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Has your son checked if Berkeley offers any school-specific financial aid options? My daughter's university had several engineering-specific scholarships that weren't part of the standard financial aid package. Worth asking Berkeley's financial aid office directly!
That's a great suggestion! I'll have him contact the engineering department specifically to ask about department scholarships. Every little bit helps!
Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I'm going to try using Claimyr first to see if I can get our FAFSA issues resolved and speak to an actual human being at Federal Student Aid. If that doesn't work out, I'll look into the Parent PLUS loan option, and then explore private loans with SoFi and College Ave as backups. I really appreciate all the insights and warnings about variable rates and loan management - this community has been incredibly helpful!
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Any update? Did your daughter's submission fix the issue? I'm dealing with a similar situation and wondering if there's hope...
YES!!! It worked! As soon as she properly submitted her section, I got an email notification that I could complete mine. The trick was that she thought she had submitted everything but had only saved it. Once she actually completed the submission of her part, I could access mine. My section only took about 15 minutes to complete. Such a relief!
That's great news! Just a heads-up - after you both submit, it typically takes 3-5 business days for the FAFSA to process and generate the SAI (Student Aid Index). Then her school needs time to create her aid package based on that. Since she's leaving in just 5 days, I'd recommend calling her school's financial aid office to let them know the FAFSA is finally submitted and ask if they can expedite processing for study abroad students.
Great advice - just called the financial aid office and explained the situation. They said they'll fast-track her file once the SAI comes through! I'm still stressed about the timing but at least we're moving forward. Thank you all for the help!
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my roommate says i should have reported my scholarships as income and now im freaking out that i did my taxes wrong last year!!! does anyone know if we can get in trouble for this???
Many students don't need to report scholarships as income because they use the funds entirely for qualified educational expenses. Your roommate might be referring to a different situation. If you're concerned, you could consult with a tax professional, but this is actually a common misunderstanding. Focus on answering the FAFSA question accurately based on what was ACTUALLY reported on your tax return, not what might have been reported.
UPDATE: I looked through the 2025-2026 FAFSA Help text for this specific question, and it clarifies: "Enter the amount of any college grants, scholarships or AmeriCorps benefits (awards, living allowances, and interest accrual payments) that were reported as income on your 2023 tax return." The key phrase is "that were reported" - you're not answering whether they SHOULD have been reported, just whether they WERE reported. So check your actual tax return to answer this question accurately.
That's super helpful! I checked my tax return last night and there's nothing about scholarships on my Schedule 1 or anywhere else. So I'm going with $0. Thank you all for your help with this question!
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just wait till u get the packages and see how TERRIBLE they are!!! my daughter got into her dream conservatory and they expect us to pay $42k a year!!! with a household income of $95k!!! make it make sense!!!!!
This is unfortunately common with many performing arts programs, especially private conservatories. Their institutional funds are often more limited than larger universities. I always recommend students apply to a mix of public and private institutions for this reason. Public universities with strong arts programs often provide better overall value. Have you tried appealing the offer? Many schools have special appeal processes specifically for arts students where they can review your financial situation again.
just checked my daughters portal and now it says "pending verification" what does that even mean?? more delays??
Pending" verification means your FAFSA was selected for verification, which is like an audit of the information you provided. About 25-30% of all applications get selected randomly each year. The school will request additional (documentation typically tax transcripts, W-2s, or household size)verification . Once you submit those documents,'they ll review and complete your financial aid package. This will add some time to your process - typically 2-3 weeks after you submit all requested documents. I recommend uploading any requested verification documents as soon as possible to minimizedelays.
Amun-Ra Azra
wait i'm confused... isn't FAFSA using the 2023 tax info now for the 2025-26 form? why are they looking at your 2022 taxes?
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Summer Green
•You're mixing up the tax years. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they'll use 2023 tax information. For the 2024-2025 FAFSA (the current application cycle), they use 2022 tax information. The OP is dealing with the current application cycle.
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Amun-Ra Azra
•ohhh that makes sense!! i get so confused with all these different years lol
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Payton Black
Update: I wanted to thank everyone for the advice! I followed the suggestions and contacted the financial aid office proactively. They were actually really understanding about our situation. They gave us a specific list of documents to provide: 1. Copy of our extension paperwork 2. Letter from our tax professional 3. Documentation of our Fresh Start program enrollment 4. An estimated income worksheet (they provided their own form) They said they'd put a note in my son's file and as long as we provide these documents within 30 days, his work-study shouldn't be affected. They also said we'll need to provide the actual tax return info once we file, but that can be handled through a professional judgment review as someone suggested. I feel so much better knowing what to expect rather than just waiting for a potential verification issue to pop up! Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and advice.
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Harold Oh
•That's excellent news! This is exactly why proactive communication with the financial aid office is so important. They deal with these situations regularly and usually have established procedures. Glad to hear your son's work-study position shouldn't be affected.
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Darcy Moore
•Good for you! Wish we'd done the same instead of waiting for them to contact us. You probably saved yourself MONTHS of stress!!!
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