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When I applied for my son, his FAFSA was processed but showed 0 financial aid!!! They made a mistake because we definitely qualify. I had to call and call and finally got it fixed. The system is BROKEN. Make sure you appeal whatever they offer you - schools have more money than they admit!!! Don't take the first offer!!
Just to clarify - seeing that your FAFSA was "processed" doesn't mean you were awarded $0. The FAFSA processing is just the first step - it calculates your SAI. The actual aid awards come from each individual school later. But yes, appealing is sometimes possible if your financial situation has changed or if there are special circumstances not captured on the FAFSA.
UPDATE: I finally found the Student Aid Report! For anyone else looking, I had to click on "My Documents" and then download the PDF file. Our SAI is 8,482. I guess now we just wait to hear from the colleges about actual aid amounts. Thanks everyone for your help!
Great! Yes, now you wait for each college to send their financial aid award letters. They'll use your SAI of 8,482 plus their own institutional methodology to determine grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans. Each package will look different based on the school's total cost and available funds. Keep an eye on your email and student portals for each college - sometimes they announce aid packages there first.
my son and i had to do the fafsa thing 3 times before it worked right lol. the new system is so confusing compared to last year!! but we finally got it working when we both made separate accounts. good luck!!!
UPDATE: I called the Federal Student Aid number this morning using that Claimyr service someone mentioned (which actually worked!). The agent confirmed I need to have my incorrect FSA ID deactivated before creating a new parent one. She took care of it on the spot and said I can create the new parent ID tomorrow (there's a 24-hour waiting period). Then my daughter needs to create her own student ID, and she'll start the application and add me as a contributor. Thanks everyone for the help - would have been completely lost without your advice!
Have you considered whether accelerating graduation is actually worth it financially? Sometimes taking an extra semester with full financial aid coverage is cheaper than paying for summer classes out-of-pocket or with loans. Calculate the difference between: 1. Cost of summer classes + potential loan interest 2. Income you'd earn by graduating early 3. Cost of an extra fall/spring semester (which would be covered by your full aid package) Many students assume graduating early always saves money, but that's not always true when full aid is involved.
Another option worth exploring: some schools allow you to take summer classes at a community college and transfer the credits. Community colleges are typically much cheaper, and some have their own summer aid programs. Just make sure the credits will transfer to your degree program by checking with your academic advisor first.
I went through this exact situation 2 years ago when my overtime pushed us above the Pell threshold. The most successful approach for us was completing BOTH: 1. A special circumstances appeal with the financial aid office (got $1500 in university grants) 2. Applications to external nursing organizations like the American Association of Colleges of Nursing scholarship program Also, look into whether your state has a nursing shortage initiative - many states provide forgivable loans (effectively grants) if your daughter commits to working in that state for 1-2 years after graduation. Our daughter got $5000/year this way.
One option nobody's mentioned yet is the AmeriCorps Education Award. If your daughter can fit in a summer service program with AmeriCorps (many have healthcare placements), she could earn around $6,495 towards her education costs. It's not technically a grant, but functions similarly. Also, make sure to check your daughter's specific subsection of nursing for specialized grants. Pediatric nursing, geriatric care, and mental health nursing all have separate grant foundations that many students don't know about.
Anastasia Popova
just wondering but does ur dad live with u? my parents r divorced and i had THE WORST time trying to get my dad to do his part. ended up having to go to his house and literally sit there while he filled it out. the whole system is designed for traditional families i swear
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Malik Robinson
•He does live with me, but he works crazy hours so we're rarely home at the same time. I think I'm going to have to catch him on his day off and just make him sit down and do it while I'm there. You're right about the system assuming traditional family situations - I can't imagine how much harder this would be if my parents were separated.
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CosmicCadet
One important thing to know - if your dad's email is gmail, there's a known issue with FAFSA invites going to the "Promotions" or "Updates" tab instead of the main inbox. Have him check ALL tabs in gmail. Also, once this is resolved, your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation typically takes 3-5 business days if there are no verification issues. Make sure your school's financial aid office knows you've been dealing with technical issues so they can note it in your file if you end up cutting it close to their deadline.
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Malik Robinson
•This is super helpful! His email is actually gmail, so that could definitely be the problem. I'll have him check all the tabs. I'm going to email my school's financial aid office today to let them know about these issues. Hopefully they'll be understanding if my final application comes in right at the deadline. Thanks for the advice!
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