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just wondering did you guys receive your SAI scores yet after submitting? my friend got hers in 3 days but im still waiting after 2 weeks...
This is a bit off-topic from the signature page issue, but processing times for SAI calculations vary widely right now. The Department of Education stated that most applicants should receive their SAI within 3-5 business days, but due to the new FAFSA changes, some are taking 2-3 weeks. If it's been more than 3 weeks, I would definitely contact FSA directly.
UPDATE: It worked!! I followed the advice about trying early morning (set my alarm for 5:30am 😴) and the signature page loaded perfectly with no freezing. Submitted successfully and got my confirmation email! Thank you all so much for your help - especially the tip about trying during off-peak hours. Now fingers crossed I get my SAI calculation quickly!
So glad it worked for you! The early morning trick seems to be the most reliable solution this year. Hope your SAI comes through quickly!
Congratulations! For anyone else reading this thread with the same issue, the early morning approach has about an 80% success rate based on what I've seen. The FAFSA system undergoes maintenance between 2-4am ET on Sundays, so Monday mornings are often the most reliable time to try submitting.
I work in our university's financial aid office, and we're seeing this issue frequently this cycle. While waiting for the correction period to open, here's what you should do: 1) Have your student contact her school's financial aid office ASAP 2) Ask specifically for a "Dependency Status Correction Form" or "Special Circumstances Form" 3) The school can make manual adjustments on their end for aid packaging purposes Most institutions are making accommodations for these known FAFSA glitches. The good news is that while this is frustrating, it won't ultimately impact her aid eligibility as long as you're proactive about documenting the error now. Also important: Once the correction period opens (early April according to our latest guidance), make that correction immediately as it will need to be processed before the final aid package is created.
Current law student here again - just to clarify something important: There are NO Stafford Loans anymore for graduate students. The program was renamed years ago. What he qualifies for is: 1. Direct Unsubsidized Loans (up to $20,500/year) 2. Grad PLUS Loans (up to the remaining cost of attendance) Both become available to apply for once the school processes his FAFSA and generates a financial aid package. Some schools do this earlier than others, but typically you can complete the process by early summer. The reason for the June timeline is probably related to the award year cycle. For environmental law specifically, look into the school's clinic options and summer funding for environmental internships. My school has specific grants for students working in that field.
To address your original question about it being "in his name only" - ALL graduate student federal loans are in the student's name only. Parents are not co-signers or responsible parties for Direct Unsubsidized or Grad PLUS loans. The only parent loan option is Parent PLUS, but that's for undergrads only. This is different from private loans, which often require co-signers for students with limited credit history. The federal route should give you exactly what you're looking for - full responsibility on your son without impacting your retirement plans.
just wanted to add that my twins both had negative SAIs too and some schools treated them differently!! one private school gave AMAZING aid but another calculated something different. so definately check with each school. also CONGRATS!!! the new FAFSA was a nightmare for us but worth it when we saw that negative number lol
Amina Toure
just wanted to say hang in there!! the financial aid system is SO hard to navigate especially for single parents. i was in your exact situation 2 years ago and eventually got it sorted out. you WILL get your pell grant!! sending positive vibes your way!
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Miguel Silva
•Thank you! That means a lot right now. It's so stressful trying to go back to school while supporting kids on your own. I'm glad to hear you got through it successfully!
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Miguel Silva
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with my community college's financial aid office and they were amazing! They could see my full FAFSA information on their end, including my SAI (which is 0)! The advisor said this means I qualify for the maximum Pell Grant amount. She explained that there's a known issue with the studentaid.gov website not displaying SAI values for some applicants, but the schools can still see it and process aid packages. She said I don't need to do anything else and they'll be sending my official aid package in about 2 weeks. Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions! Such a relief to know this was just a display issue and not something wrong with my application.
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Yara Nassar
•That's GREAT news! So glad you got it sorted out! I'm going to call my school tomorrow too. Thanks for updating us!
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