Will FAFSA distribute equal aid amounts for two siblings in college at once?

Having kids in college at same time actually helps ur FAFSA! My twins both got more $$ than my oldest did when she was the only one in school

Your Student Aid Index (SAI) will be significantly lower with two dependents in college at the same time! The FAFSA formula essentially divides your expected family contribution by the number of college students in your household. So if your SAI was $10,000 with one student, it would theoretically become around $5,000 for each student when you have two enrolled simultaneously. This improved SAI means both children will likely qualify for more aid than if they were attending college in different years. However, each school has its own awarding formulas beyond the FAFSA calculation, so the exact aid packages may differ. Also remember that the specific aid amounts will still depend on: 1. Each school's cost of attendance 2. Each child's individual enrollment status (full-time vs part-time) 3. The specific financial aid policies at their chosen institutions

I went thru this last year and it was a NIGHTMARE!!! The FAFSA website kept crashing when I tried to add my second kid. Then they randomly selected us for verification and we had to send in like 20 extra tax documents. And then one financial aid office calculated things completely different from the other!!! The whole system is SO BROKEN!!! My first kid got decent aid but my second barely got anything even though they were supposed to "divide the family contribution" or whatever. Don't trust what anyone tells you about this process, it's all just random and depends which financial aid officer looks at your application!!!

The multiple-children-in-college adjustment is one of the most beneficial aspects of the FAFSA formula. Your SAI (Student Aid Index) will be divided by the number of family members in college, which typically results in more aid eligibility for each student. However, there's a common misconception that each child will get identical aid packages. In reality: - Each school has different Cost of Attendance figures - Merit scholarships vary by student achievement - Some schools offer better institutional aid than others - The specific programs each student enrolls in may affect available aid For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, make sure you list both children as college students, and verify both schools are receiving your FAFSA data. The Department of Education will automatically apply the multiple-student calculation to your SAI. Also, if you're struggling to reach someone at Federal Student Aid to answer specific questions about your situation, I highly recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They can get you connected to an FSA agent without the typical hours-long wait. I used their service last year and got through in minutes - you can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

my sister and i were in college at same time and i actually got LESS aid than her even tho we had same fafsa?? turns out her school gave better scholarships than mine did. the fafsa part was the same but the schools decide the final packages

We have triplets all starting college next year (pray for us and our bank account 😅) and I've been researching this extensively. From everything I've found, the FAFSA calculation will significantly reduce our expected contribution since it gets divided by 3. I spoke with a financial aid counselor who explained that while the federal calculation works in our favor, each school handles their institutional aid differently. So while my kids will likely qualify for similar federal aid (Pell Grants, work study, subsidized loans), the college-specific grants and scholarships will vary. My best advice: schedule a personal appointment with each financial aid office to discuss your specific two-students situation. They can often find additional resources once they understand your family circumstances. Also, don't forget to submit the FAFSA as early as possible (October) to maximize aid eligibility!

my brother got way more pell money than me when we were both in school idk why tho

Just to follow up on your question about different schools - your second child attending a more expensive private college might actually work out better than you expect. While the FAFSA calculation treats both students similarly, private colleges often: 1. Have more institutional grants and scholarships 2. Meet a higher percentage of demonstrated need 3. May offer preferential packaging (more grants, fewer loans) Make sure to compare the final net cost after all aid is applied rather than just the sticker price. Sometimes the more expensive school becomes the more affordable option after all aid is considered.

Just wanted to add one more practical tip from my experience - make sure you update your FAFSA immediately when your second child starts college. Don't wait until the next renewal cycle! I made that mistake and left money on the table for half a semester. You can submit a correction to update the "number of college students in household" field, and both schools should automatically recalculate your aid eligibility. It's worth the extra paperwork to get that SAI adjustment as soon as possible. Also, keep detailed records of both kids' enrollment status since some schools require verification that both are indeed enrolled at least half-time to maintain the multiple-student benefit.

This is such valuable information from everyone! As someone new to navigating FAFSA with multiple kids, I'm wondering - when you have two children in college simultaneously, do you still fill out separate FAFSA applications for each child, or is there a way to link them together in the system? Also, if one child graduates mid-year while the other is still enrolled, does that immediately affect the remaining child's aid eligibility, or do the adjustments typically wait until the next academic year? I want to make sure I understand the timing of these changes since my kids will likely have overlapping but not identical graduation timelines.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with twins starting college next fall, and I've been worried about how to handle the FAFSA process. One quick question - when you submit the FAFSA corrections to update the number of students in household, do both schools automatically get notified, or do you need to contact each financial aid office separately to make sure they process the updated information? I want to make sure I don't miss any steps that could delay the aid adjustments.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm actually in the exact same situation - my eldest is finishing up her first year at a state school with decent aid, and my second daughter will be starting at a private liberal arts college this fall. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so reassuring, especially learning about how the SAI gets divided between multiple students. I had no idea you could submit FAFSA corrections mid-year either - that's a game-changer! One thing I'm still wondering about though - has anyone dealt with summer enrollment affecting the multiple-student calculation? My older daughter might take a summer class, and I'm not sure if that impacts how the aid gets calculated for the fall semester when both girls will be enrolled full-time.

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My first child is at a community college (planning to transfer) and my second will be starting at a four-year university this fall. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is how the FAFSA handles students at different types of institutions - does the multiple-student benefit still apply the same way if one child is at a community college with lower costs and the other is at a more expensive four-year school? I'm hoping the SAI division will help make the university more affordable for my second child, but I want to make sure I understand how the system works when the cost of attendance varies so dramatically between the two schools.

This thread has been incredibly educational! As someone just starting to navigate the dual enrollment FAFSA process, I'm curious about one practical aspect - when both kids are in college and you're dealing with two different financial aid offices, how do you keep track of all the deadlines, required documents, and communication? Do you maintain separate files for each child, or is there a system that works well for managing everything? I'm already feeling overwhelmed thinking about coordinating aid renewal paperwork, verification requests, and appeals for two different schools with potentially different timelines and requirements. Any organizational tips from parents who've successfully managed this would be hugely appreciated!

This has been such an informative discussion! I'm dealing with the same situation and feeling much more confident after reading everyone's experiences. One quick follow-up question - for those who've been through this process, did you find it helpful to have both kids apply to some of the same schools? I'm wondering if having siblings at the same institution might make the financial aid process smoother, or if it's better to let each child choose schools independently regardless of where the other is applying. My kids have somewhat different academic interests, but there is some overlap in their potential school choices, and I'm trying to figure out if there are any administrative advantages to having them at the same place (or disadvantages I should be aware of).