


Ask the community...
Based on your responses to everyone's suggestions, this does sound like a system error that will require FSA intervention to fix. When you do connect with them, make sure to have the following ready: 1. Your FSA ID login information 2. Your son's FSA ID (but not his password) 3. The exact date/time he sent the invitations 4. Confirmation that your husband successfully completed his portion The agent will likely need to manually link your account to your son's FAFSA application. They might also need to send a special invitation link directly to you. Good luck!
UPDATE: Problem solved! I used the Claimyr service that @profile5 recommended to get through to FSA without the long wait. The agent found that there was a system glitch where my FSA ID wasn't properly linking to the invitation even though my email was correct. They had to manually link my account to my son's application. Now I can see and complete my portion! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.
btw has anyone gotten their SAI score yet? mine seems super high compared to the old EFC from last year...
UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! I used Claimyr to reach an FSA agent (thanks for that suggestion), and they confirmed my corrected FAFSA was fully processed. They gave me a case number and told me which transaction number the school should be looking for (#03 in my case). I called my school's financial aid office, gave them this info, and they were able to manually pull my corrected FAFSA within a few hours. They said lots of students are having this issue. For anyone else dealing with this - don't wait for the systems to fix themselves, be proactive and contact both FSA and your school directly!
If you don't pass the credit check for a PLUS loan, you have two options: 1. Get an endorser (similar to a co-signer) 2. Appeal by documenting extenuating circumstances for credit issues If those don't work, there's actually a benefit: your daughter would become eligible for additional unsubsidized direct loans (up to $4,000-$5,000 more per year) since you were denied the PLUS loan. And yes, regarding the loan fee - if you need $10,000 for costs, you'd request about $10,440 to cover the fee that's deducted.
That's really helpful information! I didn't realize she could get additional unsubsidized loans if I'm denied. That might actually be better in some ways since the debt would be in her name rather than mine. Do you know if the interest rates on those additional unsubsidized loans would be lower than the PLUS loan rate?
yeah the parent plus loan intrest rate is way higher then the regular student loans. my daughters direct loans are like 5% something and my plus loans are over 8%. wish i knew that before :
For anyone worried about making decisions without financial aid information, I recommend taking these steps: 1. Contact your schools' financial aid offices directly to ask about their contingency plans 2. Ask if they're extending their May 1 deposit deadlines 3. Request an estimated aid package based on last year's FAFSA if you're a returning student 4. If you're a first-year student, ask if they can provide a preliminary estimate based on your self-reported information 5. Document all communications in writing when possible Most institutions want to work with students during this unprecedented situation, but they need to hear from you directly about your concerns.
This is really helpful advice. I'll start making these calls tomorrow. The whole situation is so stressful - my daughter got into her dream school but we have no idea if we can afford it without seeing the financial aid package. I'm worried all the good dorm options will be gone by the time we can make a decision too.
I'm still confused why they changed the whole system this year anyway? The old FAFSA worked fine for me last year...
The FAFSA Simplification Act was passed to make several improvements to the financial aid system, including reducing the number of questions from 108 to about 40, expanding Pell Grant eligibility, eliminating the sibling discount, and changing from EFC to SAI calculations. The changes are generally positive for students, but the implementation has been problematic. The new system will be better long-term, but this transition year is causing significant challenges.
Malik Johnson
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!
0 coins
Freya Thomsen
That's great you found the specific issues! One quick tip - when you upload corrected documents, take screenshots of the confirmation pages. I've had situations where documents seemingly disappeared from the system, and having proof of submission saved me a ton of headache. Good luck with your aid!
0 coins