No college savings for 3 kids - will FAFSA even help us?

You haven't failed at all! The FAFSA doesn't actually penalize you for not having college savings - in fact, it's quite the opposite. The new FAFSA (2024-2025 and beyond) doesn't consider savings as heavily as it used to. With a $72k household income and three children, you'll likely qualify for significant aid, especially if one or more will be in college simultaneously. The Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation gives a substantial allowance for living expenses before expecting family contributions. And remember, the Pell Grant expanded significantly this year - many families with your income range now qualify when they wouldn't have before.

Really?? That makes me feel a little better. I honestly thought we were completely screwed because we don't have anything saved. Do you know how much we might qualify for? My daughter is looking at state schools that cost around $25-30k per year all-in.

omg same boat!! we got 4 kids and like nothing saved lol. its hard out here! my oldest just started at community college this fall cause we couldnt afford anything else even with loans. we got some grants tho

Community college is definitely on our list of options. How much did you get in grants if you don't mind me asking? And was the FAFSA process super complicated?

You need to be strategic with FAFSA. I work in financial aid, and here's what I recommend: When your oldest applies, your SAI will factor in that you have 2 more college-bound children. Make sure to indicate this on the FAFSA. With $72k and 3 dependents, you're likely eligible for some Pell Grant money (up to $7,395 per child per year for 2025-2026) depending on your exact situation. Also consider having your kids attend the same college - many schools offer sibling discounts. State schools often have special grant programs for families in your income range that FAFSA will automatically consider. Don't rule out private schools either - they sometimes offer better packages to meet full demonstrated need.

wait sibling discounts?? i never heard of that! does that work at comminity colleges too??

Some community colleges do offer sibling discounts, but it varies by school. You'll need to ask specifically about their

The FAFSA system is LITERALLY DESIGNED to screw over the middle class!!! We make $80k with two kids and got almost NOTHING. The cut-off for good aid is wayyyy lower than they tell you. And don't get me started on the verification process - they made us submit extra paperwork for EVERYTHING!! The whole system is broken. Rich people get tax breaks for their 529 plans while the rest of us get buried in Parent PLUS loans just trying to give our kids a chance!!

I had a completely different experience with a similar income ($75k with 2 kids). My oldest qualified for $18,500 in grants and work-study at a state university. The new FAFSA formula actually helped us significantly compared to previous years. Your situation might have been affected by other factors like assets or the specific schools you applied to? Different states also have vastly different state grant programs that supplement federal aid.

What state are you in? We're in [redacted] and the state grants are PATHETIC. Maybe that's the difference?

My cousin's kid just went through this and she got full tuition at State because they did that thing where you appeal the first offer with a competing offer from another school? anyone know what that's called?

You're referring to a financial aid appeal or sometimes called a \

I had no idea this was even a thing! So you apply to multiple schools and then use the best offer as leverage? That sounds like a great strategy.

I was in your exact situation 3 years ago with similar income and 3 kids. Here's what worked for us:\n\n1) We got all our kids to take dual enrollment classes in high school (free college credits)\n2) Applied to schools with good merit scholarships (not just need-based)\n3) Had our kids apply to at least 5-6 schools each to compare aid packages\n4) Focused on schools that meet full demonstrated need\n5) Used the FAFSA4caster tool beforehand to estimate our aid\n\nMy oldest got a full-ride to her 3rd choice school. Middle one got 75% covered at his top choice. Don't lose hope!

Thank you for sharing your experience! I hadn't even thought about merit scholarships. My oldest has a 3.8 GPA and some extracurriculars - do you think that would qualify for merit aid at some schools? And what's this FAFSA4caster tool you mentioned?

A 3.8 GPA definitely puts your daughter in merit scholarship territory at many schools! Look for colleges where her stats put her in the top 25% of their incoming class - those tend to offer the best merit packages. The Federal Student Aid Estimator (previously called FAFSA4caster) is at studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/ - it gives you a rough idea of your expected aid before you actually apply. Very helpful for planning!

Has anyone actually tried calling the Federal Student Aid help line? I spent 3 HOURS on hold last week trying to get specific questions answered about our family's situation and never got through. Incredibly frustrating when you're trying to plan for something this important.

I used this service called Claimyr that got me through to a FAFSA agent in about 10 minutes after I'd been trying for days. They basically wait on hold for you then call you when they get an agent. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ I found them at claimyr.com

That's really good to know. I've been dreading the phone calls I know I'll need to make. Was the agent helpful when you finally got through?

The agent was actually super helpful! I had specific questions about reporting my self-employment income on FAFSA and they walked me through exactly what forms I needed and which income lines to use. Definitely worth getting through to a real person.

One more practical tip: Make sure you understand the huge difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans. With subsidized loans, the government pays the interest while your student is in school. This can save you THOUSANDS over 4 years. Based on your family income, your students would likely qualify for the maximum subsidized loan amount ($5,500-$7,500 depending on year in school). Also look into your state's direct grant programs - many have separate applications from FAFSA but use your FAFSA information to qualify you.

Thank you so much for this advice. I definitely need to learn more about the different loan types. Is there a maximum amount of subsidized loans they can get over their college career?

Yes, there are lifetime limits on subsidized loans. For dependent undergraduate students, the maximum subsidized loan total is $23,000 over their entire college career. The annual limits increase as they progress through school: $3,500 for first-year students, $4,500 for second-year, and $5,500 for third-year and beyond. Always take the subsidized loans first before considering unsubsidized options.

dont forget to check if ur kids qualify for that new SAI thing where they get extra money if ur family gets like food stamps or medicaid or something

You're referring to an important change in the 2024-2025 FAFSA and beyond. Students from families that receive certain federal benefits like SNAP, TANF, WIC, Medicaid, or Free/Reduced School Lunch automatically qualify for an SAI of 0 (previously called an EFC of 0), which maximizes their aid eligibility, including the full Pell Grant. This is part of the FAFSA Simplification Act and is definitely worth checking into.

We don't currently receive any of those benefits, but it's good information to know. I'm learning so much from this thread!

I remember when I was stressing about college costs two years ago. What ultimately worked best for my son was starting at community college and then transferring. He'll graduate with less than $15k in debt for his bachelor's degree. Just make sure the credits will transfer to their target 4-year school BEFORE they take the classes! We learned that lesson the hard way when 3 classes didn't transfer.

The transfer system is ANOTHER SCAM! My daughter lost a FULL SEMESTER when she transferred because the schools have these ridiculous arbitrary rules about which credits they'll accept. It's all designed to squeeze more money out of families!

That's awful! Did you try appealing? My son had to submit syllabi from two courses for review and eventually got them approved after initially being denied. But yeah, the system is definitely not designed to be student-friendly.