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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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One more thing to consider - look at WHEN each twin's financial aid package was finalized. Schools have limited loan funds, and sometimes it's first-come-first-served. If Twin A's school processed their FAFSA earlier than Twin B's school, that could be a factor. Also, make sure to check if Twin B can still request loans directly. Many schools allow students to request loans up to their full eligibility even if they weren't initially included in the aid package. Just go to Twin B's financial aid office and ask about submitting a loan request form.
This is true! My son didn't get loans in his initial package but was able to request them later. Just filled out a form and got approved in like 2 days.
Update on what you find out! I work in higher ed (not financial aid specifically) but from what I've seen, this is almost certainly due to different institutional packaging policies rather than FAFSA itself. The FAFSA just provides your family's financial data and calculates your SAI score - it doesn't directly determine who gets what loans. Each institution creates their own methodology for how they use that data to construct financial aid packages, including whether they automatically include subsidized loans or not.
I'll definitely update! Called Twin B's financial aid office this morning and you were right - they don't automatically include loans in their initial packages. They said we can request federal loans up to $5,500 for the year, which is exactly what Twin A was offered automatically. Mystery solved! Thanks everyone for your help!
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THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!! My daughter is in her 3rd year of medical school, TWENTY-THREE YEARS OLD, hasn't lived at home in 5 years, files her own taxes, pays all her own bills, yet STILL has to put our information on her FAFSA because she's not 24!!! She lost out on so much aid because of our income even though we can barely help her at all with the astronomical cost of medical school. And don't even get me started on the CSS Profile some schools require - it's even MORE invasive than FAFSA! The system is designed to prevent students from getting aid, not help them.
While the frustration is understandable, I want to clarify that the system isn't designed to prevent aid - it's just operating on outdated assumptions about family financial responsibility. The 24-year age threshold was established decades ago when fewer students were financially independent before that age. For medical students specifically, there are targeted loan forgiveness programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and state-specific programs for practicing in underserved areas. These can be more valuable in the long run than the need-based aid she might have qualified for as an independent student.
Thank you everyone for the helpful information! We've decided to: 1. Complete the FAFSA with our information as required 2. Request a professional judgment review with detailed documentation of her situation 3. Research nursing-specific scholarships and loans 4. Look into hospital tuition reimbursement programs in her area It's frustrating that the FAFSA rules don't account for these intensive healthcare programs where students truly are living independently year-round, but at least we have some options to explore. I'll update if we have any success with the professional judgment review!
Great plan! One more tip: when submitting the professional judgment request, focus on any unusual financial circumstances your family might have rather than just the independent living situation. Financial aid offices have more flexibility to adjust for things like medical expenses, job loss, or supporting multiple college students simultaneously than they do for changing dependency status.
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btw if ur only getting sub/unsub loans why not just do a private loan? way less hassle and probably better rates if u have decent credit
I've thought about it, but federal loans have so many more protections - income-driven repayment, forbearance options, potential forgiveness programs. Private loans don't offer any of that flexibility.
Federal Direct loans also don't require credit checks (except for PLUS), have fixed interest rates, and the Subsidized loans don't accrue interest while you're in school. Private loans almost never offer these benefits, regardless of your credit score.
Special circumstances are the WORST!!! My parents lost their business in 2023 and I had to do a special circumstances request. Took FOREVER and the school kept asking for more and more documents every few weeks. Make sure you call your financial aid office regularly - the squeaky wheel gets the grease! I swear they processed mine faster just to stop me from calling them lol
LOL that's good advice! I'll definitely start calling more regularly once they have my ISIR. Did your school give you a direct contact person for special circumstances, or did you just deal with whoever answered the phone?
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heres the number i used: 1-800-433-3243. but seriously it's pure luck getting through. my daughter just used her school's financial aid office computer lab and that worked way better
UPDATE: Success! I took several of your suggestions and finally got through. I used Edge browser at 5:30am this morning and was able to log in with no issues. Everything we had entered previously was still there. Then I called my daughter's school financial aid office and they confirmed they've extended their priority deadline by 2 weeks because of all the FAFSA technical problems. For anyone else struggling with this - try the early morning hours with Edge browser, and definitely contact your school's financial aid office directly! Thank you all for your help!
Great news! Glad to hear you got it working. The SAI calculation should be processed within 3-5 days now that you've submitted everything.
congrats!! i'm still stuck on the verification part but at least our application is submitted
Fatima Al-Rashid
Great update! I'm glad you took the initiative to contact them before submitting. Getting those forms and specific instructions will make the process much smoother. Just remember that if you do get stuck in the online FAFSA application (which happens often in these special situations), don't hesitate to call their helpline for assistance.
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Aaliyah Jackson
GOOD JOB! That's exactly what you needed to do. Way better than what I did lol. My daughter got way less aid than she should've because I didn't know about this process until too late. Also don't forget you'll have to do this EVERY YEAR you apply for aid, so keep ALL your documentation!
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