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I'm in the exact same boat! Just discovered I included our 401k balance in investments and my daughter's SAI is inflated by about $22,000. Been waiting 8 days now for it to move from "in review" status. Reading through all these responses is giving me some hope though - especially the suggestion about checking if her school has a special form for FAFSA errors. I'm going to contact her financial aid office tomorrow to explain the situation and see if they can put a hold on processing until I can submit the correction. It's such a relief to know this is a common mistake and that there are ways to fix it! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with this stressful process.
You're definitely not alone in this! It sounds like we're all learning the hard way about what should and shouldn't be included in the investments section. The $22,000 difference you mentioned is almost exactly what I'm dealing with too. I'm really glad I found this thread because I was starting to panic that my mistake would completely ruin my daughter's chances at need-based aid. The suggestion about contacting the financial aid office directly seems like the best first step - I'm going to do the same thing and see if they can work with us while we wait for the correction to go through. Fingers crossed we can all get this sorted out before the deadlines!
I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Made the same retirement account mistake and have been stressing about it for days. Reading everyone's experiences here is such a relief - I had no idea this was such a common error. The advice about contacting the school's financial aid office directly is gold, and I love the tip about checking for special FAFSA error forms on their website. I'm also bookmarking that list of what counts vs. doesn't count as investments - wish they made this clearer on the actual application! Going to call my son's school tomorrow to see if they can put a hold on his file until I can get the correction submitted. Thank you all for sharing your stories and solutions - this community is amazing for navigating these stressful financial aid waters!
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I'm also dealing with this exact same situation right now! My mom applied for a Parent PLUS loan about 2 weeks ago and we've been anxiously waiting for any kind of update. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that delays were this common or that there were so many different places to check for status updates. What really caught my attention was the mention of system glitches being more frequent than schools admit. That makes me feel so much better because I was convinced we had messed something up in the application process. I'm definitely going to have my mom check her FSA account tomorrow morning and look through her spam folder too. The advice about calling right when the financial aid office opens (8 AM) is golden - I've been trying to reach ours for days with no luck. Also going to ask about that "pending financial aid" hold option since our payment deadline is coming up fast. It's such a relief to know that schools have processes in place for these situations. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences with this process. As a first-time college student whose family is new to all this, it's incredibly reassuring to know we're not alone in dealing with these frustrating delays!
I'm so glad you found this thread helpful too! It's amazing how many of us are going through the exact same situation right now. I just wanted to add one more tip that helped me when I was dealing with Parent PLUS loan delays last year - if you still can't get through to your school's financial aid office after trying the 8 AM suggestion, try calling their main switchboard and asking to be transferred directly to a specific financial aid counselor. Sometimes the main number has shorter wait times than calling the financial aid office directly. Also, don't forget to have your mom write down any reference numbers or confirmation codes from when she submitted the application - having those ready can really speed things up when you finally do get someone on the phone. You're absolutely doing everything right by being proactive about this. The waiting is the hardest part, but it sounds like you're well-prepared to get this resolved quickly once you make contact with the right person!
As someone who's been helping families navigate the Parent PLUS loan process for several years, I wanted to jump in with a few additional resources that might help everyone who's currently waiting: 1. If your parent applied through studentaid.gov, they should have received a confirmation email with an application reference number - keep this handy when calling for status updates 2. Many schools have a "Financial Aid Checklist" or "To-Do List" in the student portal that will show if they're waiting for PLUS loan certification - check there too 3. For those mentioning system glitches, the Department of Education actually has a technical issues hotline (1-800-433-3243, option 2) specifically for FAFSA/loan application problems One thing I always tell families is to document everything - dates of calls, names of people you spoke with, reference numbers, etc. This becomes really valuable if you need to escalate or if there are discrepancies later. The good news is that even when these delays happen, schools almost always work with families to avoid late payment penalties while waiting for federal aid to process. You're all being incredibly proactive by seeking help and following up - that's exactly the right approach!
This is such valuable information, especially about documenting everything and the technical issues hotline! I'm currently in my second week of waiting for Parent PLUS loan approval and had no idea there was a separate number for technical problems. My mom did save the confirmation email with the reference number, so we're prepared there. The tip about checking for a "Financial Aid Checklist" in the student portal is something I hadn't thought to look for - going to check that right after I finish reading through these responses. It's really reassuring to hear from someone who works with families on this regularly that schools are understanding about payment deadline extensions while waiting for federal aid. All of these practical tips are making what felt like an impossible situation seem much more manageable. Thank you for taking the time to share your expertise with all us stressed-out students and parents!
This is incredibly thorough advice! I'm currently in week 3 of waiting for my Parent PLUS loan status and was getting really anxious, but reading through all these responses has been such a huge help. My dad did get that confirmation email with the reference number, so we're good there. I never knew about the technical issues hotline - that's going to be my next step if we still don't see anything by tomorrow. The point about documenting everything is so smart too. I've been keeping track of when we applied and our attempts to contact the school, but I should be writing down more details like you suggested. It's really reassuring to hear from someone with professional experience that schools typically work with families on payment deadlines during these delays. This whole thread has turned what felt like a crisis into a manageable situation with clear next steps. Thank you for sharing your expertise with all of us newcomers to this process!
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Congratulations on getting it sorted out! As someone who's helped dozens of families navigate FAFSA for blended situations, I'm glad to see the community provided such clear guidance. For other families reading this thread, I'd add one more tip: always keep documentation of custody arrangements and child support orders handy when filling out FAFSA. Sometimes financial aid offices will request verification of these details later in the process. The distinction between household size and child support paid is one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of FAFSA, so you're definitely not alone in the initial confusion!
That's such helpful advice about keeping the custody and child support documentation ready! I never would have thought about that but it makes total sense that they might ask for verification later. This whole thread has been incredibly educational - I feel like I learned more here than from all the official FAFSA resources combined. Blended families really do face unique challenges with this process.
This thread is so helpful for understanding blended family FAFSA rules! I'm dealing with a similar situation but reversed - I'm the non-custodial parent paying child support, and my ex-husband is remarried. My daughter lives with them most of the time, so they're filling out the FAFSA with his new wife's income included. It's reassuring to see that the system does account for child support payments in the calculations. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps to hear from people who've actually been through this process rather than just trying to decipher the official FAFSA instructions!
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I'm new to this community but going through something similar with my 20-year-old. One thing that helped us was contacting the financial aid office early in the semester rather than waiting. They told us that mid-semester appeals often have better outcomes because they can see the student is actually enrolled and serious about their education. Also, if your daughter is working full-time while in school, make sure to emphasize that in her appeal. Financial aid counselors sometimes view that as evidence of genuine financial hardship and commitment to education. The combination of being self-supporting AND working while studying can strengthen her case for professional judgment. Has she considered community college for her first two years? I know that's not ideal, but the financial aid offices at community colleges are often more flexible with special circumstances, and she could transfer later with less debt.
Welcome to the community! That's really helpful advice about timing the appeal mid-semester. We hadn't thought about that angle, but it makes sense that they'd want to see she's committed to her studies. She is working about 35 hours a week while taking classes, so we'll definitely emphasize that in her appeal. The community college suggestion is interesting too. She's already enrolled at a 4-year school for this semester, but if the appeal doesn't work out, transferring might be worth considering for financial reasons. Do you know if professional judgment decisions from community colleges transfer when students move to 4-year schools, or would she have to go through the process again?
Professional judgment decisions don't transfer between schools - each institution makes their own determination based on their policies and your specific circumstances. So if she transfers from community college to a 4-year school, she'd need to go through the appeal process again at the new school. However, having documentation of a previous successful appeal can actually help! The new school's financial aid office will see that another institution reviewed her situation and found merit in adjusting her aid. Plus, by that time she'll have even more evidence of being self-supporting over a longer period. The good news is that once she has all the documentation organized for this appeal, she can reuse most of it for future schools. And honestly, some 4-year universities are more generous with professional judgment than others, so it might work out even better at a different school.
I'm facing a very similar situation with my 22-year-old son who's been completely independent for almost 2 years now. What really helped us was keeping meticulous records from day one of his independence - we created a monthly spreadsheet tracking every expense he paid (rent, utilities, groceries, car insurance, etc.) compared to his income from work. When we met with the financial aid office, having this detailed financial timeline made a huge difference. They could see exactly when he became self-sufficient and how consistent he's been. The counselor mentioned that many students claim independence but can't actually prove the full scope of their self-support. Also, don't overlook state-specific aid programs! Some states have grants or scholarships with different dependency criteria than federal FAFSA. My son qualified for a state workforce development grant that didn't require parental income information since he was working full-time in a high-demand field. One more tip - if your daughter's school has multiple campuses, sometimes the financial aid policies can vary slightly between campuses. Might be worth checking if that applies to her situation.
This is such great advice about keeping detailed records! I wish we had started tracking everything from the beginning, but we'll definitely create that monthly spreadsheet going forward. The state aid programs tip is particularly helpful - I hadn't even thought to look into those. Do you remember what the state workforce development grant was called? We're going to research what's available in our state this weekend. The multiple campus idea is interesting too - her school does have a few different locations, so we'll ask about policy differences during her appointment. Thank you for all these practical suggestions!
Oliver Cheng
As someone who just submitted my FAFSA last week, I can totally relate to this stress! I was literally refreshing my bank accounts every few minutes wondering if I should wait for pending transactions to clear. Here's what I ended up doing and it worked perfectly: I waited until around 10 PM when I knew no more transactions would post that day, logged into every single account (checking, savings, even that old savings account from high school with $37 in it), took screenshots of each balance, and then immediately used those exact numbers on the FAFSA. The screenshot approach is clutch because if you do get selected for verification, you have concrete proof of what your accounts actually showed that day. I haven't been selected for verification yet, but just knowing I have that documentation gives me so much peace of mind. Don't overthink it too much - you're already being way more careful than most people by even asking this question!
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Chloe Martin
•Thanks for sharing your experience! I love that you mentioned the old high school savings account with $37 - that's exactly the kind of thing I would totally forget about! Your timing strategy of waiting until 10 PM is really smart. I'm definitely feeling more confident about this whole process after reading everyone's experiences. It sounds like as long as you're honest and document everything, the system is pretty forgiving of normal account fluctuations. I'm going to follow your approach tonight - screenshot everything right before submitting and use those exact numbers. Really appreciate you taking the time to share what worked for you!
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Carter Holmes
As a newcomer who's been lurking and reading all these responses, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences! I'm literally about to start my FAFSA tonight and was having the exact same concerns about asset reporting. The screenshot strategy that everyone keeps mentioning is brilliant - I never would have thought of that but it makes perfect sense for verification purposes. It's so reassuring to hear from people who've actually been through this process and came out fine. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here: wait until late tonight, screenshot all my account balances, and use those exact figures. One quick question though - do I need to worry about including cash that I have at home, or is that not considered a reportable asset? Either way, this thread has been incredibly helpful for calming my FAFSA nerves!
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