FAFSA
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FAFSA loan repayment options disappeared after IDR changes - seniors getting screwed?
Just got my updated SAI score and saw my monthly payment calculation jumped from $87 to $236 per month! I graduated in 2004 (yeah I'm old) and have been paying faithfully for nearly 20 years on income-based plans. I was counting on that loan forgiveness they promised for borrowers like me who've been paying forever. Now with all these FAFSA/IDR changes and political drama, it feels like they're just stringing us older borrowers along until we die. I called FSA four times this week trying to get answers about whether the 20+ year forgiveness plan is still happening. First call: disconnected after 47 minutes. Second call: rep had no idea what I was talking about. Third call: told me to "check the website" (which says nothing). Fourth call: told me something vague about "pending litigation." Has anyone actually gotten clear answers about what's happening with forgiveness for us older borrowers? My retirement planning is completely upended by these massive payment increases. Feeling totally abandoned by the system after two decades of payments.
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Will my son's FAFSA automatically transfer to new college added on Common App?
My son submitted his FAFSA back in November, but just last week decided to add another college to his Common App (he got cold feet about his original choices). The new school accepted him quickly which is great, but now I'm worried about his financial aid. Will his FAFSA information automatically go to this new college or do we need to update something? The original FAFSA submission only had his initial 4 college choices listed. I don't want to mess anything up at this point since we're already past many deadlines. Help!
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this is why the whole system is so frustrating!! why cant everything just be connected automatically??? common app should just tell fafsa when you add schools. so dumb.
I was in your shoes last year! Added the school on FAFSA in February and everything worked out fine. One tip: after making the correction, wait 3 days then call the financial aid office at the new school to confirm they received it. Don't just assume the system worked. Better to be proactive!
That's good advice - I'll definitely follow up with them. I'm feeling much better about the whole situation now. Thanks everyone!
Where to find my son's FAFSA SAI score? No email received after processing
My son's FAFSA was processed almost three weeks ago (mid-April) but I haven't seen anything about his SAI score. I'm confused about where to find this information. Was I supposed to get an email? I've logged into the studentaid.gov parent portal but don't see any obvious link or page showing his SAI. This is my first time dealing with FAFSA (my older kids didn't attend college), so I'm completely lost. His college is asking for his SAI number and I have no idea where to find it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Financial aid advisor here. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, the SAI location and delivery method changed from previous years, which is causing a lot of confusion. Here's what you need to know: 1. The SAI is ONLY available on the student's account (parent access won't show it) 2. It appears on the Student Aid Report (SAR), which is a PDF document 3. To access the SAR: Have your son log in → My Documents → Find the Student Aid Report 4. The SAI should appear on the first page, but occasionally appears elsewhere in the document If the SAR isn't available after 3 weeks, it suggests one of three issues: - Verification is required (check "To Do" items in the student account) - There's an application error that needs correction (check Message Center) - The application is still in a processing queue (less likely after 3 weeks) Most colleges need the SAI by mid-May for financial aid packaging, so I recommend resolving this soon.
Thank you so much for this detailed information! This helps tremendously. I'll have my son check his account tonight following exactly these steps. The college financial aid office has been asking for his SAI by May 10, so we definitely need to get this resolved quickly.
UPDATE: Finally got this sorted out! My son logged into his account and we found that there WAS a verification notice in his Message Center. Nothing was sent by email to alert us. We had to upload his W-2 forms and my tax return transcript. Once we did that, it took about 4 days for processing, and then the SAR with the SAI became available. The number appears near the top of page 1 of the SAR PDF. For anyone else having this issue - definitely check the Message Center in the student account and look for any verification requirements. They don't make this very obvious!
Great news! I'm glad you got it resolved. This is a common issue - the 2025-2026 FAFSA has been selecting more applications for verification than in previous years. The good thing is you caught it in time for your May 10 deadline.
thx for updating! helped me figure out my daughters account too - she also had verification stuff we didnt know about
Can't find FAFSA summary for scholarship applications - where is it hiding?
I'm applying for like 8 different scholarships and 5 of them need a copy of my FAFSA summary attached. I've looked everywhere on studentaid.gov but can't find it! Someone told me it should be under "My Activity" but when I go there, all I see are some confirmation notices about my application being processed. No summary or anything I can download. This is driving me CRAZY because these scholarship deadlines are in two weeks and I can't submit without the FAFSA summary. Has anyone had this problem? Where exactly do I find this document they're asking for??
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my cousin works in a financial aid office and she says they get calls about this ALL THE TIME... apparently even some guidance counselors don't know the difference between the SAR and FAFSA which is crazy considering it's literally their job to help students with this stuff lol
For the 2025-2026 academic year, there's also a slightly different process since the FAFSA Simplification Act changes rolled out. The Student Aid Report (SAR) now prominently displays your Student Aid Index (SAI) instead of the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC). When scholarships ask for your "FAFSA summary," they specifically want this document because it shows your financial need via the SAI number. Make sure you're downloading the complete PDF version through your studentaid.gov account, not just viewing the abbreviated online version.
FAFSA college notification timeframe - still waiting after 3 weeks
I submitted my FAFSA about 3 weeks ago and got my Student Aid Index (SAI) summary back pretty quickly. But none of the 5 colleges I listed have contacted me yet about my financial aid package. Is this normal waiting time? When should I expect to hear something? I'm getting anxious because some of my friends already heard back from their schools. Should I be calling each college's financial aid office or just keep waiting?
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Update: I called my top 2 schools today. First one said they received my FAFSA but I was selected for random verification 😭 and they need tax transcripts from my parents. Second school said they're still processing aid packages and should send mine out next week. I also used that Claimyr service to reach FSA and the agent confirmed my FAFSA is complete and properly processed on their end - the delay is just on the college side. Guess I need to get those verification documents together ASAP. Thanks everyone for your help!
Glad you got some answers! For the verification, here's a tip: use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool if possible instead of sending tax transcripts. It's faster and automatically verifies the information. If that's not an option, request the tax transcripts directly from IRS.gov rather than sending copies of returns - schools prefer official transcripts. And don't be afraid to follow up with the financial aid offices weekly. It keeps your file on their radar, especially during busy season.
This is great advice! I just helped my parents use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool tonight. The financial aid office said that should speed things up considerably. They estimated I should have my package within 10 business days after they receive everything!
Liam O'Donnell
im confused about all this... does this mean we should stop making payments until they figure it out? i cant afford the new payment amount
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Definitely DON'T stop making payments - that would put you into default and make you ineligible for forgiveness programs. If you can't afford your new payment, immediately apply for a recalculation based on income or request a deferment/forbearance while you sort things out.
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Liam O'Donnell
thx for the advice. ill call them tomorrow to try to get a lower payment
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Mei Liu
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with FSA after using Claimyr to get through. The agent confirmed that the IDR Account Adjustment for borrowers in repayment for 20+ years IS still happening, but implementation is delayed until after the litigation around the SAVE plan is resolved. She said they're still identifying eligible accounts and if you've truly been making payments for 20+ years, you should still qualify once they restart the program. She suggested making sure all your contact information is updated on studentaid.gov so you receive notifications when the program resumes.
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Andre Dubois
AuthorThat's such a relief to hear! Thank you for sharing this update. Did they give any indication of timeline for when they might resume processing forgiveness for us long-term borrowers?
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Mei Liu
They wouldn't commit to any specific dates, unfortunately. The agent said they're waiting for "legal clarity" before announcing new timelines. She did say they've already identified most eligible accounts, so once they get the green light, processing should move relatively quickly.
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