


Ask the community...
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.
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
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.
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!
Jade Lopez
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!!
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Alice Coleman
•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.
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Jade Lopez
•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!!!
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Lilah Brooks
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.
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Alice Coleman
•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.
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Lilah Brooks
•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.
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