I just wanted to follow up on my earlier post. After your daughter's SAI is calculated, the college will create her financial aid package, which may include: - Federal Pell Grants (if eligible based on SAI) - Federal Work-Study opportunities - Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans - State grants (varies by state) - Institutional scholarships/grants Even if her FAFSA is still processing, the college's financial aid office can often begin packaging some aid or provide estimates. They may also have emergency procedures for students caught in the FAFSA backlog. Once your daughter receives her aid package, carefully review all offers before accepting, especially loans. Remember that subsidized loans don't accrue interest while she's in school, but unsubsidized loans do.

After I posted earlier I checked with my sister who just went through this - she said if you have a complex tax situation (like self-employment income, foreign income, or amended returns) it could delay processing by months. Did you have any unusual tax situations last year?

did u try looking at work study options?? sometimes they have last minute openings and that money goes directly to tuition. also my kid got a resident assistant position in second yr and that covered housing completely!!

Based on your responses, I think you have several options to explore simultaneously: 1. Request the Professional Judgment review based on medical expenses 2. Look into private loans with a co-signer other than yourself 3. Contact FSA to verify your FAFSA is properly processed (using that callback service someone mentioned if needed) 4. Ask specifically about emergency retention grants (many schools have these for students in good standing who might otherwise have to withdraw) 5. See if your daughter can pick up a part-time job to contribute With a 3.8 GPA, your daughter is clearly succeeding academically. Make sure the financial aid office knows this is a student they want to retain. Sometimes being very direct about the fact that your daughter may have to withdraw without additional aid can motivate them to find solutions.

Another important thing to know - even though the federal deadline is June 30, 2026, that's for the entire 2025-2026 academic year. That means if you're starting in Fall 2025, you need to submit MUCH earlier than that June 2026 date. I think that deadline confuses a lot of people. Also, the FAFSA form itself should take about 30-45 minutes to complete if you have all your documents ready. You'll need: 1. Your SSN 2. Your driver's license number (if you have one) 3. Your 2023 tax records (for 2025-2026 FAFSA) 4. Records of untaxed income 5. Information about your assets 6. List of schools you're applying to If you're a dependent student (most undergrads are), you'll need your parents' information too.

Thank you all for this helpful information! I'm going to mark December 1 on my calendar and aim to submit that first week. I'll also make a spreadsheet of all my potential nursing schools with their specific FAFSA and CSS Profile deadlines. One last question - if my parents are divorced, whose information do I need to include on the FAFSA?

Does anyone know if there's a way to check if your kid actually submitted their part? My daughter SWORE she submitted last month but turns out she never clicked the final button. Kids these days lol

UPDATE: Just wanted to follow up in case anyone has the same issue. My daughter checked her submission status and it turns out she DID complete everything correctly. I finally got the email this morning - almost 48 hours after she submitted it! The subject line was different than last year which is why I might have missed it if it came earlier. Instead of "FAFSA Signature Required" it said "Action Required: 2025-2026 FAFSA form." Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

The consultant basically created a detailed timeline with EVERY transaction, highlighted all the relevant tax codes, and explained it in financial aid jargon that the office understood. Then she followed up DAILY until they processed it. It shouldn't be necessary but the system is so broken that sometimes you need an insider who knows how to navigate it. Good luck - I hope your experience is better than mine was!

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with the financial aid office at my daughter's school. They were actually super helpful! They said this is a common issue and gave me a specific verification form for retirement rollovers. They said as long as I submit it with the 1099-R and account statements within a week, they can process it without delaying her aid package. Thanks everyone for your advice - it gave me exactly what I needed to ask for!