As a newcomer to this community, I really appreciate how thorough and supportive everyone has been in addressing this concern! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. I'm in a similar situation with my son who's a junior in high school, and I had the same fears about potential liability for his future student loans. It's such a relief to hear from multiple sources - including financial aid professionals - that federal student loans remain solely the student's responsibility regardless of parent income being used for eligibility calculations. The practical advice about creating repayment scenarios, understanding borrowing limits, and having frank conversations about post-graduation expectations is exactly what I needed to hear. I especially appreciate the reminder about income-driven repayment plans and other safety nets that exist for federal loans. Thank you @StarSurfer for asking this question and to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise. This is exactly why I joined this community - to learn from others who've navigated these complex financial aid waters!

As a newcomer here, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm currently going through the FAFSA process with my daughter and had the exact same concerns about parent liability for student loans. What's been most helpful is learning that the distinction is really about WHO SIGNS the loan documents, not whose income was used for eligibility. Federal student loans are solely in the student's name, while Parent PLUS loans would be in the parent's name. It seems so obvious now, but when you're stressed about college costs, it's easy to conflate eligibility calculations with repayment responsibility. I particularly appreciate the practical advice about mapping out realistic post-graduation scenarios and discussing expectations upfront. We've started having more detailed conversations about her career goals and likely starting salaries, which has actually been helpful for her to think more critically about her major choice too. One question for the financial aid professionals here: are there any red flags or warning signs in financial aid packages that parents should watch out for that might indicate a school is pushing families toward riskier borrowing options?

As someone who literally just created an account to ask about this exact issue, I cannot tell you how relieved I am to find this thread! My FAFSA processed three days ago and my SAI jumped from an estimated $2,400 to $6,900. I've been spiraling thinking I somehow messed up my application catastrophically. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both comforting (I'm not alone!) and terrifying (this is happening to SO many people). The randomness of it all is what's really getting to me - some people seeing decreases, others seeing massive increases, seemingly regardless of how careful they were with their applications. @Yuki Ito, thank you for the detailed explanations about why these discrepancies happen. I had no idea the system did additional verification beyond the initial submission. I'm definitely going to pull up my SAR today to see what might have changed. @Aisha Khan, I'm really hoping your professional judgment review works out well! It gives me hope that there are solutions available even when the numbers seem completely wrong. Please keep us posted on how it goes! For anyone else in the same boat - I called my school's financial aid office yesterday and they said they're seeing this issue with tons of students this year. They're scheduling appointments specifically to help people understand their SAI changes and file appeals if needed. So don't panic (easier said than done, I know) - it sounds like the schools are aware this is a widespread problem and are trying to help!

Welcome to the club, @PixelWarrior! 😅 I just joined this community specifically because of this FAFSA nightmare too. My SAI went up by $3,200 from the estimate and I was absolutely panicking until I found this thread. It's honestly both reassuring and infuriating to see how widespread this issue is. Like you said, the randomness is the worst part - there seems to be no rhyme or reason to who gets increases vs decreases. I keep refreshing studentaid.gov hoping maybe it was just a glitch that will magically fix itself, but no such luck! That's really encouraging that your school's financial aid office is being proactive about helping students with SAI discrepancies. Mine hasn't been as responsive yet, but I'm definitely going to push harder for a meeting after seeing @Aisha Khan's success with her professional judgment review. @Yuki Ito's explanations have been a lifesaver for understanding what might actually be happening behind the scenes. I never realized the initial estimate was just that - an estimate that could change dramatically during processing. They really should make that clearer on the website! Fingers crossed we all get this sorted out before enrollment deadlines. At least we're not suffering through this chaos alone! 🤞

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been banging my head against the wall with this same "unknown error" message for the past two days. My daughter's scholarship deadline is Monday and I was starting to panic. Reading through all the solutions here, I think my issue might be a combination of the name mismatch (my daughter definitely used my full legal name with middle initial, but my FSA ID probably doesn't have it) and browser issues. I've been trying on my work computer which has all sorts of security restrictions. Going to try the remove/re-add approach tonight on my home computer with relaxed cookie settings. @Diego Vargas thank you so much for coming back with your update - knowing the exact combination that worked gives me hope! And thanks to everyone else for sharing all these troubleshooting tips. This is exactly the kind of real-world help you can't find in the official documentation. Will report back if I get it working!

I'm a new parent going through this process for the first time and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! My daughter just started her FAFSA application and after reading all these experiences, I'm definitely going to be proactive about potential issues. A few questions for those who've been through this successfully: 1. Should I create my FSA ID now even though she hasn't sent the contributor invitation yet? It sounds like having it established well in advance helps avoid activation delays. 2. When she enters my information as a contributor, should I give her my exact legal name from my tax returns, or the name I typically go by? From this thread it seems like matching the FSA ID is most important, but I want to make sure I set things up correctly from the start. 3. Are there any other common error scenarios I should be prepared for beyond the name mismatch and browser cookie issues discussed here? Thanks to everyone who shared their troubleshooting experiences - it's so much more helpful than the generic help documentation. Hoping to avoid the stress that many of you went through!

I'm a financial aid officer at a community college, and I want to reassure you that SAP appeals without extensive documentation from several years ago are more common than you might think. We regularly approve appeals based primarily on detailed personal statements, especially when the circumstances are clearly beyond the student's control like yours were. Your situation - housing instability, family problems, and then pregnancy - represents exactly the type of extraordinary circumstances that federal regulations recognize as valid grounds for SAP appeals. The passage of time since 2020 actually works in your favor because you can demonstrate sustained stability rather than just promises of future improvement. A few specific suggestions for your appeal: - Include a clear timeline showing your good academic performance before 2020, what specifically happened during 2020-2021, and your current stable circumstances - Any informal documentation helps: old emails to professors, text messages about housing searches, even social media posts from that time period with timestamps - Focus heavily on concrete evidence of your current readiness: stable housing lease, reliable childcare arrangements, manageable work schedule, and a realistic academic plan with reduced course load The fact that you're now successfully managing parenthood, stable housing, and employment while preparing to return to school actually demonstrates tremendous personal growth that appeals committees appreciate seeing. Don't underestimate how compelling your story of resilience is. One final tip: call your financial aid office and ask specifically about registering for classes while your appeal is pending. Many schools have policies that allow this, especially if you can make a small deposit. Don't let timing pressure rush your appeal, but know that options often exist even if they're not advertised. You've already overcome the hardest part - rebuilding your life. This appeal is just paperwork to catch your financial aid up to where you already are. You've got this!

I'm a returning student who successfully appealed my SAP suspension last year after dealing with similar documentation challenges. Reading your story really resonates with me - I also had academic issues in 2020 due to circumstances beyond my control and worried I didn't have enough "proof" for my appeal. Here's what I learned: the appeals committee cares way more about your current readiness for success than perfect documentation from years ago. Your story actually shows incredible strength - you went from housing instability and family crisis to successfully managing parenthood, stable housing, and employment. That's exactly the kind of growth they want to see. A few things that helped my appeal: - I wrote a very detailed timeline but focused 70% on my current stability rather than past problems - I included any informal documentation I could find (old emails to professors, bank statements showing address changes) - I got letters from current support systems (landlord, employer, childcare provider) to prove my stability now - I created a specific academic plan showing realistic course loads and campus resources I'd use The fact that you're asking for advice and planning so thoroughly already demonstrates the responsibility that got you denied aid back then versus the maturity you have now. Don't let the lack of formal documentation discourage you - your transformation story is compelling evidence in itself. Start drafting that personal statement focusing on where you are now, not where you were in 2020. You've already done the hardest part by rebuilding your life - this is just getting your financial aid to catch up! 💪

Hey Freya! I'm a freshman who just went through this exact situation a few months ago and I totally understand your anxiety about it. I had about $7,500 saved from working at a local grocery store over the summer and was absolutely panicking about how it would affect my aid. Here's what I learned: Yes, you definitely have to report that HYSA - all cash assets get reported regardless of the account type. The 20% student asset assessment does feel harsh, but honestly the real-world impact wasn't as catastrophic as I expected. With the asset protection allowance shielding some of your savings, you're probably looking at maybe $600-800 added to your SAI, not the full 20% of $6,200. What really helped me was reframing this whole thing: that money you saved shows incredible work ethic and financial responsibility! When I met with my financial aid office after getting my package, they were actually impressed that I had managed to save so much while working. It opened doors to work-study positions and they pointed me toward some merit scholarships I didn't even know existed. Also, having that emergency fund has been a LIFESAVER this semester. My laptop died right before midterms, and instead of panicking or going into debt, I could just handle it. That savings has probably saved me more in avoided high-interest loans than the aid reduction cost me. Report everything honestly (those verification stories are no joke!), see what your package looks like, and then have a proactive conversation with your aid office. You worked hard for that money and should be proud of it! 💪

Hey Freya! I just wanted to add my voice to this incredibly helpful thread. I'm a sophomore who went through this exact same dilemma last year with about $5,000 in my HYSA from working at a summer camp. After reading all these responses, I'm really struck by how consistent the advice is: report it honestly, understand the real impact (which is probably less scary than you think), and remember that having savings actually demonstrates financial maturity. One thing I'd add that I don't think anyone mentioned yet: some schools have emergency aid funds or short-term loans available for students who run into unexpected expenses during the year. Having your own emergency fund means you might not need these resources, leaving them available for students who really need them. It's kind of a nice way to think about how your financial responsibility benefits the whole community. Also, I've found that being able to say "I worked and saved money for college" in scholarship essays and interviews has actually been a real asset. It shows initiative and planning that admissions committees and scholarship boards really value. You should definitely be proud of saving $6,200 - that's amazing for a student! Report it honestly, work with whatever aid package you get, and remember that you're setting yourself up for financial success in college and beyond. This community has given such great advice! 🌟