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UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at FSA using that Claimyr service (totally worth it btw). Turns out there was a mismatch between my dad's reported income and what they had on file from the IRS. The weird thing is we used the data transfer tool so it should have matched automatically! The agent manually noted the correction and said processing should resume within 3-5 business days. Just wanted to update in case anyone else runs into this problem!
That's a common issue this year - the Data Retrieval Tool is pulling the right numbers, but the system is sometimes comparing it to the wrong year's tax data. Glad you got it sorted out! Make sure you keep checking your status because occasionally they need additional verification after the first issue is resolved.
Just wanted to update everyone! My ex checked this morning and the tax information magically appeared! It looks like it did eventually link automatically through the IRS DRT tool, even though it initially said it couldn't. We're so relieved - the SAI calculation is now complete and everything looks correct. Thanks for all the advice!
man i wish id seen this thread last week!! spent like 3 hours trying to figure out why my wifes tax info disappeared from our daughters fafsa. ended up starting over completely and lost all our previous info. the whole system is trash tbh
One thing nobody mentioned - even though your pharmacy student doesn't need parent info for FAFSA, watch out for the Health Professions Student Loan if her pharmacy school offers it. That one DOES require parent info even for graduate students. My daughter's pharmacy program financial aid office didn't tell her this until after the deadline had passed! So frustrating.
This is an excellent point! Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL) are an exception to the independent student rule. They're federal loans specifically for health profession students (including pharmacy) with exceptional financial need, and they do require parent information regardless of the student's age or independent status. They offer better terms than standard federal loans, so it's worth asking the pharmacy school's financial aid office about them specifically.
Thank you all for the helpful information! I'll let my daughter know she doesn't need our information for the standard FAFSA, but will have her check with her pharmacy program about CSS Profile and Health Professions Student Loans. I'm also going to look into that Claimyr service in case we run into problems. This forum has been so helpful!
This is definitely one of the recognized issues with the new FAFSA system. The good news is that you can verify the official status by looking at the
Mei Liu
I'm going thru the exact same situation with my daughter's school (different top-tier college). We got a similar email basically saying "wait and see" but her roommate already got her full package for next year?! Makes no sense. The stress is killing me because we literally can't afford to continue without similar aid to what she received freshman year. Are we supposed to just wait until July or August to know if we can afford to return??
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Andre Rousseau
•This is unfortunately becoming more common. The financial aid cycle is completely disrupted this year with the delayed FAFSA rollout and the new SAI calculation system. Schools are handling it differently - some are sending preliminary packages based on last year's data, others are waiting for complete FAFSA processing. For both you and the original poster: I strongly recommend reaching out to the Dean of Financial Aid (not just a counselor) explaining the hardship this uncertainty is causing. Be polite but firm that you need some indication of aid levels for planning purposes. Sometimes escalating above the standard financial aid office can yield results.
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Mei Liu
•Thanks, I'll try reaching out to the Dean directly. At this point we're prepared to transfer if they can't give us any answers. Just wish they understood what families go through with this uncertainty!
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Yuki Yamamoto
Update from the financial aid world: The Department of Education recently announced they're still experiencing significant delays processing 2025-2026 FAFSAs, particularly with the new SAI calculation system. Many schools are operating with incomplete information, which explains (but doesn't excuse) their vague responses. Here's the important part: federal student aid amounts (Pell Grants, subsidized loans, etc.) should still be available regardless of when your FAFSA is processed. It's the institutional aid (money from the college itself) that works on a first-come, first-served basis at many schools. I still recommend scheduling that direct conversation with financial aid to clarify exactly what your options are.
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Ethan Brown
•Thank you for this update! This makes more sense now. I'm scheduling that meeting with financial aid tomorrow morning and will specifically ask about federal aid vs. institutional aid. I'll update this thread once I know more in case it helps others in similar situations.
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