FAFSA
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Can't reach FAFSA? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
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- Redial until on hold
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FAFSA provides grants or loans? Confused about 2025-2026 financial aid options
I'm thinking about going back to school next fall and haven't touched FAFSA since 2017. Feeling completely lost about how it works now. Does filling out the FAFSA application actually tell you what free money (grants/scholarships) you might qualify for, or is it mostly just for accessing student loans? I've heard something about a new SAI calculation replacing EFC? My financial situation isn't great (single mom, about $43,000/year income) so I'm trying to figure out if I'd be eligible for any grants before I commit to a program. Any insights on the 2025-2026 FAFSA process would be super helpful!
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First financial aid package for CompSci major - $15.5K merit offer still leaves $27K gap - typical?
Just got our first financial aid package yesterday for my son who's going into Computer Science next fall. A small private college in western New York offered $18,700 in aid (mostly merit scholarship based on his 3.9 unweighted GPA). After subtracting that, we're still looking at about $32K annually (not including the $6,500 Federal Direct loan they're counting as "aid"). The breakdown is roughly: - $18,700 college merit scholarship - $6,500 Federal loan (which I'm not counting as real "aid") - $32,000 remaining cost after real aid Son has received a couple small tech scholarships ($1,500 from a local coding competition, $750 from his internship company), and we've applied to probably 15-20 more local options. Every dollar helps at this point. Not complaining - just sharing data points as acceptance and aid packages start rolling in. For those with kids in STEM fields, is this typical? Are private colleges giving better/worse packages for CompSci majors compared to other fields? This is our first kid through the process so we're flying blind.
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THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!! My kid had a 4.2 GPA and got National Merit recognition and these greedy colleges still expect us to pay $25K+ per year. It's criminal what they're charging for education. And don't get me started on textbooks and all the extra fees they tack on AFTER you commit. Our generation could work summer jobs to pay for college but now kids graduate with mortgage-sized debt. And the "financial aid" is a joke - mostly loans that will take decades to pay off.
Preach!!! 👏 And then they have the audacity to call us every year as alumni asking for donations. Like I'm STILL paying off my loans 15 years later and you want MORE money??
Can I complete parent portion of FAFSA before my college junior starts his part?
My son will be starting his junior year this fall, and I'm trying to get ahead on the 2025-2026 FAFSA. We've been through this rodeo twice already, but I honestly can't remember if I can complete my parent contributor section first or if I have to wait until he initiates the application. I've been nagging him about starting it for weeks (he's home for spring break right now), but he keeps putting it off. I'd really like to just get my part done while I have all my tax documents in front of me. Can I log in and start my section without him having to do anything first? Or am I stuck waiting for him to get his act together?
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Also, don't forget that the contribution formulas have changed significantly with the shift from EFC to SAI. If your income or assets have changed notably since last year's application, you might see quite different results. Pay special attention to the asset reporting sections, as some categories are weighted differently now. And if you have multiple children in college simultaneously, be aware that the SAI calculation no longer provides the same reduction for multiple students that the old EFC system did. This has caught many families by surprise.
That's really important information - thank you! We only have our son in college, but our investments did increase a bit this year. I'll be prepared for potentially higher contribution numbers.
One final tip: if you're missing the priority deadline for your school, submit the FAFSA anyway as soon as possible. Late submission is better than no submission. Some schools have rolling financial aid distribution and may still have funds available, even if you miss their priority date.
We'll definitely get it in before our school's deadline, but this is great advice for anyone reading who might be cutting it extremely close. Thank you!
FAFSA SAI score suddenly missing from my StudentAid.gov dashboard - can't find my summary
Logged into my StudentAid.gov account this morning and my SAI score and aid summary have completely disappeared! I submitted my 2025-2026 FAFSA application about two weeks ago, got confirmation, and even saw my initial SAI calculation last week. Now when I check my dashboard or activity section - NOTHING. It's like my application never existed. I've refreshed about 20 times, tried different browsers, even logged in on my phone. Still nothing. Has anyone else had their FAFSA summary vanish? Is this normal maintenance or should I be panicking?
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quick question - did anyone notice if their aid amount changed after the system came back online? just wondering if they recalculate stuff during these updates??
They typically don't recalculate your SAI during routine maintenance. However, if you submitted a correction to your FAFSA around the same time, or if additional verification was completed, you might see changes to your aid eligibility when the system comes back online.
UPDATE: My information is back! Just wanted to let everyone know that my dashboard and SAI calculation reappeared this morning. Looks like it was just maintenance after all. Thanks for all the helpful info and keeping me from totally freaking out!
Great news! This is exactly what typically happens during maintenance periods. For future reference, StudentAid.gov occasionally posts maintenance schedules on their social media accounts, which can help you anticipate these temporary outages.
FAFSA email verification code not arriving - stuck creating account for my son
My son is trying to create his FAFSA account and we're completely stuck at the verification step. The phone verification went through fine, but when he clicks 'verify email,' it says a code was sent to his email but NOTHING is showing up in his inbox. We've checked spam folders, tried resending the code multiple times, and even waited overnight thinking it might be delayed. We can't proceed with creating the account without completing this verification step. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a workaround or someone specific we need to contact to fix this email verification issue? The application deadline is getting closer and I'm getting anxious about this technical glitch holding us up.
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try checking if theres a typo in the email. my brother put gmial instead of gmail and we were going crazy wondering why codes werent showing up lol
Haha, we double-checked the email and it's correct. But thanks for the suggestion - I can totally see how that could happen!
Did any of these suggestions work for you? If all else fails, sometimes using the Federal Student Aid live chat on studentaid.gov can be faster than calling. It's only available during business hours but the wait is usually much shorter.
Thank you for checking back! We tried switching browsers to Edge like someone suggested, and also added studentaid.gov to safe senders, but still no luck. We tried the live chat this morning but it disconnected after waiting 45 minutes. We're going to try that Claimyr service as a last resort since we're approaching our state's priority deadline. This is so frustrating!
Tobias Lancaster
i filled out fafsa last year and they gave me the run around for WEEKS trying to get ahold of someone on the phone!!! had a question about my dads tax info (im 22 and they still wanted his info even tho i dont live with him???) and kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for like 2 hours. so annoying
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Peyton Clarke
The dependent/independent status rules can be frustrating. At 22, you're still considered dependent for FAFSA purposes unless you meet one of the independence criteria (married, veteran, have dependents, etc.). The phone issues are unfortunately common - I've found that calling very early in the morning (right when they open) sometimes helps. Or you could try that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier if you're still dealing with this issue.
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Marcelle Drum
Thank you all SO much for the helpful information! I feel much more prepared now. I'll definitely apply as soon as the 2025-2026 FAFSA opens in October, and I'll make sure to have all my documents ready in case I get selected for verification. It sounds like with my situation as a single parent with $43k income, I should qualify for some Pell Grant funding, which is really encouraging. I'll also check with Michigan's higher education agency about state grants and look into each school's institutional aid options. This has been incredibly helpful!
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