DOB issues with FAFSA - worth fighting for aid with $120k income for family of 4?
I'm at my absolute breaking point with the FAFSA system! My birthdate is showing incorrectly on my studentaid.gov account even though Social Security has verified my correct DOB THREE separate times. Because of this stupid error, I can't link my tax return through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. I've spent literally 50+ hours on phone calls between FSA and Social Security trying to get this fixed. At this point I'm wondering if it's even worth the hassle. Our household income is approximately $120,000 with a family of 4 (two parents, two kids - one heading to college). Would we even qualify for any grants or subsidized loans with this income level? Or am I wasting my time? Seriously considering just skipping FAFSA entirely and going straight to private loans, but I'm worried we might miss out on some aid. Anyone know if families in our income bracket typically get anything worthwhile through FAFSA? Is there any point in continuing this bureaucratic nightmare??
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Miguel Ramos
Don't give up on the FAFSA yet! While your income is on the higher side, there are still several reasons to complete it: 1. Some schools require FAFSA for merit-based scholarships, not just need-based aid 2. Your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation depends on more than just income - assets, number of college students in household, etc. 3. You'll at least qualify for unsubsidized federal loans which have better protections than private loans 4. Some schools have their own institutional aid that requires FAFSA even for higher income families As for your DOB issue, have you tried submitting a correction form directly on studentaid.gov? Sometimes that works better than calling.
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Ava Martinez
•Thanks for the detailed response. I didn't realize some merit scholarships required FAFSA too! And yes, I've tried the correction form online THREE times - each time they say it's "processing" then nothing changes. It's infuriating.
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QuantumQuasar
omg the DOB issue is THE WORST!!! happened to me last yr too. took like 2 months to fix. srsly the most annoying thing ever. but def do the fafsa anyway, my family makes like $135k and i still got some aid + federal loans which are wayyy better than private
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Zainab Omar
•The DOB issue is a common technical problem with their system. It's usually related to a mismatch between SSA records and the FSA database. Did you by chance create your FSA ID a long time ago? Sometimes old accounts have this issue.
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Connor Gallagher
At $120k for a family of 4, you probably won't get Pell Grants, but you might still qualify for some subsidized loans depending on your assets and how expensive the school is. My family was around $115k and we got some work-study funds plus subsidized loans. The private loan interest rates were TERRIBLE compared to federal ones. Keep fighting!
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Ava Martinez
•That's helpful to know about the subsidized loans possibility. The school is about $35k/year, so definitely not cheap. Work-study would be great too. Just feeling so defeated after all these phone calls...
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Yara Sayegh
I had the EXACT same DOB problem, and nothing worked until I used Claimyr to get through to a live FAFSA agent. I was on hold for 3+ hours before finding them, but with Claimyr I got connected to an FSA agent in about 10 minutes. The agent was able to override the system error on their end while I was on the phone. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - basically saved me from losing my mind during application season. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out.
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Ava Martinez
•Wow, I've never heard of this service. After 50+ hours on the phone, I'm willing to try anything at this point. Did they actually fix it permanently or did it revert back to the wrong DOB after?
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Yara Sayegh
•They fixed it permanently! The key was getting to a tier 2 support agent who had the authorization to make backend changes. Regular phone agents usually can't do that. It's been working fine ever since.
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Keisha Johnson
DONT DO PRIVATE LOANS!!!! Biggest mistake of my life!!!! Federal loans have income based repayment options, forgiveness possibilities, and way more protections. Private loans are predatory and will haunt you forever if you ever have financial trouble. TRUST ME.
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Zainab Omar
To directly answer your question about income: At $120,000 for a family of four, your SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) will likely be around 15,000-25,000 depending on your assets, age of parents, and other factors. This means: 1. No Pell Grants (those typically phase out around $60k for a family of four) 2. Likely eligible for Direct Unsubsidized Loans ($5,500-$7,500 depending on year in school) 3. Possibly eligible for Direct Subsidized Loans depending on cost of attendance 4. Parent PLUS loans available regardless of income (credit check required) 5. Institutional aid varies widely by school - some private colleges offer significant aid even at your income level Your DOB issue is frustrating but solvable. Try requesting a paper FAFSA as an alternative approach.
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Ava Martinez
•Thank you for breaking down the numbers! This helps me understand what we're actually fighting for. I'm going to try the Claimyr suggestion first, and if that doesn't work, I'll request the paper FAFSA. After hearing all this, it definitely seems worth pursuing.
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Paolo Longo
i know ppl with way higher incomes than urs who still got decent aid packages especially from private schools. the fasfa is jus one piece they look at. also the way they calculate need is weird af and not just about ur raw income. def dont skip it cause u might regret it later!!!
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QuantumQuasar
•yesss this!!! my friend's parents make like $160k and still got aid from some fancy private college because they have special institutional funds. fafsa is the key that unlocks all of it!
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Miguel Ramos
One other important point: FAFSA data is used for the CSS Profile as well, which many private schools use for their institutional aid decisions. At $120k, you might be right at the threshold where some schools could offer significant aid packages. That's where completing the FAFSA becomes truly valuable - it opens doors to institutional aid that can sometimes be surprisingly generous even for families above the Pell Grant threshold.
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Zainab Omar
•Excellent point about the CSS Profile. Many private colleges have their own endowment funds specifically targeted at middle-income families in the $100k-$150k range. Without FAFSA completion, you wouldn't be considered for those funds.
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Ava Martinez
•UPDATE: I used Claimyr to get through to FSA and actually spoke with someone who could help! They found that my DOB had a typo (day and month were switched) but they were able to override it in their system. It's FINALLY fixed after all this time! Now finishing the FAFSA application. Thanks everyone for convincing me not to give up!
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Ellie Lopez
•That's fantastic news! So glad Claimyr worked for you - what a relief after all that frustration! The day/month switch sounds like a data entry error from way back when your account was first created. Now you can finally see if those institutional aid programs will come through. Keep us posted on how your aid package turns out!
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Hattie Carson
•Amazing update! This is exactly why it's so important not to give up on FAFSA even when the system seems completely broken. Your story will probably help other families going through the same DOB nightmare. Fingers crossed you get some good aid offers - with your income level and the costs of college today, every bit helps. Thanks for sharing the solution that worked!
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Logan Greenburg
•Congratulations on getting this resolved! Your persistence really paid off. As someone new to navigating FAFSA, this whole thread has been incredibly educational. It's encouraging to see that even with the technical nightmares, there are solutions and that families at the $120k income level can still receive meaningful aid. Thank you for sharing your journey - I'm sure many other families will benefit from reading about your experience with the DOB issue and the Claimyr solution!
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TechNinja
This thread is such a perfect example of why community support matters so much during FAFSA season! @Ava Martinez, I'm thrilled you got your DOB issue resolved - what a nightmare that must have been. Your experience really highlights how broken some of these systems can be, but also how persistence (and the right resources like Claimyr) can eventually pay off. For anyone else reading this who might be in a similar income bracket and wondering if FAFSA is worth it - this conversation really shows why you shouldn't skip it. Between federal loan protections, potential subsidized loans, work-study opportunities, and especially those institutional aid programs that many schools have, there's so much more than just Pell Grants to consider. Thanks everyone for sharing such detailed advice and real numbers - this is exactly the kind of information that helps families make informed decisions instead of just guessing about aid eligibility!
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