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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 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!
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!
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.
That's GREAT news! So glad you got it sorted out! I'm going to call my school tomorrow too. Thanks for updating us!
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.
THE FINANCIAL AID SYSTEM IS RIGGED!!! Even with a so-called "good" SAI score, they STILL make middle-class families take out MASSIVE LOANS!!! My nephew had -1200 SAI and is still drowning in debt!!! The whole system is designed to trap students in debt!!
That's discouraging to hear. Did your nephew apply to a mix of schools? I'm wondering if certain types of colleges might offer better aid packages than others.
He only applied to expensive private schools and ONE state university (which was still $$$$). Should have checked community college options first!!! These schools promise "financial aid" but half of it is LOANS they expect you to pay back WITH INTEREST!!! Read the fine print on EVERYTHING!!!
Just to provide some balance here - while a negative SAI doesn't guarantee a free education, it does put your daughter in the strongest possible position for financial aid. Many selective private colleges actually provide better aid packages than state schools for low-income families. I'd recommend: 1. Apply to a mix of schools, including some known for generous aid 2. Use each school's specific net price calculator 3. Appeal your financial aid offers if they don't seem adequate 4. Consider schools with "no-loan" policies for lower-income students With your SAI, your daughter has excellent potential for significant grant aid at many institutions.
Thank you for the balanced perspective. Do you have any recommendations for how to find out which schools have "no-loan" policies? That sounds like something we should definitely look into.
Absolutely! Search for "no-loan colleges" or "colleges that meet 100% of demonstrated need" online. Schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Amherst, and several others have policies to meet full need without loans for families below certain income thresholds. Some cover all students, while others focus on families below specific income levels (often $65,000-$100,000). The College Board website also has a filter for schools that meet high percentages of demonstrated need.
Amara Okafor
the whole system is designed to trip ppl up i swear. my wife had her hyphenated last name in the system but FAFSA only took PART of her last name in the transfer to the IRS database for verification. took 2 months and 3 calls to fix. they do this on purpose to reduce how many ppl get aid imo
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Zoe Stavros
•While I understand your frustration, these issues are typically system limitations rather than intentional barriers. The verification process exists to ensure aid goes to eligible students. That said, the technical limitations of the system are definitely frustrating, especially when dealing with name formats like hyphens, apostrophes, or multiple last names.
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Carmen Vega
Update: I was able to get through to FSA this morning! The agent was actually really helpful and said this happens all the time. They've put in a correction for my husband's last name, and I should be able to resubmit for verification in 3-5 business days. They also noted our account for priority processing since our school's payment deadline is coming up. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Jamal Harris
•Great news! Make sure to check your account daily after the 3-day mark. Sometimes the system updates but you don't get notified. Once you see the change, immediately resubmit for verification and then notify your school's financial aid office about the correction so they can watch for the updated results.
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GalaxyGlider
•wow u got thru quick! lucky!!! glad its getting fixed
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