Why are my twins getting completely different SAI scores on FAFSA?

This is actually a known glitch in the new FAFSA system! We had the same issue with my younger siblings (also twins). The problem is usually in how the system processes identical household data when submitted in separate applications. Did you by any chance enter one twin as the first child and the other as the second child in household members? Or did you complete the applications on different days?

omg this happened to me and my sister too!! not twins but we're both freshmen (im a spring admit) and our numbers were like $3k different even tho same parents same house same everything. financial aid office looked at me like i was CRAZY when i tried to explain

Financial aid counselor here. This is indeed a processing error in the new FAFSA system. The difference in SAI calculations likely stems from one of these issues: 1. The system sometimes fails to properly link multiple students from the same household 2. Minor differences in how you completed each application (even down to the order of entering household members) 3. A data processing error on FSA's end You need to submit a formal correction request for both applications. Here's what to do: 1. Log into studentaid.gov for each student 2. Select "Make FAFSA Corrections" 3. In the "Additional Information" section, explain the situation 4. Submit both corrections 5. IMPORTANT: Call FSA and specifically request a "Duplicate Household SAI Review" - use those exact words Document everything, including the confirmation numbers for both correction submissions.

The new FAFSA is a COMPLETE DISASTER! They rushed it out with ZERO testing and now families are suffering. My daughter's application has been "processing" for 7 weeks! SEVEN! And they expect us to make college decisions by May 1st?? The whole system is rigged to make middle class families pay more while the government pretends they're helping. Your twins situation is just another example of the incompetence.

I had trouble reaching FSA for a verification issue last month and found a service called Claimyr that actually worked for getting through to them. You can check out their demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ or just go to claimyr.com. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when an actual agent is on the line. Saved me literally hours of frustration when I was dealing with a similar impossible-to-reach-anyone situation.

One additional thing to check: Did you fill out both applications using the same FSA ID for the parent contributor? If you created two different parent FSA IDs by accident, that could absolutely cause this discrepancy. The system might be treating them as different contributors despite having the same information.

my friend had this happen and it turned out she accidentally put different income amounts on her kids applications...she swore she didnt but when the financial aid office helped her look through it they found a typo on one where she missed a digit. might be worth double checking all the numbers very carefully

After you get the correction submitted, make sure to contact each college's financial aid office directly. Send them an email explaining the situation and that you've submitted corrections. Many schools have a process to handle these kinds of FAFSA discrepancies, especially for siblings from the same household. Don't wait for the correction to process - be proactive with the schools while you're working on the FSA side.

UPDATE: I used Claimyr this morning and FINALLY got through to someone at FSA after trying for weeks on my own! The agent confirmed it was a system error on their end with how the household linking works for multiple students. They're manually reviewing both applications and said the corrections should appear within 3-5 business days. They also gave me a case number to provide to the financial aid offices. Thank you all for your help - especially the Claimyr recommendation and the advice about requesting a "Duplicate Household SAI Review"!

So glad you got through and confirmed it was a system error! This gives me hope for my own situation. Quick question - when you used Claimyr, did you have to pay anything or was it free? And about how long did it take them to actually connect you with an FSA agent? I'm dealing with a similar processing issue and have been putting off calling because I'm so tired of the endless hold times.

This is exactly why I've been dreading filling out FAFSA for my twins who will be seniors next year! I had no idea this was even a possibility. Thank you so much @Gabriel Freeman for sharing your experience and to everyone who provided solutions. I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference. The fact that you finally got confirmation it was a system error gives me hope that when I inevitably run into issues, there are actual ways to get them resolved. Really appreciate the specific advice about requesting a "Duplicate Household SAI Review" and the Claimyr recommendation - those are the kinds of practical tips that actually help families navigate this broken system.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who works in college admissions, I see these FAFSA discrepancies more often than people realize, especially with the new system rollout. A few additional tips for anyone dealing with similar issues: 1. Keep detailed records of every correction you submit - screenshot confirmation pages and save confirmation numbers 2. If your colleges have already issued financial aid packages based on the incorrect SAI, most schools will reprocess them once you provide the corrected information and case number 3. Don't panic about May 1st deadlines - most colleges will work with families experiencing legitimate FAFSA processing delays, especially documented system errors like this For parents of future applicants: consider completing all sibling applications within the same session or on the same day using the same device/browser to minimize potential system inconsistencies. The fact that Gabriel got confirmation this was a known system error should give everyone hope that these issues are fixable, just frustrating to navigate!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share that I'm going through something very similar right now! My daughter and nephew (who lives with us) both submitted FAFSA applications with identical household information since we're their contributors, but their SAI calculations are about $2,800 apart. Reading through this thread has been so helpful - I had no idea this was a known system glitch. @Gabriel Freeman thank you for sharing your resolution process! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service since I've also been unable to get through to FSA after multiple attempts. The specific language about requesting a "Duplicate Household SAI Review" is exactly what I needed to know. @Samuel Robinson your step-by-step correction process is incredibly helpful - I'm going to follow those exact steps tonight. And @Maria Gonzalez your point about colleges working with families on documented system errors gives me hope that we can still get this resolved in time for financial aid decisions. Has anyone had success with the corrections actually processing within that 3-5 business day timeframe? I'm worried about how long this might take to fully resolve.