FAFSA says we can afford double for 2 kids in college - impossible to pay $50k/year!

You're in what financial aid pros call the "sibling squeeze" - it's a real issue with the new FAFSA and Student Aid Index (SAI) calculations. Here's what you need to understand: while the old system (EFC) gave a significant "discount" for multiple students, the new SAI calculation provides a much smaller adjustment. First step - yes, absolutely contact both financial aid offices directly. Explain your situation exactly as you did here. Specifically ask about their "Professional Judgment" process for special circumstances. Many schools have funds set aside for situations exactly like yours. Second, look into CSS Profile schools if either of your kids attend one - they often have better calculations for multiple students than FAFSA-only schools. Third, check if either school offers sibling discounts - some private colleges do this independently of FAFSA.

omg this EXACT thing happened to us last year!!! the schools are expecting us to pay like $28k PER KID when we barely managed $30k total the year before. its RIDICULOUS and the financial aid ppl just kept saying "this is what the formula says you can pay" like we're supposed to magically double our income 🙄 we ended up having to take out parent plus loans for almost everything. its crushing us with interest now but what choice did we have?? our oldest had to transfer to a cheaper school for his senior year. such a mess.

The multiple student issue with the new FAFSA is something many families are facing this year. While your SAI should theoretically adjust somewhat for multiple students, it's often not enough to make college truly affordable. Here are some specific strategies I recommend: 1. Appeal both aid packages with specific documentation of your expenses, especially any that aren't captured in the FAFSA (medical costs, care for elderly parents, home repairs, etc.) 2. Ask specifically about institutional scholarships that aren't tied to FAFSA calculations 3. For your junior, check if their college has upperclassman scholarships or department-specific awards they can apply for 4. Consider having your freshman begin at a community college and transfer - this could save $20-30k over two years 5. Look into tuition payment plans that might make the cash flow more manageable Most importantly, don't be afraid to be persistent with financial aid offices. Be polite but firm about your family's actual financial reality versus what FAFSA says.

uhh im pretty sure FAFSA is supposed to split your expected contribution between multiple students. like if they say you can pay $32k total, that should be divided between both kids. might be a mistake in your SAI calculation or the schools are reading it wrong. def call and check!!

Honestly the whole FAFSA system is designed to squeeze as much money out of parents as possible. They don't care if you have to sell your house or empty your retirement to pay for college. It's all a racket. We went through this with our twins and ended up taking second mortgages and now we're working years longer than we planned. The colleges don't care as long as they get their money.

I work in higher ed (not financial aid specifically), and I'd recommend reaching out directly to both financial aid offices ASAP. Many schools are dealing with complaints about this exact issue with the new FAFSA. Some have created special funds to help families with multiple students because they recognize the SAI calculation doesn't adequately account for this situation. One thing that might help: when I was trying to reach the Federal Student Aid helpline to sort out a similar issue for a family member, I was on hold for hours and kept getting disconnected. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me so much frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ You might need to speak directly with FSA to see if there was an error in your SAI calculation before approaching the schools.

Have u considered letting ur kids take out the loans themselves? Thats what my parents did. They told us from day 1 that college was on us. I have like $95k in loans but thats just how it is these days. Maybe ur kids can get jobs during school too.

After reading through this thread, I wanted to offer some more targeted advice based on your situation: 1. When you contact the financial aid offices, specifically request an "adjustment review due to multiple family members in college" - using this exact language helps 2. For your daughter's school (the non-CSS Profile one), ask if they have an institutional methodology that might better account for siblings than the FAFSA does 3. If your son's school uses CSS Profile, they should already have a better accounting for multiple students - if his aid didn't increase, definitely question this 4. Don't be afraid to directly compare offers between schools - sometimes telling School A that School B offered more aid can result in matching 5. Check if either child qualifies for merit scholarships, even mid-year ones for your junior This is a tough situation, but with persistence and the right approach to financial aid offices, many families do get additional assistance.

I'm facing a very similar situation with my twins who will both be in college next year. What's really helped me is creating a detailed budget breakdown to present to the financial aid offices - not just income/expenses, but specifically showing how the new SAI calculation puts an impossible burden on our family compared to what we could realistically afford with one child. I also discovered that some schools have emergency financial aid funds that aren't tied to FAFSA calculations at all. These are often administered by the dean of students office rather than financial aid. It's worth asking about these "hardship funds" or "emergency assistance" programs when you call. One more thing - if either of your kids' schools participates in the "Common Application," they might also accept appeals through something called the "Coalition Application's" financial aid appeal process, which can sometimes yield better results than going directly through the school. Worth checking! Don't give up - I know it feels overwhelming, but there are more options than it initially appears.

I'm going through this exact nightmare right now too! My kids are sophomores (twins) and I'm already panicking about what next year will look like. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both terrifying and helpful. @Diego Fernández - that budget breakdown idea is brilliant. I'm definitely going to start putting together something like that now so I'm prepared. And I had absolutely no clue about emergency funds through the dean of students office - that's such valuable information that I never would have thought to ask about. @Nora Bennett - thank you for all your detailed advice throughout this thread. The specific language to use when calling financial aid offices is so helpful. I've been dreading those calls because I didn't know how to even start the conversation. One thing I'm wondering - has anyone had success getting schools to match aid packages even if the schools are very different (like comparing a state school to a private college)? Or does that only work with similar types of institutions? This whole situation makes me feel like we've been financially responsible our whole lives just to get penalized for it when our kids need college funding the most. But seeing everyone's strategies and persistence gives me hope that there might be ways to make this work without destroying our financial future.

I'm a financial aid counselor and see families in this exact situation daily. The new FAFSA changes have created real hardships for middle-income families with multiple students, and you're absolutely right to feel frustrated. Here's my professional advice: Document everything before you call. Create a one-page summary showing: 1) Your actual monthly budget/expenses, 2) What you paid last year for one child vs. what you're being asked to pay for two, 3) Any special circumstances (medical expenses, job changes, eldercare costs). When you call, ask to speak with a senior counselor, not a student worker. Use these exact phrases: "I need to request a Professional Judgment review for special circumstances" and "Our family's financial situation doesn't align with our SAI calculation." Most importantly - schools have more flexibility than they initially let on. Many have created special funds specifically for families caught in the "sibling squeeze." I've seen families get an additional $5,000-$15,000 per child through persistence and proper documentation. Don't give up after the first "no." Schools want to keep students enrolled, and they often have multiple funding sources they can tap into for deserving cases.