Checked 'no' to high school transcript on FAFSA - now my daughter can't get summer aid!

this happened to me last yr too! u need to do a correction on studentaid.gov - log in, go to ur daughters application and look for 'make FAFSA correction' option. u can change that checkbox answer there. takes like 2-3 weeks to process tho

The high school diploma/transcript question is important because it determines eligibility for federal financial aid. Without proof of high school completion (or equivalent), a student cannot receive any Title IV federal aid including Pell Grants, federal loans, or work-study - regardless of time period. You need to: 1. Submit a FAFSA correction immediately at studentaid.gov 2. Contact your daughter's financial aid office to notify them you're making this correction 3. Ensure the school has a copy of her high school transcript/diploma on file Summer aid typically uses the same FAFSA as the preceding academic year, so resolving this promptly is critical.

The same thing happened to me but my issue was worse! I checked no on that box AND accidentally put my income as $85,000 instead of $58,000... basically disqualified my kid from everything!! The financial aid office was basically useless when I called - waited on hold for THREE HOURS only to be told I needed to submit corrections online. Total waste of time.

Important correction to some of the advice you're getting: The high school transcript question isn't just about having a transcript - it's about your daughter's ability to benefit from college education. Federal regulations require one of these for aid eligibility: - High school diploma - GED or equivalent - Homeschool completion credential - Ability to benefit testing When you check "no" on that question, you're essentially telling the Department of Education your daughter doesn't meet any of these requirements, which automatically disqualifies her from ALL federal aid programs including summer terms. Submit the correction ASAP, but also be prepared to provide verification if requested. Many schools implement verification for corrections like this to prevent fraud.

Ugh FAFSA is THE WORST! The new 2025-26 form is so confusing with all these unclear questions. I've filled out 3 different FAFSAs for my kids over the years and I STILL make mistakes. Don't beat yourself up - just make the correction and follow up with her school. The summer funding cycles are sometimes separate from fall/spring anyway, so you might need to ask specifically about summer aid applications too.

Just wanted to say I made this exact mistake last year!!! It's fixable! Don't panic! Do the correction online like others said. My daughter still got her summer classes covered after I fixed it.

Don't worry, you're definitely not alone in making this mistake! The FAFSA questions can be really confusing, especially for first-time parents. I work in financial aid and see this issue come up frequently. Here's what I'd recommend: 1. Submit the FAFSA correction immediately at studentaid.gov - change that checkbox to "yes" 2. Call your daughter's financial aid office tomorrow to let them know you're making this correction and ask about their summer aid timeline 3. Ask if they need any additional documentation beyond the FAFSA correction Most schools process summer aid separately, so there might still be time to get her funding sorted out. The key is acting quickly and staying in communication with the school. Good luck!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress! As someone who made a similar mistake on my son's FAFSA two years ago, I can tell you it's absolutely fixable. The advice about making a correction on studentaid.gov is spot on - that's exactly what I had to do. One thing I'd add is to keep documentation of when you submit the correction and any confirmation numbers they give you. When I called our school's financial aid office, they were really helpful once I explained it was an honest mistake on a confusing question. They even put a note in my son's file to prioritize processing his summer aid once the correction went through. The whole process took about 2-3 weeks for us, but he still got his summer funding. Don't panic - you caught this early enough to fix it!

I went through this exact same panic last year! The FAFSA wording on that question is so misleading - I thought it was asking if I had already submitted transcripts to colleges too, not whether my daughter had graduated high school. Here's what worked for me: I did the correction on studentaid.gov that same night (took maybe 10 minutes), then called the financial aid office first thing the next morning. The key is being proactive about calling them - don't wait for the correction to process first. When I explained it was an honest mistake on a confusing question, they were super understanding and even flagged her file to expedite the summer aid review once the correction went through. My daughter ended up getting her full summer aid package, just delayed by about 3 weeks. You've got this! The fact that you caught it now means there's plenty of time to fix it before summer term starts.