My cousin works in financial aid at a university and she said they're seeing tons of similar problems with the new FAFSA system. She said always save PDFs of everything you submit!!! Even if it seems to go through ok.

UPDATE: We successfully created a new FAFSA application tonight and everything went smoothly! My son sent me a new contributor invite without any problems, and this time I triple-checked my SSN before proceeding. The system accepted all our information and we were able to submit without issues. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

my daughter had same problem. we were missing packaes from 6 schools she got into. financial aid office told us it was because we didnt fill out the CSS PROFILE for those schools!!!! FAFSA isnt enough for many private colleges. you have to do CSS too and its not free like FAFSA. cost us $25 per school to submit it late. check if your missing schools required CSS!!!

If that first package is any indication of what's coming, you might want to start looking at Plan B options now. We were in the same boat last year - excited about all the acceptances until we saw the actual cost after "aid." In the end, my daughter turned down her dream school for the state university because the difference was over $30k per year. Sometimes the package from one school does represent what you'll see from similar-tier schools. Just trying to help you prepare mentally! Start researching community college transfer programs as a backup.

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.

nobody talks about this but u can negotiate with colleges!!! they have wiggle room in their budgets. my son got an extra 8k just by showing them better offers from competing schools. be confident when u call them!!!

everyone saying credit score doesn't matter is right. they ONLY look for bad stuff. my brother in law had like a 680 score which isn't even that great but got approved no problem because he didnt have any negative marks. its weird how they do it. BTW if u get denied u should look at Sallie Mae or Discover private loans. interest rates are higher but sometimes its the only option.

Update: I ended up applying yesterday and got an immediate denial due to the wage garnishment, even though it's paid off. I used that Claimyr service that someone recommended here to reach Federal Student Aid (after trying unsuccessfully for days on my own), and they were super helpful! The agent explained exactly what documentation I needed to submit for the extenuating circumstances appeal and how to present my case. I submitted everything yesterday afternoon and now I'm waiting to hear back. They said it usually takes 2-3 weeks, but sometimes faster. In the meantime, my twins' financial aid offices confirmed they'd be eligible for additional unsubsidized loans if my appeal doesn't go through. Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I'll post again when I hear the results of my appeal.

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.

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.