the SAI calculation being wrong, year before was the parent login issues. I'm convinced they do this on purpose to discourage people from applying for aid. The whole system needs to be scrapped and rebuilt from the ground up. They had 18 MONTHS to prepare for this rollout and still messed it up. SMH.

UPDATE: I finally got it working! Combination of three things worked for me: 1. Using the mobile app instead of browser 2. Doing it at 5:30am when server load was low 3. Entering income information in smaller chunks instead of all at once Thanks everyone for your help! For anyone else facing this issue, definitely try the mobile app and early morning approach. And contact your school's financial aid office to let them know about the technical difficulties - mine was very understanding and said they're giving flexibility on deadlines because of all the FAFSA issues this year.

engineer major = good choice!! my son did enginering and got a job paying 89k right after college and paid off his loans in 3 yrs. whatever u choose its prolly fine if shes in a field with good job prospecks

One more consideration: if your family might qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness in the future (requires working for government or non-profit), only the Parent PLUS loans would potentially qualify if consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan and repaid on an income-contingent repayment plan. While engineering isn't typically associated with PSLF, many engineers do work for government agencies (DOT, DOE, military, local governments, etc.) Also, the current administration has been exploring targeted loan forgiveness options. While nothing is guaranteed, federal loans have consistently had more relief options than private loans during economic hardships.