As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone who contributed to this incredibly important discussion! I'm just beginning my FAFSA application process and honestly would have been completely vulnerable to this type of scam without reading this thread first. The detailed explanations from financial aid professionals, IT experts, and cybersecurity specialists have been invaluable in helping me understand what legitimate verification processes actually look like. What's particularly alarming is how these scammers are specifically targeting the exact documents (SSN card + driver's license) that would give them everything they need for complete identity theft. The fact that they're using official-looking logos and .edu-style emails during the stressful financial aid season shows how calculated these attacks are. The key lessons I'm taking away: legitimate schools never request these sensitive documents via email, always use secure portals or in-person submission, and when in doubt, call the official number directly from the school's website. This community's quick and protective response really demonstrates the importance of looking out for each other during vulnerable times. I'll definitely be sharing this information with other first-time FAFSA applicants to help protect them from these sophisticated scams!

As someone who's completely new to both this community and the FAFSA process, this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently preparing to submit my first FAFSA application and honestly had no clue that scammers were running such sophisticated operations targeting students during financial aid season. Reading through all the expert responses from financial aid advisors, IT professionals, and cybersecurity specialists has been like getting a free education in fraud prevention that I desperately needed. What's most terrifying to me is how these criminals are specifically requesting the exact combination of documents (SSN card + driver's license) that would give them everything needed for complete identity theft, and they're doing it during the most stressful time when students are panicked about missing aid deadlines. The fact that they're using official logos and .edu-style emails shows just how calculated and predatory these attacks have become. The consensus from everyone here is crystal clear: legitimate schools NEVER request these sensitive documents via regular email and always provide secure submission methods through student portals or in-person options. I'm definitely going to follow the advice to always verify any suspicious requests by calling the school directly using the official number from their website, not any contact info from the potentially fake email. Thank you to everyone who jumped in so quickly to protect a fellow student - this community's response gives me so much confidence that I have a safe place to ask questions as I navigate this complex process. I'm absolutely going to share this thread with other first-time FAFSA applicants in my program to help protect them from these dangerous scams!

Just wanted to jump in as someone currently going through this process! My son is also starting fall 2025 and we're in a similar boat. One thing I learned from calling our school's financial aid office is that they actually encourage parents to create their FSA ID account NOW if you haven't already - that way you're ready to go the moment the PLUS loan application opens. The FSA ID creation process can take a few days to verify, so getting that done early saves time later. Also, our school's financial aid counselor mentioned that if you have questions about the award letter when it arrives, don't hesitate to schedule a phone appointment with them. They can often explain exactly how much you'd need to borrow and walk you through the next steps. The whole process is definitely nerve-wracking but at least we're all figuring it out together!

As a new parent navigating this process, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with my daughter starting fall 2025. One question I haven't seen addressed - for those who've done this before, do schools typically send award letters all at once or do they trickle in over weeks/months? I'm trying to plan when to expect ours so I can start the Parent PLUS process with enough time before any deposit deadlines. Also, has anyone had experience with appealing financial aid awards if the package isn't sufficient? I'm wondering if that's something to try before committing to a large Parent PLUS loan amount.

As a first-generation college student who just got accepted to UCLA, this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! My MCS estimate is $4,150 and I was honestly terrified about whether I could trust that number for my financial planning. Reading everyone's real experiences - especially seeing how most estimates ended up being pretty close to actual awards - has given me so much more confidence. I'm definitely going to follow all the advice here: calling at 8am, getting my tax transcripts ready (didn't even know that was different from tax returns!), scheduling a one-on-one meeting with a financial aid counselor, and building that 10-15% buffer into my budget. It's also huge to know about resources like the economic crisis response team as a safety net. What really strikes me is how much more helpful everyone's personal experiences are compared to the official financial aid websites. Those sites tell you what MCS is but don't give you any sense of how reliable the estimates actually are or what to watch out for. This community is amazing for filling in those gaps with real, practical advice. Thank you all for taking the time to share your stories - it's making this whole process feel so much less overwhelming! 💙💛

As a transfer student who just got my UCLA financial aid package with a $3,650 MCS estimate, this thread has been incredibly reassuring! I was especially worried because transfer students sometimes get different treatment with aid, but seeing everyone's experiences with estimates being pretty close to actual awards gives me hope. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone here dealt with MCS as a transfer student specifically? I'm wondering if the verification process or timing is any different for us since we're starting mid-way through our UC journey. My community college counselor wasn't familiar with the MCS program details. Also taking notes on all the practical advice here: the 8am calling strategy, having tax transcripts ready, and definitely going to try to schedule that one-on-one meeting with a financial aid counselor. The 10-15% budget buffer tip is smart too - I was planning to rely on the full estimate amount which probably wasn't the wisest approach. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of info transfer students like me need but can never find in the official resources!

Reading through this entire thread has been so reassuring! I'm a newcomer to this community and currently going through my first FAFSA experience with my oldest child. Ashley, your situation is exactly the kind of thing that keeps me up at night - the fear of making a simple mistake that completely derails our financial aid eligibility. It's incredible how helpful everyone has been with specific, actionable advice. The retirement account error seems to be a trap that catches so many families, and I never would have thought about the double-counting issue with 529 funds. I'm definitely going to use this thread as a checklist when I review our FAFSA before submitting. The suggestion about using Claimyr to actually reach a human at Federal Student Aid is gold - I've been dreading trying to call them directly. And the reminder that schools have professional judgment options gives me hope that even if we make mistakes, there are still ways to advocate for our kids. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating this overwhelming process!

I'm new to this community and just went through a similar FAFSA shock last month! Reading Ashley's story feels like déjà vu - we also got an unexpectedly high SAI that made no sense given our income. In our case, it turned out we had accidentally reported my husband's rollover IRA contribution as a regular asset instead of excluding it entirely. The panic when you first see that number is real! What really helped us was creating a spreadsheet to track every asset and income source before making corrections. We listed everything out with "include" or "exclude" columns and double-checked each item against the FAFSA guidelines. It sounds like you've already identified the major errors (retirement accounts and double-counted 529 funds), which is huge. One thing I learned from our financial aid officer - they actually prefer when families catch and correct errors quickly rather than trying to explain inflated SAI numbers later. Shows you're being proactive and honest about the mistake. Definitely keep pushing on those corrections and don't be afraid to be a bit persistent with the schools if you don't hear back quickly. You've got this!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works in financial aid at a state university. We see international parent situations regularly, and I want to emphasize that this is NOT an uncommon problem - you're not alone! The most important thing to know is that FAFSA's online system simply cannot handle these cases properly, which is why you keep hitting roadblocks. When you meet with your school's financial aid office tomorrow, specifically mention "Dependency Override" or "Special Circumstances Review" - these are the formal processes we use to handle situations exactly like your cousin's. Bring documentation of your attempts to resolve this through normal FAFSA channels (screenshots of error messages, call logs, etc.) as this demonstrates good faith effort. Most schools have a dedicated person who handles these complex cases, so ask to speak with whoever manages dependency overrides or special circumstances. The good news is that once you get to the right person at the school level, these issues are very solvable - we deal with them all the time. Hang in there!

I'm so glad you found this community and got so much helpful advice! I went through something very similar with my parents in Morocco a few years ago. One additional tip that saved me time - when you meet with the financial aid office tomorrow, ask if they have a "FAFSA International Parent Worksheet" or something similar. Many schools have created their own internal forms specifically for these situations that make the documentation process much smoother. Also, if your cousin's parents have any kind of official employment contracts or pay slips (even if they're not traditional W-2s), bring those too. The financial aid administrators are usually very understanding about these situations once they realize you're dealing with a legitimate international family scenario rather than trying to avoid reporting income. Wishing you the best of luck with tomorrow's meeting - it sounds like you're finally on the right track!