One important factor to consider is that Parent PLUS loans are solely in your name - not your daughter's. This means the debt is entirely your legal responsibility, regardless of any informal agreement you might make with your child about helping with payments after graduation. Some alternatives to consider: 1. Only borrow what you absolutely need each year. Many schools include recommended amounts that exceed actual required costs. 2. Look into tuition payment plans offered directly by the university that spread costs over 10-12 months instead of requiring full payment each semester. 3. Have a serious conversation with your daughter about less expensive college options. The difference between schools can sometimes be $10-20K per year, potentially saving you $40-80K total. 4. Consider a combination approach where you borrow less through Parent PLUS and your daughter takes more ownership through additional federal loans, part-time work, or merit scholarships.

Another consideration: if your daughter is studying in a field with public service opportunities, remember that SHE could potentially qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness on her federal direct loans after 10 years of working in eligible jobs. But YOUR Parent PLUS loans wouldn't qualify unless you yourself work in public service. If you do proceed with Parent PLUS, I strongly recommend only borrowing year by year rather than mentally committing to all four years upfront. Circumstances change, more scholarship opportunities arise, and sometimes students even decide to transfer or change their educational plans.

UPDATE: For those still struggling with this issue, I found another workaround. If you can't add schools after signing, try this: 1. Log in with the PARENT'S FSA ID (not the student's) 2. Go to the "FAFSA Status" section 3. Select the student's application 4. Click "Make Correction" 5. Navigate directly to the School Selection page 6. Add schools there 7. Re-submit with electronic signatures This worked for us when nothing else would. It seems there's a bug specifically in the student view of the application but not in the parent correction pathway. Hope this helps someone!

For anyone still having issues, I want to clarify an important point: if you're working on the 2025-2026 FAFSA and experiencing the school selection bug, this is happening because the new SAI formula implementation is still being optimized. The best approach is: 1. Document the error with screenshots 2. Email the financial aid offices at your target schools explaining the technical issue 3. Most schools are well aware of these problems and have provisional processes in place And remember, even if you do get the application submitted with schools listed, your SAI calculation may still be delayed due to processing backlogs. The good news is most schools have adjusted their internal deadlines to accommodate these widespread system issues.

dont forget CSS profile too!! some private schools need that ON TOP OF fafsa and its different formula. my kid applied to 7 schools & 3 needed CSS plus other random forms. total mess.

One more important thing - make sure your twins check their email regularly (including spam folders). Many schools will email when aid packages are ready or if they need additional documentation. Also, if the May 1 decision deadline is approaching and you still don't have aid information from their top choices, you can request an extension. Most schools will grant a reasonable extension if the delay is due to pending financial aid information.

Update: Got my full aid package today! Even with fixing my dumb mistake, I still got processed faster than last year. My SAI is about $3,500 lower than last year too (which is good!), probably because my husband had some unpaid leave. Just posting to give everyone hope that the 2025-2026 FAFSA really IS working better than before!

I'm actually having a similar issue but with my date of birth. The system keeps rejecting it saying there's a mismatch with SSA records, but I'm 100% certain I'm entering my correct birthdate. Has anyone dealt with this specific error? I've tried calling but can't get through to anyone.

One more thing about verification - if your son is attending college this fall (2025-2026 academic year), you should prioritize completing the verification process ASAP. Many colleges have priority deadlines for financial aid, and while verification won't make him ineligible, it could delay his aid package and potentially impact the institutional aid he receives. If you run into issues with the verification process, don't hesitate to contact the school's financial aid office directly. They're usually more responsive than the Federal Student Aid helpline and can provide guidance specific to their institution's requirements. And for Illinois specifically, look into the Golden Apple Scholars program if your son is interested in teaching in high-need schools in Illinois. It provides up to $23,000 in tuition assistance plus stipends and mentoring.

btw the verification stuff is annoying but usually takes like 2-3 weeks to process once you submit everything. just make sure u send EXACTLY what they ask for. my roommate had to resubmit twice bc he sent the wrong tax form lol