FAFSA shock: Less aid with 2 kids in college? Parent Plus loan missing from son's package

Wait, what state are you in? Some states changed their grant eligibility this year with the new FAFSA. Also, have you looked at your actual SAI number and compared it to last year's EFC? The Parent Plus loan should be available regardless - that's not based on need and pretty much any parent can get it unless you have adverse credit history.

We're in Michigan. I didn't actually see our SAI number yet - I'm just looking at the award letter from the college. Where would I find the SAI to compare? And you're right about the Parent Plus - that's why I'm so confused it's not even listed as an option on his award letter.

check to see if the school is waiting for verification docs or something. my daughter got a super low package at first becuase they said they needed copies of tax stuff...took like 3 weeks after we sent that to get the real package with all the loans

That's a good point. I'll call the financial aid office tomorrow to check. I didn't get any notification about verification, but maybe something got flagged that I missed.

This is likely what's happening: the new FAFSA calculation (Student Aid Index or SAI) handles multiple students in college differently than the old system. Previously, your EFC was essentially divided by the number of college students in your household. With the 2024-2025 FAFSA, that automatic division no longer happens.\n\nInstead, the SAI calculation makes other adjustments that may or may not benefit families with multiple students. This has caught many families by surprise.\n\nRegarding the Parent PLUS loan - that's strange because it's not need-based. Every parent is eligible to apply for up to the cost of attendance minus other aid (unless you have adverse credit history). The school simply may have forgotten to include it in the award letter, or they may have a policy of not listing it until after other options are exhausted.\n\nI recommend:\n1. Log into studentaid.gov to view your official SAI number\n2. Contact the financial aid office specifically about the PLUS loan omission\n3. Ask if they have a special circumstances form for families with multiple college students\n4. Compare packages from other schools if your son was accepted elsewhere

Thank you for this detailed explanation! I had no idea the multiple student calculation changed with the new FAFSA. That might explain part of what's happening. I'll definitely check studentaid.gov for our SAI tonight and call the financial aid office tomorrow about the PLUS loan omission. Do you know if schools typically have forms for the multiple student situation? Would that be a professional judgment request?

Yes, what you're looking for is called a Professional Judgment (PJ) or Special Circumstances review. Many schools have specific forms for multiple students in college since they know the new FAFSA doesn't account for this as well as the old system did.\n\nWhen you call the financial aid office, specifically ask about:\n\n1. Their Professional Judgment process for multiple students in college\n2. Whether they need documentation proving both students are enrolled\n3. Timeline for review (some schools do these reviews later in the cycle)\n\nAnd yes, double-check your SAI on studentaid.gov - that's the official number colleges are using for aid calculations. The school should be able to tell you how that translates to their specific aid packages.

i went thru something similar last yr and it took WEEKS to get someone at fin aid to actually answer the phone!! they never pick up and emails go to the void. so frustrating

I'm having the EXACT same issue with my twins!! I thought I'd be getting more aid with two at once, but their packages are pathetic compared to what my oldest got 3 years ago. One school didn't even list the Parent Plus loans either!\n\nThe FAFSA changes are TERRIBLE for families with multiple kids in school. I spoke with a financial aid counselor who confirmed they're seeing this problem with lots of families. Apparently Congress eliminated the

Ugh, that's so frustrating! Did you end up finding a way to make it work with both twins in school? I'm really worried we won't be able to afford both kids in college if we can't get some adjustments.

We're still figuring it out honestly. The school that did the Professional Judgment increased their grant by $5,500 which helps but isn't enough. We're looking at private loans to fill the gap, which sucks because the interest rates are higher. \n\nMy husband is also picking up weekend work, and we're making the twins apply for outside scholarships like crazy. It's so much harder than it should be! I feel like families with multiple kids in college are being punished by this new system.

Thanks for sharing what you're doing. We might have to look at private loans too, which is definitely not ideal. I'll start researching scholarship options as well. Good luck with your twins!

I work with college financing and can confirm that the new FAFSA no longer divides your expected contribution by the number of college students. However, schools have discretion to adjust aid packages through Professional Judgment. Some schools automatically consider multiple students in college, but many now require you to specifically request review.\n\nRegarding the Parent PLUS loan: this is simply an omission in the award letter. Every parent is eligible to apply for a PLUS loan regardless of financial need (credit check is required). Just because it's not listed doesn't mean you can't get it.\n\nAction steps:\n1. Call the financial aid office to request the Parent PLUS loan application process\n2. Ask for a Professional Judgment review based on multiple students in college\n3. Provide documentation of both children's enrollment\n4. Compare aid packages from all schools where your son was accepted\n\nThe omission of the PLUS loan is likely just a communication error, not a determination of eligibility.

Thank you for this clear explanation. I'll definitely call about both the PLUS loan process and the Professional Judgment review. It sounds like I need to be proactive rather than just accepting what's in the initial award letter.

Trying to reach the financial aid office is a NIGHTMARE these days! I spent three weeks trying to get through to my daughter's school about a similar issue. Always busy signals or getting disconnected. I finally used Claimyr.com to get through to them - it's a service that waits on hold for you and then calls you when someone picks up. Super helpful for situations like this where you NEED to talk to a human. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works.\n\nOnce I finally got through, they explained that I needed to specifically request the Parent PLUS loan - it wasn't automatically included in the award letter. Also found out they had a separate form for families with multiple students that wasn't mentioned anywhere on their website.

Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely check out that service if I have trouble getting through. Did you have to provide any specific documentation for the multiple student form?

Yes - I had to provide proof of enrollment for both kids (acceptance letters and their student IDs once they registered for classes). I also needed to submit copies of the award letters from both schools to show what aid they were already receiving. The whole process took about 3 weeks, but they did end up increasing my daughter's institutional grant by about $4,000 per year, which definitely helps.

only 3 weeks?? lucky!! took my school 2 MONTHS to process our special circumstances review last year 😡

Something else to consider: is your income situation the same as last year? The new FAFSA is using 2022 tax info (same as last year's FAFSA), but if your income has changed significantly since then, you can request an income adjustment review in addition to the multiple students review.\n\nYou mentioned taking a pay cut - if that's substantial, document it and include that in your Professional Judgment request. Schools can adjust your SAI based on current income rather than 2022 income.

That's helpful! The pay cut wasn't huge (about 7%), but combined with inflation and now two tuition bills, it definitely impacts our ability to pay. I'll document that as well when I submit the Professional Judgment request.

my cousins kid just got more money after they appealed so definitely do that!!! sometimes u gotta fight for what u deserve from these schools they have the money trust me

One final tip: If your son has received better financial aid packages from other schools, you can use those as leverage in your discussions with his top choice. Many schools are willing to match or at least come closer to competing offers, especially if your son is a student they really want.\n\nThis is called a \

That's great advice about using other offers as leverage. He did get a slightly better package from his second choice school, so I'll definitely bring that up when we talk to his top choice. Thank you for all your help!