I'm so sorry you're going through this stress! As a fellow student who's dealt with FAFSA issues, I can only imagine how nerve-wracking it must be to see such a dramatic SAI increase right when you're finalizing college plans. Based on what everyone has shared here, it really does sound like you have a strong case for this being a system error - that $45,000 asset jump is way too suspicious to be legitimate. The fact that multiple people have experienced similar reprocessing issues this cycle suggests there are ongoing technical problems with the new FAFSA system. I'd definitely echo what others have said about using Claimyr to get through to FSA faster. When you call, be prepared with your specific numbers and don't let them brush you off - a $6,000 SAI increase that affects your Pell eligibility is absolutely worth their time to investigate thoroughly. Also, while you're working on getting this fixed, you might want to look into whether your schools have any emergency aid funds or institutional grants that could help bridge the gap if there are delays in resolving this. Many colleges have become more flexible with aid appeals given all the FAFSA problems this year. Keep us posted on what you find out - I'm really hoping this gets resolved quickly for you!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! A $6,000 SAI jump is absolutely worth investigating, especially since you didn't make any changes yourself. That $45,000 asset increase you found is a huge red flag - definitely sounds like a system error rather than anything legitimate. I haven't personally experienced this, but I've been following all the FAFSA issues this year and it seems like reprocessing errors are unfortunately pretty common with the new system. The advice about using Claimyr to get through to FSA faster sounds really helpful - I've seen that recommended in other threads too. One thing I'd add: when you call FSA, ask them specifically about "data matching" issues. Sometimes their system pulls incorrect information from IRS databases or other federal sources, which can cause these kinds of dramatic jumps in assets or income. If that's what happened, they should be able to see exactly which database provided the conflicting information. Also, definitely don't wait to contact your schools. Even if this gets resolved quickly, having them aware of the situation ahead of time will help if there are any delays in processing the correction. Hope you get this sorted out soon - keep us updated!

Wow, what a relief to see this resolved! As a newcomer here, this thread is incredibly helpful. I'm just starting the FAFSA process for my daughter and had no idea about these common mistakes. The retirement account and home value errors seem to trip up a lot of families. I'm going to be extra careful when we fill ours out next month. Thanks for sharing the final update - it gives hope that even major discrepancies can be fixed with persistence!

This is such a valuable thread! I'm new to this community and currently helping my nephew navigate his first FAFSA application. Reading about all these common errors (retirement accounts, home values, business assets) is eye-opening - I had no idea these mistakes were so frequent or could cause such massive SAI discrepancies. The fact that you went from 160K+ down to 36.5K shows how critical it is to double-check everything. I'm definitely going to use this as a checklist when we submit his form. Thanks for sharing your journey from panic to resolution - it's reassuring to know that even major errors can be corrected with persistence and the right resources!

Hey Andre! I'm a sophomore who went through this exact same confusion last year! Your cousin definitely gave you wrong info - you absolutely need to file FAFSA every single year for all 4 years of college. I was SO mad when I found out because I thought I was done with all that paperwork too! 😤 But here's the good news - the renewal FAFSA is WAY easier than that first application. Most of your personal info carries over automatically, so you mainly just need to update your family's tax information. What took me like 3-4 hours freshman year now takes maybe 45 minutes. My biggest tip: create a "FAFSA folder" right now with copies of all the documents you used this year (tax returns, bank statements, etc.). Keep it updated annually and the process becomes so much smoother. Also, set a phone reminder for October 1st every year - that's when the application opens and the earlier you file, the better your chances for certain types of aid. I know it's frustrating to learn you have 3 more years of this, but honestly by junior year it'll feel like routine. And hey, at least if your family's financial situation changes for the better OR worse, you'll be able to get aid that actually reflects your current circumstances rather than being stuck with freshman year numbers forever!

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who's currently going through my first FAFSA renewal process! I'm a sophomore and I remember being in your exact same shoes last year, Andre. The misinformation from family members is SO common - my aunt told me the same thing your cousin did, and I almost believed her until my roommate set me straight. The annual requirement is definitely annoying, but I actually found some benefits this year. My dad got laid off last spring, so our family income dropped significantly. When I filed my renewal FAFSA this past October with updated tax info, I qualified for way more aid than freshman year - including a Pell Grant I didn't get before! So while the yearly paperwork is a pain, it can actually work in your favor if your financial situation changes. One thing that made renewal SUPER easy for me was that I took photos of every single document I used for my first FAFSA and saved them in a phone album called "FAFSA Docs." This year when I needed similar paperwork, I could reference those photos to make sure I wasn't missing anything. The actual renewal form pre-filled about 80% of my info, so I mainly just updated tax numbers and bank account balances. You've got this! The first year really is the hardest part. 💪

Hey everyone! Just wanted to jump in as another newcomer who's been silently following this thread while dealing with the same nightmare. I've been stuck on that first screen for 4 days now and was honestly about to give up. But seeing all these success stories after the maintenance gives me hope! I'm definitely going to try the magic combo tomorrow: incognito + Gmail + no VPN + early morning. It's wild that in 2025 we need a whole playbook just to create an account on a government website, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real solutions instead of the useless "try clearing your cache" advice you get everywhere else. This thread should honestly be pinned - it's more helpful than anything on the official site! Will report back with my results. Fingers crossed! 🤞

As another newcomer who just discovered this amazing thread, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing such detailed troubleshooting steps! I've been banging my head against the wall for almost a week trying to get past that frozen loading screen. It's honestly mind-blowing that we need to become tech support specialists just to access a basic government service in 2025. But reading through all these success stories - especially the recent ones after the emergency maintenance - has given me so much hope! I'm planning to set my alarm for 6am tomorrow and try the proven formula: Chrome incognito + Gmail + VPN completely off + stable internet connection. The fact that so many people have succeeded with this exact combination is incredibly reassuring. This community is absolutely fantastic - you've all provided more helpful guidance than hours of searching official help pages. Will definitely update with my results tomorrow. Thank you all for being such lifesavers! 🙏

Great to hear your SAI came through! Four business days is pretty typical from what I've seen. For others still waiting, I'd recommend checking your account every morning rather than multiple times per day - the processing seems to happen overnight and you'll just stress yourself out refreshing constantly. Also make sure to screenshot your SAI once it appears, since you'll need that number for multiple applications and it's easier than logging in every time.

Just wanted to add that if you're really stressed about those scholarship deadlines, you might want to reach out to the scholarship organizations directly and ask if they'll accept your FAFSA submission confirmation page as temporary proof while you wait for your SAI to process. Most places are understanding about the processing delays, especially this year with all the system changes. I had to do this for two scholarship applications last month and both organizations were totally fine with it - they just asked me to send the actual SAI number once it was available. Better to be proactive than miss a deadline!