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Just wanted to mention that the FAFSA website has been having tons of issues this application cycle. My daughter and I had to try 5 different times over several days before we could get through all the sections properly. So frustrating! Keep trying and don't submit until you can enter all your information correctly.
UPDATE: Success! After trying multiple browsers and getting nowhere, I used Claimyr to reach an FSA agent (took about 20 minutes to get connected). The agent confirmed there's a known glitch affecting some renewal applications. They had me create a new FAFSA ID and start a fresh application rather than using the renewal option. This time all sections appeared correctly including the income questions! For anyone else experiencing this: DO NOT SUBMIT without income information. It's absolutely required and your application will either be rejected or flagged for verification, which will significantly delay your aid. Better to start fresh than submit incomplete info. Thank you all for your help!
Great solution! This is exactly right - sometimes the renewal process can inherit corrupted data structures from previous applications. Starting fresh ensures all required sections are properly presented. Thanks for sharing your resolution, this will help others facing the same issue.
Update from someone who's been through this process multiple times: if you've already received aid offers from schools, you don't necessarily need to panic. Even if your SAI changes slightly after the review, many schools won't adjust your financial aid package unless there's a substantial change (usually over 10-15% difference in your SAI). Some schools have a policy of honoring their initial aid offer even if your FAFSA gets adjusted later, especially if you're close to the deposit deadline. If you're really concerned, contact the financial aid offices at the specific schools rather than just FAFSA.
That's a good point - I'll reach out to the financial aid offices at her top choice schools tomorrow as well. Thank you!
UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at FSA this morning! Apparently the review was triggered because my employer submitted a corrected W-2 in February (there was a small error in reported retirement contributions that changed our AGI by about $200). The agent said the review is standard procedure when tax documents get amended, and that such a small change wouldn't impact our SAI enough to change aid offers. She marked our file as urgent since we're approaching decision deadlines, and said the review should be completed within 5-7 business days. Thanks everyone for your advice!
Glad you got answers! That's honestly the best outcome - just a minor verification that won't affect your aid.
just wanted to update - i just checked claimyr that someone mentioned above and it actually worked for me! got through to a real person at fsa in like 20 minutes today after trying for over a week on my own. they were able to fix my verification problem right away. it was worth it just to stop stressing about this!
That's amazing! I'm definitely going to try this tomorrow morning. At this point I just need to talk to an actual human who can look at my file. I'll post an update if it works for me too.
UPDATE: I finally got through! Used Claimyr like several people suggested, and was connected to an FSA agent in about 15 minutes. They confirmed there was an error in how my mom's business income was being calculated in the system. The agent filed a correction request and said it should be fixed within 5-7 business days. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your suggestions and support through this nightmare!
So glad you got it resolved! Make sure to follow up if you don't see the change in your SAI within that timeframe. Sometimes you need to be persistent even after they say it's being fixed.
One important thing to note is that after making any corrections, there will be a processing period before your updated SAI is calculated. This typically takes 3-5 business days, though it can sometimes take longer during peak periods. Since you mentioned scholarship deadlines, make sure you plan for this processing time. Also, for future reference, if you're making multiple corrections, it's best to make them all at once rather than submitting several separate correction requests, as each new submission restarts the processing clock.
The processing times are SO inconsistent though!! My first correction took 2 days but when I had to fix another mistake it took almost 2 WEEKS during January. The system is totally unpredictable.
Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! We successfully made the correction through my son's student account yesterday. He was able to access both his own income section and could have changed our parent information too if needed. We both had to re-sign with our FSA IDs after making the change. Now we're just waiting for the updated SAI calculation. Fingers crossed it processes quickly since one of his scholarship applications needs the updated info by next Friday!
Freya Nielsen
My twins graduated last year and honestly I'm STILL confused about how all this works lmao. But congrats on your daughter's acceptances!!! That's awesome! 🎉
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FireflyDreams
Update: I called the admissions offices for the 3 schools she already applied to directly. Two of them said NOT to submit Common App since she's already accepted, but the third one actually wants her to submit through Common App too! They said it's for "record keeping purposes" which seems silly, but I guess we'll do it. Thank you everyone for the advice - this forum has been more helpful than the high school counselor!
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Javier Morales
•this is why the college application process is BROKEN. every school does different things and expects parents to figure it all out!!
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