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wait so do we need to keep hitting submit or just leave it alone now? im confused about what to do
If you've submitted once and received a confirmation email, DO NOT keep submitting. Your application has been recorded in the system. Multiple submissions can actually cause processing delays or confusion in the system. Just wait for the display issue to be fixed or contact your school to confirm they received your submission.
UPDATE: Problem solved! For anyone else dealing with this issue: 1. My school confirmed they received my FAFSA despite the website glitch 2. I used Claimyr to finally speak with an FSA agent who confirmed my submission was complete 3. The agent said they're working on fixing the display bug but it might take another week So if you've submitted and got a confirmation email, you're probably fine even if the website looks broken. Just double-check with your school's financial aid office to be 100% sure. Thanks everyone for your help!
Thank you for updating! Just checked with my school and they confirmed mine was received too. What a relief!
Glad it worked out! But seriously, they need to fix their systems. This is people's EDUCATION FUNDING at stake!
To clarify some confusion in this thread: 1. You submit one FAFSA application per family, not per student. Your twins will be listed on the same form. 2. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll use 2023 tax information (they always use tax info from two years prior). 3. Each student will receive their own individual SAI (Student Aid Index) score based on your family information and the specific schools they're attending. 4. For the transfer student, both schools need to be listed on the current year's FAFSA if she might attend either one, and definitely both schools need to be on next year's FAFSA. 5. Priority deadlines vary by school, so check each institution's financial aid website for their specific deadlines.
Thank you so much for these clarifications! I'm going to sit down this weekend and figure this all out. One last question - since we'll be using 2023 tax info, does that mean we don't need to wait until we file our 2024 taxes to complete the new FAFSA?
Correct! That's one of the benefits of the FAFSA using prior-prior year tax information. You can complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA right now using your already-filed 2023 tax information. No need to wait for your 2024 taxes. This is why it's best to file as early as possible - many state and institutional grants are first-come, first-served until funding runs out. The federal Pell Grant doesn't run out, but other aid types might if you wait too long. Also make sure both your FSA ID and your students' FSA IDs are current and that you can access them before starting the renewal process.
This is such a relief! I'm going to log in tonight and get started. You've all been incredibly helpful - thank you for explaining everything so clearly. I think I would have missed important deadlines without this advice.
ppl always blame students for these mistakes but the system is literally designed to be confusing af. why wouldn't summer 2024 be covered by the 2024-2025 FAFSA?? that makes logical sense! but nooooo gotta make it complicated
Update us after you speak with your financial aid office! If they say you needed the 2023-2024 FAFSA for summer and their deadline has passed, ask specifically about: 1) Late FAFSA exceptions, 2) Summer-specific scholarships, 3) Payment plans, and 4) Emergency aid funds. Many schools have emergency funds for students who otherwise couldn't afford to continue their education.
Thank you so much for this advice! I just got off the phone with my school's financial aid office. They DO use the 2023-2024 FAFSA for Summer 2024, but luckily their deadline for summer aid applications isn't until May 15. They're also sending me a summer-specific aid application that I need to complete. Sounds like I might still get some aid for summer after all!
Something to keep in mind - your daughter's financial aid package will likely improve after freshman year. The loan limits increase ($6,500 for sophomore year, $7,500 for junior/senior years). Additionally, once she's on campus and established, she'll have more opportunities for departmental scholarships and upper-level work opportunities that often pay better than first-year work study positions. Also, don't overlook outside scholarships! Local community organizations, parent employers, and industry associations often offer scholarships that have much less competition than national ones. Even small scholarships of $500-$1000 can add up quickly.
That's good to know about the increasing loan amounts - though I was hoping to minimize how much she needs to borrow. I hadn't thought about checking with my employer for scholarships, that's a great suggestion! Do outside scholarships affect the financial aid package the school offers?
Unfortunately, yes - many schools will reduce their institutional aid dollar-for-dollar when you receive outside scholarships. However, they typically reduce loans or work study first before reducing grants. Some schools have more generous policies where they'll only reduce a percentage of their aid when outside scholarships come in. Definitely ask each financial aid office about their outside scholarship policy.
Based on your SAI, your family is expected to contribute about $31,422 per year toward college costs. Any college with a cost of attendance higher than that amount means your daughter would have demonstrated need. For example: If a college costs $50,000/year total (tuition, room, board, etc.): - Your demonstrated need would be $18,578 ($50,000 - $31,422) - This can be filled with various aid types (loans, work-study, grants) If a college costs $25,000/year: - You'd have no demonstrated need since your SAI exceeds the cost - You'd still get the unsubsidized Direct Loan ($5,500) since that's not need-based This is why you might see very different packages from different schools depending on their total cost.
That makes so much more sense now! Most of the schools she applied to are in the $40-55k range, so it sounds like we'll definitely have some demonstrated need. Is that $31,422 expected contribution per year for all four years? Or does it change each year when we resubmit the FAFSA?
You'll need to submit the FAFSA each year, so your SAI will be recalculated annually based on your updated financial information. It could go up or down depending on changes in your income, assets, or if you have another child starting college (which would significantly lower your SAI per child).
CyberNinja
I experienced the Navient to MOHELA transfer about 8 months ago. Here's what you should know: 1. This won't affect your FAFSA or your daughter's financial aid eligibility at all. Federal loan information is tracked by your SSN in the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), not by servicer. 2. By law, your loan terms cannot change during a servicer transfer. Same interest rate, same payment plan, same forgiveness progress. 3. What DOES often happen: - You'll need to set up a new online account with MOHELA - You'll need to re-establish autopay (this doesn't transfer automatically) - Your due date might shift slightly - You'll get new payment instructions 4. If you notice ANY changes to your payment amount, immediately contact MOHELA and reference the "servicing continuity" requirements from the Department of Education. The transition was relatively smooth for me, but it does require some proactive monitoring on your part.
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Diego Ramirez
•I wish mine had been smooth!! took like 4 months to get everything fixed and they kept giving me different answers every time I called 🙄
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ShadowHunter
•Thank you for breaking this down so clearly. I'll definitely watch for those issues you mentioned. I'm glad to hear your transition went smoothly - hoping for the same!
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Sean O'Connor
my cousin had this happen and he said mohela actually LOWERED his payment by like $12/month so maybe youll get lucky lol. but yeah you gotta redo all your account stuff and autopay and everything its super annoying
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ShadowHunter
•Oh wow, that would be a nice surprise! But I won't hold my breath lol. Thanks for letting me know about redoing the account setup. I'll start getting that ready now.
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