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quick question does anyone know if making corrections resets your place in line for getting your SAI?? i need to fix something but don't want to lose my spot if I'm already being processed
UPDATE: Our status finally changed from "In Review" to "Processed" this morning! It took exactly 4 business days (6 days total including the weekend). Our new SAI has been calculated and is now showing on the dashboard. I emailed the college financial aid office like many of you suggested and they were super understanding. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO FAIL!!! They make these programs sound great in the news but make them IMPOSSIBLE to actually use! I spent 6 MONTHS trying to get my garnishment stopped under Fresh Start. SIX MONTHS!!! Lost $4800 in wages that I'll never get back. The ED and loan servicers should be SUED for this garbage implementation.
100% THIS. They create these programs for the headlines but then make them impossible to actually use. And we're the ones who suffer while they sort out their 'communication issues.' It's theft, plain and simple.
One more important tip: keep detailed records of EVERY communication. Note the date, time, name of representative, and what was discussed. If you speak with someone at ED who confirms your Fresh Start status, ask them to email you confirmation that same day. Also, if your garnishment continues despite your efforts, you have the right to request refund of improperly garnished wages once the issue is resolved. The Department of Education won't volunteer this information, but they are required to refund wages garnished during periods when collections should have been suspended.
Thank you! I've started keeping a log of all calls and emails. I didn't know I could request a refund for the improper garnishments - that's really good to know. I'll definitely be pursuing that once I get the current garnishment stopped.
Anyone else think it's RIDICULOUS they make us enter schools one at a time when they KNOW most students apply to multiple colleges? Just another way they make this process needlessly difficult. My son applied to 22 schools and we had to sit there clicking save 22 times. In 2025!!
My daughter is applying to 16 and I thought THAT was a lot! 22 schools? That's impressive. Did you have any issues with the 20 school limit? We're trying to figure out if we need to remove some initially and then add them back later.
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm glad to know we weren't the only ones with this issue. I've created a spreadsheet with all my daughter's school codes now in case we need to make changes later. I really appreciate all the tips - especially about the 20 school limit and how to reach the FSA if we run into problems!
This is my third kid going through the college process and by far the worst experience. The new "simplified" FAFSA is anything but simple. My daughter's application got flagged for verification (which never happened with my older kids) and now we're stuck in this endless loop of submitting documents that never seem to satisfy what they're asking for. The timing couldn't be worse either - she was planning to start at community college this summer but now might have to delay because she can't register without financial aid being processed. The system is broken at every level.
verification is the WORST!! we got flagged for that too and had to send the same tax documents like 3 different times because they kept saying they couldn't read them or something?? such a waste of time
Quick update for everyone in this thread - the Department of Education just announced they've fixed several more calculation errors in the SAI formula and will be reprocessing affected applications "in the coming weeks." So even if you've already received an SAI, it might change. And schools are being advised not to finalize aid packages until all these corrections are complete. I know this is incredibly frustrating for families trying to make decisions. My best advice is to stay in regular contact with your financial aid offices, ask about contingency plans they might have for deposit deadlines, and document all communications.
Oh no...so even if we do get aid packages soon, they might all change again? This is becoming a complete nightmare. My daughter is starting to consider just taking a gap year because of all this uncertainty.
Maxwell St. Laurent
i got SO confused by all this last year!!! signed up for a parent plus loan but then found out my credit wasn't approved so had to do all these extra steps for my daughter to get more unsubsidized loans. the whole system is a mess tbh. but yes the deposit deadline and aid acceptance are different things.
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Marcus Marsh
•Sorry you had to deal with that extra stress! If you don't mind sharing, what were the extra steps when your Parent PLUS was denied? I'm a little worried about our approval since we're self-employed with somewhat complicated finances.
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Maxwell St. Laurent
•when my plus loan was denied my daughter automatically qualified for $4000 more in unsubsidized loans. had to fill out a form saying we were declined plus but wanted the extra unsubsidized loans. took like 2 weeks to process. not the end of the world but just more paperwork during an already stressful time!!!
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Cedric Chung
One more important detail: make sure to complete the FAFSA every year by the priority deadline (usually between Dec 1 - Mar 1 depending on the school). Your financial aid package can change significantly year-to-year based on your financial situation, so staying on top of those annual deadlines is crucial for maintaining aid eligibility throughout your daughter's education.
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Marcus Marsh
•Thank you! We already have a reminder set for October 1st to complete next year's FAFSA. Hoping it goes smoother than this year's application with all the changes they made. Appreciate all the helpful advice!
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