FAFSA correction delays and $50K/year college - will grants even cover anything?

Same correction nightmare over here. My son applied to schools in the $45-55K range too, and I'm about 2 weeks into waiting for FAFSA corrections to process. From what I've heard, with an income similar to yours (we're at $92K), you might qualify for some Pell Grant money, but honestly not enough to make a significant dent in $52K/year. Have you looked into CSS Profile schools? Some have much better institutional aid.

Financial aid counselor here - with your income level and a $52k/year school, you're looking at a combination of solutions. Your SAI will likely be somewhere around $15-20k based on the info provided, so you might get some federal grants, but not enough to cover the gap. There are four primary ways families bridge this gap: 1. Institutional aid/merit scholarships (has your daughter received any yet?) 2. Outside scholarships (still time to apply for many) 3. Parent PLUS loans (after maxing out student direct loans) 4. Consider a less expensive alternative (community college transfer, state schools) Regarding your FAFSA corrections, they're taking longer this year due to the new system. However, many schools have extended their financial aid deadlines knowing this. Have you contacted the school's financial aid office directly about your situation?

Have you tried calling FSA directly to see if they can expedite your correction? I was stuck in a similar situation last month and finally got through after many attempts. The agent was able to put a priority flag on my correction and it processed within 48 hours after that. It made a huge difference for my son's financial aid package.

Don't mean to be a downer but $52K/yr is just the STARTING price. My daughter's school gave us a similar sticker price, but then came all the add-ons - the meal plan they quoted wasn't the one most students actually need, the housing cost was for a triple room nobody wants, plus there's all these random fees they don't tell you about upfront. Even WITH Pell grants and institutional scholarships, we're paying way more than we thought. Just prepare yourself mentally that the final price is probably higher than what they're telling you now.

have u looked into private loans? we maxed out the stafford loans first since they have better rates then did private for the rest. interest rates r crazy rn tho

Ok so I was EXACTLY where you are last year - income around $95k, kid got into $55k/year dream school, FAFSA corrections taking forever. Here's what ultimately happened: - SAI came back around $18k - Qualified for small Pell Grant ($1,200) - School gave $15k in institutional grants - Merit scholarship of $10k - Work-study for $3k - Stafford loans $5,500 Still left us with about $20k gap that we're covering with PLUS loans. Not ideal but we decided it was worth it for her dream school. The corrections eventually processed (took about 4 weeks) and the school worked with us on the deadline. BUT - the most important thing I did was call the financial aid office weekly with updates and questions. Being persistent (but polite!) made a huge difference in the institutional aid they offered.

If your FAFSA corrections are taking this long, you should definitely escalate. Call your congressperson's office - they have special channels to help with federal aid issues. I had to do this last year when my son's verification was taking forever, and magically things got resolved within a week after their office made some calls.

My son decided to go to community college for 2 years then transfer to save money. Best decision ever. Will graduate with almost no debt.

One more important tip: Once your FAFSA correction processes and you receive the aid package, remember that you can appeal it. If it's not enough (and based on the cost vs. your income, it likely won't be), prepare a polite, detailed appeal letter to the financial aid office explaining why you need additional assistance. Include any special circumstances not captured on the FAFSA (medical expenses, support of other family members, etc). Many schools have substantial discretionary funds they can award, but they typically go to families who actively appeal rather than just accepting the initial offer. I've seen increases of $5-15k from well-crafted appeals.

I just spoke with an FSA rep today (finally!) about our correction delay. They told me they're prioritizing corrections for seniors with approaching financial aid deadlines. Make sure when you call that you specifically mention your daughter is a high school senior with a March 30 financial aid deadline. That should help get it expedited.

Just want to add that after my FAFSA was corrected, my daughter's school asked for income verification documents anyway! So frustrating. Make sure you have all your tax documents, W-2s, and 1099s easily accessible because they might request those even after your correction goes through.