FAFSA submitted but worried about mistakes - can I still edit it for my child's aid?
Just hit submit on my part of the FAFSA application an hour ago and now I'm having second thoughts. This is my first time doing this for my daughter who's graduating this spring. I keep wondering if I messed something up when entering our financial information. Is there a way to go back and fix mistakes after submitting? Or is the form locked in stone now? I'm especially worried that errors might reduce her financial aid package or delay processing. Anyone know the process for corrections or how serious small mistakes might be? The whole SAI calculation process is so confusing!
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Monique Byrd
dont worry too much, you can totally fix mistakes on fafsa! i submitted mine last month and realized i put the wrong bank account balance lol. just log back into studentaid.gov and theres an option to make corrections somewhere on your dashboard
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Alejandro Castro
•Oh thank goodness! I was sitting here having a minor panic attack thinking I might have ruined my daughter's chances at getting financial aid. I'll look for that correction option right now.
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Jackie Martinez
The FAFSA correction process is fairly straightforward. After logging into studentaid.gov, look for the "Make FAFSA Corrections" option. You can edit most information except for your FSA ID and Social Security number. Keep in mind that any corrections will require you to resubmit the application and it will go through processing again. This might add 3-5 business days to the timeline. What specifically are you worried you entered incorrectly?
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Alejandro Castro
•I'm worried I might have entered our retirement account information wrong. I couldn't remember if I was supposed to include that in the assets section or not. And I think I might have mixed up some income numbers from our tax return. Will those kinds of mistakes dramatically affect her SAI calculation?
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Lia Quinn
BEEN THERE!! The whole FAFSA process is a NIGHTMARE especially for parents doing it the first time! The good news is you have until the deadline to make corrections which is like June 30 2026 I think? But don't wait that long obviously!! What kills me is how they expect us to be financial experts when most of us are just regular parents trying to help our kids go to college without drowning in debt. The system is RIDICULOUS!!
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Alejandro Castro
•You're so right - I feel like I need an accounting degree just to fill out this form! I'm definitely going to make those corrections ASAP rather than waiting. I don't want anything to delay her aid package.
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Haley Stokes
quick note about retirement accounts - they actually DONT count as assets on FAFSA (unlike the CSS Profile which some private schools use). so if u included 401k/IRA money as an asset that might actually hurt ur SAI score. def fix that one
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Alejandro Castro
•Wait, seriously? I DID include our retirement accounts! That's exactly what I was worried about. Thank you so much for this information - this could have really affected her aid eligibility.
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Asher Levin
Hi there! I work in a college financial aid office, so I can add some clarification. Yes, you can absolutely make corrections to your submitted FAFSA. Here are some key points: 1. Retirement accounts (401k, IRA, etc.) are NOT reported as assets on the FAFSA, so definitely correct that if you included them 2. Small mistakes in income can be fixed and generally won't cause major issues as long as you correct them 3. The FAFSA uses a specific formula for the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation, and certain errors impact it more than others 4. Assets typically impact the SAI less than income does I suggest making corrections within the next 2 weeks to ensure minimal processing delays. Don't worry too much - this happens all the time and the system is designed to allow corrections.
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Alejandro Castro
•Thank you SO much for this detailed information! This is incredibly helpful. I'll make those corrections right away, especially removing the retirement accounts from the assets section. It's such a relief to know I can fix these issues and that it won't necessarily hurt her chances of getting good financial aid.
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Serene Snow
Legit nobody can get through to the Federal Student Aid people when you REALLY need help with FAFSA questions. I spent 3 days trying when I had a similar issue last semester. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual human at the FSA help center in like 20 mins instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Worth it if you need specific answers about how corrections might affect your daughter's SAI calculation. The online info is so general sometimes.
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Alejandro Castro
•Thanks for the tip! I've actually been trying to call them with no luck. If I can't figure out the corrections myself I'll definitely check out that service. Getting specific answers about the SAI calculation would be so helpful.
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Issac Nightingale
my son went thru this process last yr and honestly a small mistake isnt gonna kill ur kids chances! colleges understand that parents mess up sometimes lol. just make sure u fix anything major like those retirement accounts someone mentioned. but dont stress about every little number being perfect
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Alejandro Castro
•Thank you for the reassurance! It's good to hear from someone who's been through this before. I'll focus on fixing the major things and try not to obsess over every little detail.
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Jackie Martinez
After you make the corrections, I recommend printing out a confirmation page and saving the confirmation number. Some schools may ask for verification documents later, and having a record of your corrections can be helpful. Also, once processed, your child's SAI (Student Aid Index) will appear on the confirmation page - that's the magic number that determines aid eligibility.
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Alejandro Castro
•That's great advice about keeping the confirmation information. I'll definitely do that. And I'll keep an eye out for that SAI number - fingers crossed it will be low enough for her to qualify for good financial aid packages.
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Romeo Barrett
This whole thread is so helpful!! I'm about to submit my FAFSA for my twins and now I know what to watch out for. Quick question if anyone knows - how long after fixing mistakes does it typically take for colleges to get the updated information?
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Asher Levin
•Generally it takes 3-5 processing days for corrections to be processed by Federal Student Aid, then another 1-3 days for schools to receive the updated information. So about a week total in most cases. Schools automatically receive any corrections you submit.
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Alejandro Castro
UPDATE: Just wanted to thank everyone for the help! I logged in and made the corrections, especially removing our retirement accounts from the assets section. The correction process was actually pretty straightforward. Now fingers crossed for a good SAI number and some decent financial aid packages! This community has been so helpful during this stressful process.
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Lia Quinn
•So glad it worked out! The waiting is the hardest part now. Good luck to your daughter!!
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AstroAdventurer
Congratulations on getting through the correction process! That's awesome that you were able to fix the retirement account issue - that probably made a significant difference in your SAI calculation. The waiting period is definitely nerve-wracking, but you've done everything right. Your daughter is lucky to have a parent who cares enough to double-check and make corrections. Wishing you both the best with the financial aid packages! 🤞
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