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Zoe Gonzalez
one thing nobody mentioned - have your daughter talk to her professors! my daughter's english teacher told her about a special scholarship for first generation college students that paid for almost a whole semester! lot of times the teachers know about money that the financial aid office never mentions
Avery Flores
Just to clarify for everyone in this thread - the 2025-2026 FAFSA uses the Student Aid Index (SAI) instead of EFC, and it calculates need differently. Having a disabled parent doesn't automatically increase grant eligibility, but low household income does. For the original poster: Your $48k income with a $4,800 SAI actually aligns with the new formula. However, your daughter should definitely qualify for some Pell Grant funding with that SAI. If your community college is suggesting mostly loans, you should specifically ask: 1. What is her Pell Grant eligibility amount? 2. Has she been considered for Federal SEOG grants? 3. What state grants might she qualify for? 4. Are there institutional grants she's missing? Don't accept a financial aid package that's mostly loans without questioning it. Many schools offer an initial package and expect students to appeal or ask for more grant funding.
Lucas Adams
•Thank you for breaking this down! She was offered a partial Pell Grant ($3,200) but nothing else grant-wise. I'll definitely ask about SEOG and institutional grants. Is there a specific way to phrase the appeal to make it more likely to succeed?
Avery Flores
•When appealing, use the phrase "special circumstances review" or "professional judgment request" rather than "appeal." Focus on documenting: 1) your ex-spouse's disability prevents any financial contribution, 2) you have unusual expenses related to being the sole supporter, and 3) your daughter has exceptional academic potential. Provide specific dollar amounts for all expenses. Community colleges typically have simpler appeal processes than universities, so don't be intimidated by the paperwork.
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btw if ur fixing tax stuff do u know which form they need? my daughters corrction was for the w2 vs tax return numbers not matching and we had to figure out which one they wanted us to use
For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they're looking for your 2023 tax return information (not W-2). If there's a discrepancy, the information from your filed 1040 tax return is what should be used. W-2s show only employment income, while your tax return includes all income sources plus adjustments.
Olivia Kay
UPDATE: I logged in with my parent FSA ID and was able to access the correction screen! It showed exactly what needed to be fixed - just a transposed number in our AGI. I corrected it and submitted the changes. The site said it would take 3-5 days to process, but we actually got a confirmation email the next day saying the corrections were accepted. Thanks everyone for your help!
Jibriel Kohn
•Great to hear! That's a perfect example of how small errors can cause verification issues. Glad you were able to fix it quickly. Now your son's SAI calculation should be accurate which will give you the correct aid eligibility.
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Oscar O'Neil
BE CAREFUL!!! My roommate finished her program 6 weeks early and the school reported it as a WITHDRAWAL instead of a completion!! She had to fight with them for MONTHS to get it fixed and almost had her transcript held!!! Make sure you get WRITTEN confirmation about how early completion works BEFORE you finish!!
Omg that's terrifying! I'll definitely get something in writing from my financial aid office before I finish. Did your roommate get it resolved eventually?
When I was doing my online certification last year I was on track to finish like 8 weeks early but then my financial aid advisor told me that if I submitted my final project before the official end date they'd have to recalculate my aid. So I just waited and submitted everything on the official last day even though I was done early. Might be an option if you're worried about having to pay anything back.
LongPeri
•This is actually a smart approach if your school treats early completion as a withdrawal. However, not all schools allow you to sit on completed work - some programs automatically mark you as complete when all requirements are fulfilled. Always check with your specific program's policies.
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Amina Sy
Did you fix this? I'm curious what ended up working because we might run into the same problem soon.
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!
QuantumQuest
the new fafsa is so bad lol. took me 5 tries just to get logged in yesterday. good luck!
Skylar Neal
OMG I just realized I dont think anyone mentioned the HBCU schlarships!!! Norfolk State is an HBCU so theres special scholarships just for those schools. Check out the UNCF (United Negro College Fund) website and the Thurgood Marshall scholarship. My nephew got almost full tuition from combining a few of those!
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Brady Clean
•This is incredibly helpful! I had no idea there were specific scholarships just for HBCUs. I'll check out both the UNCF and Thurgood Marshall scholarship right away. Thank you so much for sharing this information!
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Bethany Groves
With an SAI of 4320 as you mentioned in a comment, you should absolutely qualify for some need-based aid. Here's what I'd do immediately: 1. File a FAFSA correction to fix the parent/contributor issue 2. Contact Norfolk State's financial aid office directly (email AND phone) 3. Ask specifically about the Access Grant and VGAP as someone mentioned 4. Look into HBCU-specific scholarships through UNCF 5. Request an aid appeal based on special circumstances if you've had any recent financial changes Don't let the initial SAI discourage you. Many families successfully navigate this with some persistence.
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Brady Clean
•Thank you for these concrete steps! I've already started on the FAFSA correction this morning. We did have a job change last year that reduced our income - would that count as a special circumstance for an appeal? I'll be calling Norfolk State today.
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