Just checking back - any luck with the invitation? If you're still having trouble, remember that while waiting, you can still be proactive by gathering the documents you'll need for the parent portion: 2023 tax returns, W-2s, and records of any untaxed income. That way you'll be ready to complete it quickly once the invitation arrives.

told ya that would work! 👍

Anyone else notice how EVERY SINGLE YEAR they manage to break something new with the FAFSA? Last year it was the income verification, the year before the website crashed constantly... I swear they do this on purpose to reduce the number of people who successfully apply! My daughter lost a $5000 scholarship last year because her FAFSA wasn't processed in time due to their errors!!

Update on my situation - finally got our signature issue fixed this morning! Called FSA at exactly 8:00 AM Eastern when their phone lines open and only had to wait 20 minutes. The agent said there's a known bug with parent signatures in Chrome browsers specifically. They reset the signature section in their system and I was able to sign again. The status is now showing as 'processing' instead of 'missing signature.

Oh and to answer your other question - DEFINITELY do the whole year at once! Each loan application is another hard inquiry on your credit report, plus most lenders have minimum loan amounts (like $1000 or $1500) so you might end up having to borrow more than you need if you go semester by semester.

After getting input from several people here, I'd suggest you make a spreadsheet to compare your options. Here's what to include for each lender: - Interest rate (noting if fixed or variable) - Any rate discounts for autopay or good grades - Origination fees - Repayment terms (years) - Monthly payment amount - TOTAL amount paid over life of loan - Deferment/forbearance options - Co-signer release timeline - Customer service ratings (check Consumer Affairs website) When I did this comparison, the differences between lenders added up to over $4,000 in total repayment costs for a $10,000 loan. So it's definitely worth your time to research thoroughly.

If you need to speak with someone at Federal Student Aid without the wait time hassle, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was getting that same error code and kept getting disconnected after 30+ minute waits. Used their service and got connected to a FAFSA rep in under 5 minutes who explained exactly how to resolve the 2264 code. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with was able to override the error in my case since I was submitting for early admission deadlines.

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! Used Claimyr to reach a FAFSA agent who explained that code 2264 was specifically because my dad filed an extension AND reported a different income amount than what was on his previous year's taxes (he's self-employed so it varies). The agent manually noted this on my application and told me to submit the paper tax transcript once available, but said my application can proceed for now with a special note that I'm not trying to commit fraud or anything. My early decision school confirmed they'll accept this explanation with the pending verification. Thanks everyone for your help!!!

my son finly got his SAI score yesterday and it was WAYY higher than expected!! like $7000 more than the old EFC calculation would have been!! anyone else seeing huge differences with the new formula???

Update us when you finally hear back! I'm curious how long it actually takes for you. And definitely check spam folders - my daughter's confirmation went to her promotions tab in Gmail and she almost missed it.