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.

Great news! Make sure you accept the awards promptly when they appear. Some institutional scholarships have acceptance deadlines.

That's excellent! When you review your package, feel free to post back here if you have any questions about the different aid types offered. Understanding the difference between subsidized vs. unsubsidized loans, grants vs. scholarships, etc. can be confusing the first time around.

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.

One strategy to consider: if you're still able to contribute to an IRA, you could move some of your savings there before completing the FAFSA. For 2025, the IRA contribution limit for someone over 50 is $8,000 ($6,500 base + $1,500 catch-up). This would effectively shelter that amount from FAFSA consideration. Just make sure you're eligible to contribute based on any earned income requirements.

I want to thank everyone for their incredibly helpful responses. Just to summarize what I've learned: 1. My regular savings accounts DO count as assets for FAFSA, even though I use them for retirement 2. At age 62, I get an Asset Protection Allowance of about $15,500 3. Only about 5.6% of my remaining assets affect the SAI calculation 4. I should look into moving some money to an IRA if possible 5. My Social Security survivor benefits may help qualify my daughter for Pell Grants This community has been amazing - I was so stressed about this, and now I feel like I can approach the FAFSA with much more confidence.