One more important thing: if you do end up needing to use the remove/re-add method, do it in small batches (2 schools at a time) rather than all at once. This reduces the chance of transmission errors. And only do this during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm Eastern) when the FSA technical support team is available in case something goes wrong.

I'd wait at least 48 hours between batches and verify with the schools that they received the data before proceeding with the next batch. Also, keep detailed notes of which schools you've removed/re-added and when. This will be helpful if you need to escalate to FSA.

Just to clarify - the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) is specifically for undocumented students, DACA recipients, U visa holders, and students with TPS status who can't complete the FAFSA. If you're a California resident who is a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, you should complete the FAFSA, not the CADAA. Completing the wrong form can significantly delay your financial aid.

oh sht my bad! ur right. i was thinking of the cal grant gpa verification form! thats the extra one everyone needs

@originalpost To answer your question - yes, Claimyr was really simple to use. You just enter your phone number and they call you when an agent is available. And yes, the FSA agent was actually super helpful once I got through. She walked me through exactly what was included in my income calculation and identified the error right away. She also sent me an email confirming what documents I needed to submit for correction.

UPDATE: I wanted to thank everyone for their advice! I went to the financial aid office in person yesterday with all my documentation about the divorce and financial changes. They gave me a Special Circumstances form to fill out, and the counselor I spoke with was actually very helpful once I specifically mentioned "Professional Judgment review" (thank you for that terminology!). I also tried Claimyr to reach the Federal Student Aid office, and it worked! Got a call back in about 45 minutes and the agent confirmed there were no errors in our original submission but walked me through how the appeal process works with the school. Now we're waiting to hear back on the appeal. The financial aid officer said it typically takes 2-3 weeks for a decision. I've also started looking into state grants and scholarships specifically for children of divorced parents. Feeling less panicked now that we have a plan. Will update when we hear back about the appeal!

One more suggestion - have your son speak directly with his academic department. Many departments have scholarship funds that aren't widely advertised or automatically included in financial aid packages. These are especially common for students already demonstrating promise in their intended major. These departmental scholarships can range from $1,000-$5,000 per year and often have less competition than general university scholarships. A simple email to the department chair or undergraduate advisor can sometimes unlock these opportunities.

Whatever you do, AVOID private loans if possible. We took those for our oldest and the variable interest rates are killing us now. The Parent PLUS loans at least have fixed rates and income-based repayment options if things get tough. Private loans offer NONE of those protections. If you lose your job or have health issues, private lenders don't care.

omg this happened to my cousin too!! they had to call like 50 times and then finally someone actually looked at her application properly instead of just saying "everything looks fine on our end" when it clearly wasn't fine!!!

So glad you finally got it figured out! I had a similar nightmare situation with my FAFSA two years ago when I was applying. Started panicking because my SAI score wasn't showing up correctly and the school kept saying they couldn't see my application. Turned out my birthday was entered with the wrong year (1990 instead of 1999) and nobody caught it through multiple reviews. I actually lost a scholarship opportunity because it took so long to fix. The whole system needs a complete overhaul honestly.