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Totally agree with checking if colleges need the CSS Profile too! My daughter applied to 6 schools and 2 required both FAFSA AND CSS Profile. The CSS asks for way more financial info and costs $25 for the first school and $16 for each additional one. They do have fee waivers though if your income qualifies.
I had no idea the CSS Profile cost money! That's good to know - I'll need to budget for that depending on how many schools she applies to. Thanks for the heads up about possible fee waivers too.
@Theresa Just be mentally prepared for how invasive these financial aid forms feel. They want to know EVERYTHING - your income, savings, home equity (for some schools), even child support. I felt like I needed a financial advisor AND a therapist after filling everything out! 😫 Oh and make SURE you're using the official studentaid.gov site. There are scam sites that charge you to fill out the FAFSA which should always be FREE!
Thank you for the warning about scam sites! I would have assumed any FAFSA site was official. I'll make sure to only use studentaid.gov. And yes, I'm definitely not looking forward to sharing all our financial details, but I guess that's just part of the process.
After reviewing all the comments, here's what I recommend: 1. Have your daughter check her college portals to see if her FAFSA was received 2. Contact one of her school's financial aid offices directly 3. If you need immediate confirmation from FSA directly (which is the most reliable option), consider using a service like the one mentioned to get through to an agent Given that you were able to complete your portion and link to her application, it's highly likely everything is properly submitted. The email system has been notoriously unreliable this cycle.
Thank you so much for this clear breakdown of next steps. I feel much better having a plan. I'm going to start with checking the college portals tonight, then contact the financial aid office tomorrow. If I still need confirmation after that, I'll try reaching FSA directly.
btw make sure u tell ur daughter to keep checking her email and fsa portal regularly cuz sometimes they ask for verification after everything looks completed. my son got asked for tax documents 3 weeks after we thought everything was done. almost missed the deadline!!!
That's great advice - thank you! I'll make sure she checks both regularly. This process is so much more complicated than when I was in college!
btw has anyone told u to check if ur eligible for state financial aid too? some states have separate programs for students who don't qualify for federal aid for various reasons. virginia might have something!
UPDATE: I've made some progress! I spoke with the financial aid office at my new university, and they were surprisingly helpful. The counselor said they've handled several cases like mine before. I'm putting together a documentation package with: 1. My personal statement 2. Letter from my employer 3. Letter from my Medicaid caseworker 4. Letter from a professor who's been mentoring me online 5. My lease, bills, and tax returns showing self-sufficiency The financial aid counselor also mentioned they have some institutional funds they can use to help students in unique situations, even if the FAFSA override isn't approved. I'm feeling much more hopeful now! Thank you all for the advice and support.
the SAI is that new thing right? i thought we still used EFC? this whole new FAFSA system is so confusing ugh
You're partially right - the SAI (Student Aid Index) replaced the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) starting with the 2024-2025 FAFSA. They serve a similar purpose in determining aid eligibility, but the calculation method changed. The confusion is understandable since this transition has been rolling out with the simplified FAFSA.
UPDATE: I finally got my SAI this morning! It appeared on my SAR and the status changed from 'processing' to 'processed' on studentaid.gov. Took exactly 25 days from submission. For anyone else waiting, just hang tight - it does eventually come through. Now I need to figure out what this SAI number actually means for my aid package...
Great news! Your SAI is used by your school to determine your financial need (Cost of Attendance minus SAI). Lower numbers mean more need-based aid eligibility. Now your school can start putting together your financial aid package with grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans. Make sure to check your school portal regularly for updates.
Hassan Khoury
My cousins SAI calculation was totally wrong because his mom forgot to sign and they submitted a correction too late. Then he got way less money than he shouldve. This whole systems a mess.
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Victoria Stark
•That's not quite how it works. The SAI calculation doesn't change based on when signatures are submitted. If the calculation was incorrect, it was likely due to incorrect information on the original application, and the correction was processed after aid was already awarded. Always best to get everything right the first time, but signature timing itself doesn't affect the calculation.
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Grace Durand
UPDATE: My dad just signed it! The status changed to "processing" immediately. Thanks everyone for the advice - I'll email my schools in the morning to let them know about the delay. Fingers crossed they'll still consider me for full aid packages despite missing the priority deadline by a few days.
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Steven Adams
•Great news! Most schools build in buffer time for these exact situations. Keep an eye on your email for your SAI calculation, which should come through in 3-5 business days. Then follow up with each school to confirm they've received your completed FAFSA.
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Benjamin Kim
•Be prepared to FIGHT for your aid! Don't just accept whatever they offer first - if it's less than expected, appeal immediately and cite the technical issues with the signature as the reason!
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