FAFSA strategy for out-of-state colleges with two dependents as single mom?

I went through something similar with my two kids (17 months apart), though they both stayed in-state. Here's what I learned:\n\n1. Your SAI absolutely considers multiple dependent students! The system should automatically adjust when you report multiple family members in college, but sometimes it glitches\n\n2. Out-of-state doesn't affect your FAFSA/SAI calculation directly, BUT it massively affects what the colleges do with that number\n\n3. Check if you completed the \

Thank you so much! I did put '2' for the number in college, but I'm wondering if something else went wrong. How do I contact someone about this? I've been trying the studentaid.gov number for DAYS and just get endless hold music!

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but $18,432 doesn't actually sound wrong for your income level with twins. The FAFSA formula expects you to contribute about 24-29% of your discretionary income after a modest living allowance. The system recognizes multiple students by essentially dividing your contribution, not by giving you extra breaks for each additional student. Each school will take your SAI and divide by the number of students in college.\n\nWhat you really need to focus on is appealing to each individual school's financial aid office with a special circumstances letter. OUT OF STATE is your killer here, not the FAFSA calculation. Many public universities save their institutional aid for in-state students.

That's really disappointing to hear. I thought there would be more consideration for having two at once. So should I be contacting Colorado and Arizona financial aid offices separately with appeal letters? Is there any specific language I should use?

my sister had triplets in college at same time and she got each of their expected family contributions reduced because of it. did u make sure to check the box that says both girls would be enrolled at least half time?? thats super important

Yes, I definitely checked that box! They're both going full-time. I wonder if there's something else I missed though? The whole application was so confusing.

Try Claimyr.com to get through to a FAFSA agent without waiting on hold for hours. I was in the same situation trying to figure out why my SAI was wrong with two kids in college. Spent 3 days trying to call. Used Claimyr and got through in 10 minutes. The agent found there was a glitch in how my multiple college students were being calculated. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ so you can see how it works. Seriously saved me thousands in potential aid.

Thank you!! I've never heard of this but I'm desperate at this point. I'll check it out - really appreciate the tip!

I've used this too! Totally worth it when you're dealing with errors that could cost thousands in aid. Just make sure you have all your FAFSA info ready when they connect you.

Financial aid counselor here. A few important points:\n\n1. Your SAI with multiple students works differently than most parents expect. The FAFSA doesn't just cut your contribution in half. Instead, each school takes your SAI and essentially applies a multiple-student discount in their own calculation.\n\n2. For out-of-state students at public universities, the FAFSA/federal aid often covers a much smaller percentage of costs. This is because:\n - Out-of-state tuition is higher\n - State grants are usually only for residents\n - Institutional scholarships often prioritize in-state students\n\n3. Your best strategy:\n - Appeal directly to each financial aid office with a special circumstances letter\n - Research each school's CSS Profile requirements (some private scholarships require this)\n - Look specifically for scholarships marked for out-of-state students\n - Consider residency options (some states allow establishing residency after freshman year)\n - Ask about sibling discounts (some schools offer these outside the federal aid system

Thank you for this detailed info! I didn't realize each school handles the calculation differently. Do you have any advice for what to specifically mention in my appeal letters to the financial aid offices? And what documentation should I include?

For your appeal letters, focus on:\n\n1. The specific circumstance of supporting two households in different states simultaneously (include estimated additional travel, moving, and duplicate household item costs)\n\n2. Any significant expenses not captured by FAFSA (medical bills, elder care, etc.)\n\n3. Documentation to include: your budget showing dual-household costs, any custody agreements showing you as primary financial provider, documentation of any other unusual expenses\n\n4. Request a virtual meeting rather than just submitting paperwork - personal stories often help\n\nAlso, very important: have your daughters apply for departmental scholarships at each school. These often have different criteria than general financial aid.

MY DAUGHTER GOT WAY MORE $$$ WHEN SHE APPLIED TO ARIZONA BUT AS A TRANSFER STUDENT!! Might be worth having them start at community college for a year and then transfer. The transfer scholarships at ASU were AMAZING compared to what they offered freshmen. Just saying. This whole system is DESIGNED to SCREW OVER MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES!!!!

totally agree!!! my nephew did same thing at colorado, saved like $40k by going to community college for 2 yrs first

That's interesting... they both already accepted their offers but I wonder if it's worth reconsidering for at least one of them. It's not ideal but if it saves a significant amount...

After you deal with the immediate SAI concerns, make sure both your daughters submit the scholarship applications at each school. When my kids were applying, we discovered that ASU has some specifically for out-of-state students that aren't automatically considered with admission. Their New American University Scholarship can be pretty generous even for non-residents. For Colorado, look into their

Thank you! I didn't realize there were separate scholarship applications - I thought it all happened automatically through FAFSA. Will have them look into these options right away.

Just wanted to also mention - make ABSOLUTELY sure that your assets section on FAFSA was completed correctly. When I did mine, I accidentally included my retirement accounts (which should be excluded) and it increased my SAI by $15,000! Had to go back and get it corrected. Also, with your income and two in college, your SAI should theoretically be lower - something might be off in how you reported assets or income.

Oh that's a really good point. I think I might have included my 401k in the assets section now that you mention it. I'll definitely double check that!

Adding one more thing to consider: If your daughters are attending Arizona State and Colorado, look into the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program. Not all programs qualify, but if their majors are eligible, they could get a significant tuition reduction as Texas residents attending schools in WUE states. This wouldn't affect your FAFSA, but could reduce your overall cost considerably.

I've never heard of this program! Just looked it up and it seems like Texas isn't part of the participating states unfortunately. But I wonder if there are other regional agreements I should be looking into?

You're right, I apologize - Texas isn't in WUE. For Texas residents specifically, check if your daughters qualify for any reciprocity agreements between Texas and either Colorado or Arizona. Some academic departments have their own exchange programs even when states don't have formal agreements. Worth asking both financial aid offices about any Texas-specific opportunities.