One more thing about merit scholarships - they're completely separate from need-based aid like the Pell Grant. Your daughter can receive both to their full amounts, which is great news! However, there is a concept called "meeting full need" that some colleges follow. If a college is committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need, they calculate: Cost of Attendance - Expected Family Contribution (now called SAI) = Financial Need They then provide enough total aid to cover that gap. If they include merit scholarships as part of meeting that need, it can feel like they're "reducing" other aid, but they're really just putting together a complete package that doesn't exceed the calculated need. Only a small number of elite schools are "need-blind" AND meet full need without loans. Most schools will have a gap between aid offered and your calculated need.

Forgot to mention - APPEAL YOUR AID if it's not enough! My son got an additional $3500 per year just by writing a polite letter explaining why we needed more help. Include any changes in financial circumstances since you filed FAFSA (job loss, medical expenses, etc). The worst they can say is no! Also, don't forget to do the CSS Profile if any of her schools require it. That's a separate form from the College Board that many private schools use in addition to FAFSA. It looks at assets differently and can affect institutional aid.

Based on everything shared, here's what I recommend: 1. DON'T start over - multiple applications will likely cause verification flags 2. Try the technical support email specifically for signature issues: FAFSA.TechSupport@ed.gov 3. If you need more immediate help, consider using the call service someone mentioned or try calling during off-hours (early morning or late night) 4. Document everything - take screenshots of error messages and note dates/times of your attempts 5. If all else fails, contact your daughter's college financial aid office - even at small schools, they often have direct contacts at FSA they can reach The parent signature issue is a known glitch in the system this year. Starting over won't fix it since it's likely tied to your FSA ID in their database.

Quick update for anyone following this thread - the signature issues are being addressed in the next system update according to the FSA Twitter account. They posted yesterday that they're doing maintenance this weekend specifically to fix parent signature problems. Might be worth waiting until Monday to try again if other methods don't work.

I faced a similar issue with my own FAFSA after my parents kicked me out. One thing that really helped was having my high school principal write a detailed letter explaining that my parents had not financially supported me for over a year. I also included utility bills showing I was covering my own living expenses (with help from my aunt). The financial aid counselor told me that having OFFICIAL letterhead on all the documentation made a big difference. My dependency override was approved after initially being rejected because I resubmitted everything on official letterhead.

my niece had almost the same situation!!!! the thing that worked for her was getting the guidance counselor AND principal to sign statements. she also got a letter from our church pastor! they approved her override and she got a full Pell Grant!

Update for everyone following this thread: The Department of Education just released guidance to financial aid offices about handling these SAI increases. Schools are being encouraged to use professional judgment to adjust aid packages for students whose SAIs increased solely due to the formula correction. Key points when contacting your schools: 1. Specifically mention the "SAI inflation adjustment recalculation" 2. Emphasize that your financial circumstances haven't changed 3. Ask if they're implementing the new guidance for professional judgment adjustments 4. Provide documentation of both your original and new SAI Most schools will be sympathetic to this situation since it wasn't your error.

My niece had this exact problem and found out it was because of how they calculated my sister's retirement contributions after the adjustment. Something about the threshold for protected retirement assets changing. Might be worth looking into if you have any retirement contributions listed on your FAFSA.

This new FAFSA is THE WORST!!! I spent 9 HOURS trying to get my wife added as a contributor and ended up having to restart the whole application THREE TIMES! The government should be ASHAMED of this garbage system. It's like they're actively trying to prevent students from getting financial aid. I feel your pain!!!!!

FINAL UPDATE: We finally got everything submitted! After my husband completed his section, we both signed, and I was able to submit the application. The SAI calculated correctly (I think). Now just waiting for it to process and hoping my daughter gets the financial aid package she needs. Thanks again to everyone who helped! This community saved us from having to start over from scratch.