Finally submitted FAFSA but lost university spot - now at community college
I'm beyond frustrated with the FAFSA process this year! My son's application has been an absolute nightmare that took EIGHT months to complete. The website kept crashing, contribution questions were confusing, and we couldn't get anyone on the phone for help. By mid-September, he had to make the heart-wrenching decision to decline his acceptance to State University (his dream school!) and enroll at Lakeview Community College instead because we couldn't get his financial aid package finalized. He FINALLY submitted yesterday after multiple account lockouts and verification issues. Has anyone else had their college plans completely derailed by FAFSA delays this cycle? I'm supportive of his decision but devastated that technical problems and bureaucracy cost him his university spot. Anyone know if he can transfer his FAFSA application to the university for spring semester?
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CosmicVoyager
omg same happened to my niece!! she waited 4 months just to get logged in properly and ended up at community college too. whole system is broken
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Isabella Ferreira
•It's absolutely infuriating! Did your niece eventually get her aid package? We're still waiting to see what he qualifies for even though classes have already started.
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Ravi Kapoor
I'm so sorry about your son's experience. The 2025-2026 FAFSA has been problematic for many families. The good news is that he absolutely can transfer his FAFSA information to the university for spring semester. When he receives his SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation, he'll need to log in to studentaid.gov and add the university's school code to his FAFSA. Most universities have spring admission deadlines in October/November, so he still has time. Community college is actually a smart financial move, and those credits should transfer if he's taking general education courses.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Thank you so much for this information! That gives us hope that he might be able to transfer to the university in spring. He's being careful to take transferrable gen-ed courses. Any idea how long the SAI calculation typically takes once submitted?
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Freya Nielsen
The FAFSA this year is a total disaster! My daughter ended up taking a gap semester because we couldn't get her verification issues resolved in time. You're not alone - I've heard the Department of Education had major technical problems with the new formula. Have you tried looking into emergency grants from the community college financial aid office? Some have funds specifically for students affected by FAFSA delays.
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Isabella Ferreira
•A gap semester seems to be happening to a lot of students this year. I hadn't thought about emergency grants - that's a great suggestion! I'll have him visit the financial aid office tomorrow.
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Omar Mahmoud
Your son made a smart move starting at community college! I'm a financial aid advisor, and I've seen countless students save $30,000+ by doing 2 years at community college then transferring. The FAFSA delays are frustrating, but he can easily add the university to his FAFSA for spring semester. Make sure he: 1. Gets his SAI calculation first (takes 3-7 days usually) 2. Adds the university code in the school selection section 3. Contacts the university financial aid office to confirm they received it 4. Submits a mid-year transfer application (most deadlines are in October/November) Also, many universities hold spots specifically for spring transfer students, so his chances might actually be good!
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Chloe Harris
•this is SO helpful!! my daughter is going thru the exact same thing but i had no idea she could add schools after submitting!! ur awesome!!
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Diego Vargas
After trying for MONTHS to get through to the Federal Student Aid help line, I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual person in under 5 minutes! Had to share because it literally saved my daughter's financial aid. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ or just go to claimyr.com - seriously worth it when you're dealing with FAFSA verification or submission issues. I was about ready to give up completely before finding this.
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NeonNinja
•Is it legit? I've been trying to call FSA for 2 weeks about my son's dependency override and keep getting disconnected. At this point I'd try anything.
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Diego Vargas
Dont feel 2 bad about community college - myy son did the same thing (FAFSA was also a disaster for us) and ended up LOVING it! Smaller classes, more attention from professors, and WAY cheaper. He actually got better grades than his highschool friends who went straight to university and is transferring to State next yr with a scholarship!!
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Isabella Ferreira
•That's really encouraging to hear! He's already mentioned how much more attention he's getting from professors. The silver lining might be that this detour ends up being the better path academically.
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NeonNinja
THE NEW FAFSA SYSTEM IS GARBAGE!!! My twins both had to delay college because of it! One is working at Target and the other is taking a gap year. We spent HOURS trying to get the parent contribution section to work properly. How is it possible that they could mess this up so badly??!! EIGHT DIFFERENT CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS gave us EIGHT DIFFERENT ANSWERS about how to proceed. Absolute incompetence.
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Ravi Kapoor
•The parent contribution section has been particularly problematic this cycle. For anyone dealing with this: make sure you're using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool rather than manual entry when possible, as it significantly reduces errors and verification issues.
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Omar Mahmoud
Quick update to add that if your son qualifies for a Pell Grant based on his SAI, it will apply to any school he attends. So even if he starts receiving it at the community college, he won't lose that eligibility when transferring mid-year. Direct loans can also be adjusted for the spring semester. The key is making sure the university receives his FAFSA information at least 30 days before their spring financial aid deadline.
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Isabella Ferreira
•That's excellent to know! We're hoping he qualifies for a Pell Grant based on our family income. I'm going to check the university's spring financial aid deadline today so we don't miss it.
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Diego Vargas
@5 - YES, Claimyr is legit! I was skeptical too but it connected me with an actual FSA agent who fixed my daughter's verification issues. They don't handle anything themselves - they just get you through the phone system. Worth every penny when you're desperate.
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NeonNinja
•Thanks! Just used it and finally got through! The agent helped me submit the dependency override paperwork properly. Wish I'd known about this months ago!
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Chloe Harris
my cousins best friend had the same thing happen but she ended up getting her FAFSA finally done and got into university for spring semester, so dont give up hope!!!
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Isabella Ferreira
•Thank you for sharing that! It gives us hope that his dream school might still be possible for spring semester.
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Ravi Kapoor
Since your son just submitted yesterday, I'd recommend having him check his StudentAid.gov account daily for the SAI calculation. Once that appears, immediately add the university's school code and then personally contact their financial aid office. Many schools have special provisions for students affected by FAFSA delays this year, including extended deadlines and expedited processing. The Department of Education has also directed schools to be more flexible with documentation for the 2025-2026 cycle due to the widespread issues.
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Isabella Ferreira
•We'll definitely stay on top of checking for the SAI calculation. I'm relieved to hear schools might be more flexible this year given all the problems. This gives us a clear plan of action - thank you!
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