my brother got ripped off by one of those private loan companies few years back... they had all these hidden fees and the interest was wayyy higher than they first said. make sure u read EVERYTHING before signing!!!!

Just wanted to add that when comparing private loan options, look beyond just the interest rate. Some important factors to consider: 1. Repayment flexibility - can you get forbearance if needed? 2. Death/disability discharge provisions (federal loans have these automatically) 3. Cosigner release options - how long until your cosigner can be removed? 4. Customer service reputation - check reviews from current borrowers Also, consider taking only what you need for this year rather than borrowing for multiple years at once. Your financial situation might improve, or you might qualify for more aid or scholarships next year.

That's great news! The extension should give you enough time based on current processing speeds. If you need to follow up with FSA, definitely try doing it sooner rather than later, as call volumes tend to increase dramatically in March.

So glad they were understanding! Most schools are pretty flexible if you explain the situation.

This happened to me! I finally got through to someone at FSA and they said my FAFSA was flagged because my parents' reported income on the FAFSA didn't match what the IRS had. It was only off by like $230 because my dad got some small retirement adjustment or something that he forgot about. Had to submit verification docs and then waited another 2 weeks. So annoying! Try calling them to see what's actually happening.

Just wanted to update everyone - our "in review" status finally changed today! It took exactly 18 days after the signature corrections to get the SAI. We didn't do anything special, it just updated on its own. The school had already given us an extension on accepting the aid package, so everything worked out. Hang in there!

update us when u start getting packages! curious if calling actually helps speed things up

Hey just wanted to update - I called my financial aid offices after seeing your post because I was having the same issue. One of them told me they have a huge backlog this year because of the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. They said April is now their target for sending out most packages, which is way later than normal. Might be worth asking your schools if they have specific timeline estimates this year.

My nephew had the same issue and we just ignored it bc his school said they had everything. But then he didn't get his full financial aid package and had to appeal!!! Turns out there WAS a problem with his FAFSA even though the school said they had it. Something about incomplete parent contribution info that didn't transfer right. So maybe double check everything to be safe?

Update: I finally got through to FSA after using that Claimyr service someone recommended (which actually worked surprisingly well). The agent confirmed it's definitely just a display glitch and our FAFSA is fully processed and properly transmitted to all schools. They said they're still working on fixing various UI bugs from the FAFSA Simplification rollout. For anyone else seeing this issue - if your SAI is calculated and your schools confirm receipt, you can ignore the expiration warning! Thanks everyone for your help!