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For anyone in this situation in the future: I learned from an aid advisor that the reason this happens is because the new FAFSA system needs to run the student's information through the income verification process with IRS data before they open up the parent contribution section. The delay is built into the system design. Just an explanation for why it works this way - doesn't make it less frustrating!
In my experience, the deadline refers to when the student submits - not when all signatures are complete. My son's college explicitly told us this. The parent signature can come a few days later without affecting your place in line for financial aid. The school cares about when you initiated the FAFSA, not when every last step was completed.
One other option to explore is a CSS Profile, which some private colleges use in addition to FAFSA. Unlike FAFSA, the CSS Profile considers more nuanced financial situations and may take into account that you're helping support multiple households. It costs money to submit ($25 for first school, $16 for each additional), but fee waivers are available for eligible students. The CSS Profile gives a more complete picture of financial circumstances and may result in better institutional aid at schools that use it. Check if your daughter's college accepts it.
If I can add one more thought - make sure your daughter talks directly with her school's financial aid office. While FAFSA rules are strict, many schools have institutional funds they can distribute at their discretion. Having your daughter meet in person (not just email) to explain her situation might help. Financial aid officers often have some flexibility with school-based scholarships and grants even when federal aid is limited. Sometimes it takes persistence and building a relationship with the financial aid office to access all available resources.
My daughter's FAFSA sat for months then suddenly started moving too. I think they're processing them in batches or something. Her school actually extended the deposit deadline from May 1 to May 15 because so many students were still waiting on financial aid packages. Might be worth asking your schools if they're offering any extensions.
Did you have any special circumstances on your application? My son's application got stuck in processing because we had a recent divorce situation and had to submit extra verification documents. The system never notified us - we only found out when we called the school directly.
We do have a somewhat complicated situation - my parents are separated (not legally divorced) and one parent's business had a significant loss in 2022. I wonder if that could be causing extra review? I didn't get any notification about verification though.
That could definitely be triggering additional review! The new FAFSA is supposed to handle these situations better, but in practice, it seems to just cause more delays. I'd specifically mention these circumstances when you contact each school's financial aid office. They might need additional documentation that the system hasn't properly requested.
Our SAI came back fine with just one parent contribution. As long as you included your total household AGI correctly, there shouldn't be an issue with the calculation. The system is primarily looking at your tax information rather than who specifically entered it.
i think ur overthinking this tbh. if the system says its processing then its good. my mom did ours by herself and my stepdad didnt do anything and i got my aid package already
Amara Adeyemi
I herd Biden canceled all student loans but the supreme court said no. so unfair!!! my friend said they might try again with a different approach but nobody knows when
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Dylan Wright
•The Biden administration attempted a broad $10,000-$20,000 forgiveness program that was indeed struck down by the Supreme Court. However, they've been successful with targeted relief through existing programs. Over $137 billion in student loan debt has been forgiven through PSLF improvements, borrower defense claims, school closure discharges, and disability discharges. They're also implementing new programs like SAVE that provide much better terms than previous options.
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Liam O'Connor
One more thing to consider - interest rates on federal student loans are fixed for the life of the loan. If you took out loans several years ago when rates were higher, and you now have good income (but not good enough to pay them off quickly), refinancing with a private lender might give you a lower rate. HOWEVER, this is generally not recommended because you permanently lose all federal benefits (forgiveness options, income-driven plans, hardship deferments, etc.). Based on your situation, I'd strongly recommend staying in the federal system and getting on the SAVE plan. Your credit score will recover as you continue making on-time payments and as the loan age increases.
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CosmicCadet
•Thanks for this advice. I was actually considering refinancing with SoFi because they sent me an offer, but I didn't realize I'd lose all those federal protections. I'll definitely stay federal and apply for SAVE tonight. Really appreciate everyone's help here - feeling less panicked now that I have a plan.
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