


Ask the community...
my roomate had both types of loans and said the biggest benefit was when she lost her job after graduation, she could put her federal loan on hold but had to keep paying the private one even tho she had no income. thats why i took all the federal loans i could get even tho some of my private options had slightly better rates
One final point to consider: if your daughter takes the federal loan first and then the private loan for the remainder, she'll end up with approximately 25% of her debt having federal protections. That's significantly better than 0%. Even this partial protection could be valuable in the future, especially since we can't predict economic conditions or personal circumstances years down the road.
You've all convinced me! She'll take the federal loan first and then use the private loan for the rest. Having some portion protected seems like the smart approach, and the administrative aspect of managing two loans doesn't seem that burdensome compared to the benefits. Thank you all for your helpful insights!
ok but why are they making us use 2022 tax info for the 2025-2026 year anyway?? thats like 3 years old by then! my husbands income changed A LOT since 2022! this is so stupid, the whole system is broken
You're absolutely right that 2022 tax information might not reflect your current financial situation. The good news is that if your family's income has changed significantly since 2022, you can request a financial aid appeal (sometimes called a "professional judgment" or "special circumstances review") directly with your school's financial aid office after you receive your initial aid offer. Be prepared to provide documentation of the income changes.
UPDATE: Just got the email that my FAFSA has been fully processed and my SAI calculation is complete! It took 6 days total from submission to completion. The email says my data was successfully retrieved from the IRS and my information has been sent to the schools I selected. Thanks everyone for your help and advice. For anyone else experiencing this, it seems the new system does work - it just takes some patience!
I wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful. The timing of when SAI scores are calculated and displayed can vary widely depending on when the FAFSA was submitted and if there were any verification requirements.\n\nIf your daughter submitted her FAFSA earlier or had a less complex financial situation, her application might have been processed in an earlier batch. The Department of Education has been rolling out features of the new system gradually.\n\nAlso, do check if your son's FAFSA was selected for verification. If it was, the SAI might not be finalized until that process is complete, even if the application shows as \
my sister had this issue and it turned out she didn't complete the "additional financial information" section even though it didn't show as incomplete anywhere. check that section maybe? also does your SAI calculation show up anywhere? if not something is definitely still incomplete
Tyrone Hill
let him live on campus its SO WORTH IT!!!! my kid tried commuting from home for first semester to save $ and it was awful, he missed out on making friends and felt disconnected. when he moved to dorms second semester his whole college experience improved! your only a few minutes away which is perfect - close enough if he needs something but far enough for independence lol
0 coins
Ahooker-Equator
•That's exactly why I'm supportive of him living on campus! I want him to have the full college experience and make connections, not just drive back and forth for classes. Good to hear it made such a difference for your son!
0 coins
Mei-Ling Chen
To directly answer your questions: 1. Regarding the SAI of -1235: This qualifies your son for significant federal aid, likely including the full Pell Grant (currently $7,395 for 2025-2026). A negative SAI indicates high financial need. 2. For the New Century Skills scholarship: You need to verify two things: - Whether your state's program allows funds to be used for non-tuition expenses - Whether the community college has any policies about "scholarship stacking" 3. For using financial aid for housing: Federal aid (including Pell Grants) can absolutely be used for any component of the official cost of attendance, including housing. Since his tuition is covered by the band scholarship, his Pell Grant can go directly to housing, books, etc. One important note: Make sure your son completes the housing application ASAP. Many community colleges have limited on-campus housing that fills quickly. Don't wait for the financial aid package to be finalized before securing his spot in the dorms.
0 coins
Ahooker-Equator
•Thank you for the clear breakdown! That's great advice about the housing application - I hadn't thought about limited space. We'll get that submitted right away and then follow up on the financial details.
0 coins