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Also don't forget that the CSS Profile (which some private colleges require) is WAY more complicated for undocumented families than FAFSA... if any of your students are applying to private schools make sure you warn them about this extra form!!!
One practical solution that worked well at my previous school: We created a one-page reference sheet that listed exactly what documents parents should bring to FAFSA workshops (tax returns, W-2s, bank statements, etc.) along with FAQs about immigration status concerns. We translated it into multiple languages and sent it home 2 weeks before our workshops. This significantly increased both attendance and successful completion rates. Happy to share a template if that would help.
Ok so the weird thing about FAFSA now is with the new FAFSA Simplification Act changes, you may actually be better off filing early anyway. The new formula has different treatment of divorced/separated parents. Isn't the parent who provides more financial support the only one who fills it out now? Someone correct me if im wrong.
You're partially right. Under the new FAFSA rules, only the parent who provides more financial support includes their information. However, in this case, the issue is that the 2023 tax return still includes the soon-to-be ex-husband's income since they filed jointly. That's why filing early and requesting a special circumstances review is still the best approach here.
Thank you everyone for the advice! I'm going to file as soon as the FAFSA opens in December using my 2023 tax information and then immediately request special circumstance reviews from each school. I'll make sure to gather all the documentation (divorce decree, current pay stubs, etc.) in advance so I'm ready to go. I'm still worried about how this will affect my son's aid package, but at least I have a plan now. Should I warn my son that his initial aid offers might not look great until the special circumstances reviews are processed?
That's an excellent question. Yes, it would be good to prepare your son that the initial aid offers might not reflect your actual situation. Explain that the special circumstances review process might take some time (usually 2-4 weeks after submission), and that the final aid packages could look substantially different. One tip: keep detailed records of all communications with financial aid offices. I recommend following up by email after any phone conversations to document what was discussed.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I've checked my dashboard more carefully and found the specific issues I need to address (parent marital status inconsistency and some tax info that doesn't match their records). I'm definitely NOT going to submit a paper form now after hearing all your experiences. Going to upload the correct documents tonight and hopefully that resolves everything. Fingers crossed!
Let us know if that Claimyr thing works!!! I might try it too if it actually helps you get through!
UPDATE: I used the Claimyr service that was recommended and finally got through to a FAFSA agent! The call wait was about 25 minutes (instead of the infinite hold I was getting before). The agent found the issue - turns out there was a glitch where my dad's retirement account was being counted as available assets even though it should have been excluded. They're correcting it and reprocessing my FAFSA. My SAI should drop by about 8500 points, which will make a HUGE difference for aid eligibility. So relieved to have this resolved before scholarship deadlines!
OMG THANK YOU for updating!! Definitely going to try this for my issue too! So glad you got it fixed!
Aaron Boston
I'm having a similar issue but with Parent PLUS loans. My parents applied for me (I'm an undergrad) and the old FAFSA used to show how much they could borrow through Parent PLUS. Now there's nothing until the school processes everything. Does anyone know if there's a way to estimate what they'll be approved for? My parents need to know for budgeting since they're helping with my college costs.
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Levi Parker
•Parent PLUS loans are technically available up to the cost of attendance minus any other aid received. However, PLUS loans do require a credit check, so approval isn't guaranteed. Your school's financial aid office can provide an estimate of your cost of attendance, and you can subtract any grants/scholarships and Direct loans you expect to receive to estimate the maximum PLUS eligibility. But final amounts will come from your school once they process your FAFSA.
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Grant Vikers
UPDATE: I got my SAI score email today (took 5 days) and logged back into studentaid.gov. Still no specific loan amount mentioned, but I called my graduate financial aid office and they confirmed I'm still eligible for the full $29,500. They said the FAFSA change was intentional to emphasize grants over loans, but eligibility calculations haven't changed. So for anyone else confused by this - don't panic! Your loan eligibility is still there, they just don't show it prominently anymore. Thanks everyone for the help!
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Giovanni Martello
•thanks for updating us! i was still worried lol
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