Did you try that Claimyr service I mentioned? Just wondering if it worked for you. It made such a difference for me after weeks of frustration.

Have you checked if your son's school has a FAFSA workshop or help session? Our local community college has been running them because of all the problems this year. They had financial aid advisors who could help navigate the system and even had a direct line to FSA.

just tried again and got a little further! made it to assets section before crashing this time lol. progress i guess??

That is progress! Maybe they're implementing fixes in real-time. I might try again tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow.

When i started college my mom filled out my fafsa forms for all 4 years and labeled a folder for each one lol but now im in grad school and had to learn all this myself. the whole system is way too complicated. my suggestion is to just make a spreadsheet to track which form is for which year, when you submitted, status etc. helps me keep everything straight especially with scholarships having different deadlines.

To answer your question about timing - typically you'll receive your SAI (Student Aid Index) score within 3-5 business days after submitting your FAFSA, assuming there are no errors or issues requiring verification. However, with the recent FAFSA Simplification Act changes, some applications are taking longer to process this year - up to 2 weeks in some cases. For your scholarship applications, I'd recommend two things: 1. Submit your correct 2024-2025 FAFSA immediately 2. Contact the scholarship providers to explain the situation and ask if they'll accept pending FAFSA status with follow-up documentation when you receive it Many scholarship providers understand these issues and will work with you as long as you're proactive about communication.

Since you mentioned being a single parent on $40k income, I also want to make sure you know that even after they fix the 401k rollover issue, you should check if your daughter qualifies for the Pell Grant and other need-based aid. With your corrected income, she likely will qualify for significant federal aid beyond just loans. The school might also have their own institutional grants for students in your situation. Make sure to ask about ALL available aid options when you contact them about the professional judgment review.

Quick update - got my son's financial aid recalculated after our retirement rollover issue. Took about 3 weeks after submitting all the docs. His SAI went from $33k down to $8k which made a HUGE difference in his aid package! Don't give up hope - the schools really do understand this is a common problem with the FAFSA calculations.

Wait til you get to the part where you have to do entrance loan counseling and the Master Promissory Note... that's a whole other confusing process 🥴 The FAFSA itself is just the first step of like 10 steps

One more important thing: if your financial circumstances have changed significantly since you filed your 2023 tax information (which is what the 2025-2026 FAFSA uses), you can request a Professional Judgment review from your school's financial aid office. This is especially relevant if there's been: - Job loss or significant income reduction - Extraordinary medical expenses - Parent divorce or separation - Death of a parent/spouse - Natural disaster expenses This could potentially lower your SAI and increase your grant eligibility. Documentation will be required, but it can significantly improve your aid package in some situations.