UPDATE: The Department of Education just released a fix for this specific issue yesterday. If your spouse has an SSN but you don't, try these steps: 1. Log out completely and clear your browser cache 2. Have your spouse log in with their FSA ID first 3. Then have them select the "Complete contributor information" option 4. They should enter their information including SSN 5. Once they complete their section, then you can log back in to finish the application This bypasses the error that happens when trying to add a contributor from your account directly.

I faced this exact issue last month. The key thing that worked for me was making sure my husband's name was entered EXACTLY as it appears on his Social Security card, not as it appears on our tax return (which has his second last name included). Also, after creating the FSA ID, we had to wait a full 3 days before it would link properly. The system is very picky about these details for joint filers with one person lacking SSN. Hope this helps! The new FAFSA is so much harder for families like ours compared to previous years.

Just to give you a complete answer on your original question - when your son finally decides on a school, you don't need to remove the other schools from your FAFSA. The schools he doesn't attend simply won't use the FAFSA information. But the schools DO see all other schools you've added, so some people prefer to remove schools they're no longer considering once a decision is made.

One final important note for your summer semester planning: Make sure your son hasn't exhausted his annual loan limits from the previous terms. If he's already used his full annual Federal Direct Loan eligibility during fall/spring, he may not have loan eligibility remaining for summer unless he advances to the next grade level. This is particularly important for dependent students with the annual loan limits of $5,500 for freshmen, $6,500 for sophomores, and $7,500 for juniors and seniors. Pell Grant recipients may be eligible for additional summer Pell (sometimes called Year-Round Pell) if they enroll at least half-time in the summer term.

wait im confused... i thought FAFSA uses like your parents income anyway unless ur over 24? does ur own income even matter that much on fafsa calculations?

One more important point: October 1, 2024 is when the 2025-2026 FAFSA application opens. Even though the federal deadline extends into 2026, submitting as close to October 1st as possible is ALWAYS recommended for maximum aid consideration. February is definitely cutting it close for many schools' priority deadlines.

did ur daughter give him permission to do it? cuz she woulda had to make the FSA ID and approve him as parent, right? or did he make it for her?

UPDATE: I called FSA this morning and finally got through after being on hold for almost an hour. The representative confirmed that since I'm the custodial parent responsible for education expenses, I should be the one completing the FAFSA. They've put a hold on processing the current application and will be sending me instructions for submitting the correct parent information through the correction process. They said it should take 2-3 weeks to process once I submit everything. Thank you all for your help and advice!

This whole FAFSA system is RIDICULOUS! They make it SO COMPLICATED for families just trying to get some help with college costs. My daughter is a sophomore now and I've been through this nightmare twice. The "cannot compute SAI" is just one of their many useless error messages that tell you NOTHING about what's actually wrong. And the fact that schools all have different portals and deadlines is just the cherry on top of this bureaucratic disaster. Just wait until you have to do verification - that's a whole new level of FAFSA hell. They'll make you upload every financial document you've ever had and then still take weeks to process it.

To directly answer your questions: 1. Yes, "Processed" status means your FAFSA is complete and the SAI has been successfully calculated 2. The colleges your daughter listed on her FAFSA will automatically receive her information 3. Each college creates their own financial aid package based on your FAFSA information 4. You must check each college's individual financial aid portal or wait for them to contact you with award packages 5. If you need to see what your actual SAI number is, view your processed FAFSA or Student Aid Report (SAR) on studentaid.gov Most incoming freshman receive financial aid offers between February and April, though some schools may be delayed this year due to the FAFSA changes.