Completely confused after FAFSA review - single parent needing urgent help with SAI score

oh man that sounds terrible!! ive heard so many nightmares about fasfa this year. my daughter had to send in like 5 different documents just to prove I'm divorced...its ridiculous. hoping someone has answers for u!

Don't panic and definitely don't tell your son to give up on his dream schools yet. This is actually a really common issue, especially with the new FAFSA rollout. When your application gets flagged for verification, the algorithm often defaults to a higher SAI calculation until everything is fully verified. First, you need to contact the financial aid offices at his top choice schools directly. Explain the situation, tell them you're appealing the SAI, and ask if they can extend their internal deadline while this gets resolved. Many schools are being flexible this year because of all the FAFSA problems. Second, file a formal appeal with Federal Student Aid. You'll need to gather documentation proving your head of household status is legitimate (tax returns, custody documents, anything showing you provide more than 50% support for your children). For the retirement contributions issue, get statements from your plan administrator showing consistent contributions. Don't give up! This is fixable, it just takes persistence.

Appeal timeframes vary, but typically 2-4 weeks. That's why contacting the schools is crucial - most have procedures for pending appeals. Make sure to document all communication (names, dates, reference numbers) with both FSA and the schools. And when submitting documentation, use the official FSA upload portal rather than email - it processes faster.

I went through EXACTLY this last year!!!! The whole verification thing is a JOKE. They flagged me for "inconsistent income reporting" when all I did was EXACTLY what their stupid form asked for. Then my daughter almost lost her scholarship because of their slow processing. The financial aid office at her school kept saying "just be patient" while our deadline was getting closer and closer. THEN they had the nerve to tell me I needed to provide ADDITIONAL documentation that was never mentioned in the first verification request!!! Honestly the whole system is designed to DISCOURAGE people from getting aid. It's disgusting how they treat hard-working parents.

I had a similar problem with my verification last year, and I couldn't get anyone from FSA on the phone for weeks. I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual human at Federal Student Aid in about 10 minutes after spending days trying on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I got through to someone, they were able to tell me exactly what documentation I needed for my appeal and gave me a direct email address to send everything to. Having a real person walk me through the process made all the difference. My son's SAI was adjusted back down within 2 weeks after speaking with them.

Professional financial aid counselor here. I want to clarify a few things that might help you: 1. Head of household verification is one of the most common triggers for FAFSA review, especially for single parents. The documentation they typically need is: tax returns showing HOH status for multiple years, proof of mortgage/rent payments, utility bills in your name, and a statement explaining your situation. 2. Retirement contribution issues usually stem from how they're reported on your W-2 vs. how they're calculated for FAFSA purposes. If you have a 403(b) or certain types of retirement plans, there's a specific worksheet they want you to complete. 3. For the appeal, you'll need to use the "Request Professional Judgment" option, not the standard appeal form. This is specifically for situations where your financial situation isn't accurately reflected by the standard calculation. 4. Document EVERYTHING. Create a simple spreadsheet tracking all communications, including dates, names, and what was discussed. This will be crucial if deadlines approach and you need to prove you've been actively working on resolving this. Feel free to ask if you have specific questions about any of these points.

my cousins nephew had similar problem with fasfa this year and ended up not going to college at all because of it... the whole system is broken honestly

Update: I want to thank everyone for the amazing advice! I was able to contact my son's top choice school and they've extended our financial aid deadline by 30 days. I also used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and actually got through to a FAFSA representative who was super helpful. She walked me through the Professional Judgment request process and specifically told me which documents to upload. I've submitted everything yesterday and now we wait. The rep said it should take 2-3 weeks for review, which still gives us time before the extended deadline. I'm still nervous but feeling much more hopeful now. Will update when we hear back!