Will FAFSA ever return to splitting family contribution between multiple college students?

Unfortunately, you're right about the change. The 2024-2025 FAFSA eliminated the student multiplier that used to reduce your Expected Family Contribution when you had multiple students in college. As of now, there's no official indication that the Department of Education plans to bring back this adjustment in future FAFSA cycles. For the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 FAFSA years (when your children will be entering), you should plan based on the current SAI (Student Aid Index) methodology, which calculates your contribution without the reduction for multiple students.

Same boat! We've got triplets starting 2026 and it's like the system is punishing us for having multiple kids the same age. How are normal families supposed to afford this??

Financial aid professional here. While the multiple student adjustment was removed from the federal formula, you should know that many private colleges still consider multiple enrolled students in their institutional methodology when awarding their own aid. When your twins start college, make sure to: 1. Contact the financial aid offices at each school and specifically ask about their institutional policy for multiple enrolled siblings 2. Fill out the CSS Profile (in addition to FAFSA) if the schools require it, as this form allows for more nuanced financial situations 3. Submit a special circumstances appeal letter to each financial aid office explaining your multiple-student situation 4. Consider staggering enrollment if feasible (gap year for one twin) Many schools will make adjustments to their own aid packages even though the federal methodology doesn't.

You might want to look into independent scholarships specifically for twins/multiples too. My friend's twins got some decent scholarship money through organizations that specifically support families with multiple kids in college at once. Every bit helps!

The whole FAFSA system is BROKEN!!! I've been fighting with them for months about our verification. Three kids in college and they expect us to pay $30k PER KID??? How is this even legal? The system is designed to force families into crushing debt. It's disgusting.

My cousin went through this last year with her kids and she said getting through to actual humans at Federal Student Aid was key to getting better aid packages. She kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours until she used Claimyr.com to get through to FAFSA agents quickly. She showed me a video demo (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ) of how it works - basically gets you past the hold times so you can actually talk to someone who can help with your specific situation. Once she got through, she was able to get clarification on how to properly document their multiple-student household for maximum aid.

Another strategy worth considering: have your oldest child look into colleges that offer merit scholarships based on academics rather than just need-based aid. Then when the twins start in 2026, focus on maximizing need-based aid for them. Some families find a mix of college types (private with good institutional aid for some kids, in-state public for others) helps spread the financial burden.

dont forget to apply for parent plus loans too my sister has twins in college and she said that helped alot with the cash flow even though it doesnt solve the underlying problem

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions! I'm going to start researching merit scholarships for our oldest and looking into colleges with strong institutional aid policies for the twins. I'll also reach out to our representatives about bringing back the multiple student adjustment. This community has been so helpful - much less stressful than trying to navigate all this on our own!

I'm in a similar situation with two kids starting college next year, and I've been researching this extensively. One thing I discovered is that some states have their own grant programs that DO still consider multiple students in college when calculating aid. For example, California's Cal Grant and Pennsylvania's state grants still factor in siblings. It's worth checking if your state has similar programs that haven't adopted the federal changes yet. Also, I attended a financial aid webinar last month where they mentioned that the College Board (which administers CSS Profile) has been lobbying to restore the sibling discount in federal aid - apparently they have data showing it's created significant access issues for middle-income families. While there's no guarantee, there seems to be growing recognition that this change was harmful to families like ours.

I'm dealing with a similar situation - two kids starting college within a year of each other. One thing that's been helpful is creating a spreadsheet to track which schools still offer institutional aid adjustments for multiple students. I've been calling financial aid offices directly and asking about their policies, and you'd be surprised how many will still work with you even without the federal adjustment. Also, don't overlook community college for the first two years - my neighbor's daughter did this route and then transferred to a four-year school, saving thousands. The credits transferred seamlessly and she graduated with way less debt. It's not ideal for everyone, but it's worth considering as part of your strategy, especially if your twins are open to it.

As someone who works in college admissions, I wanted to add a few more practical tips for your situation. First, when your oldest applies in 2025, make sure they cast a wide net including schools known for generous merit aid - schools like Case Western, University of Rochester, and many liberal arts colleges often give substantial merit scholarships that aren't tied to need. Second, consider the timing strategically: if one of your twins takes a gap year, you could potentially benefit from having only two kids in college during 2026-2027, which might help with cash flow management. Third, look into tuition payment plans offered by colleges - many allow you to spread payments over 10-12 months interest-free, which can ease the burden even if it doesn't reduce the total cost. Finally, start having conversations with your kids now about realistic college choices and potential debt loads. Sometimes the best financial decision is having one child at a more affordable in-state option while another attends a pricier school with better aid. The key is being strategic rather than just hoping the system will work in your favor.

I'm going through this exact situation right now with my twins who are juniors in high school. What I've learned from talking to financial aid counselors is that while the federal formula changed, many private colleges are quietly adjusting their own aid calculations behind the scenes because they're seeing enrollment drops from middle-income families. One thing that's helped me is joining Facebook groups specifically for parents of multiples in college - there's a wealth of shared knowledge there about which schools are still family-friendly with aid. Also, I've started reaching out to alumni networks at target schools to get insider perspectives on how generous they really are with institutional aid for families like ours. The reality is we're probably going to have to be more creative and strategic than previous generations, but there are still paths forward. I'm also looking into employer tuition benefits - some companies offer assistance that can be applied to dependents, not just employees. Every little bit helps when you're facing multiple tuition bills!

I'm a financial aid advisor and wanted to add some perspective on the policy side of this issue. While it's true that the federal FAFSA eliminated the sibling discount, there's actually been significant pushback from both families and colleges about this change. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has been advocating for Congress to restore the multiple enrollment adjustment, and several bills have been introduced (though none have passed yet). In the meantime, here are some concrete steps you can take: 1) When completing your FAFSA, make sure to list ALL enrolled college students in your household - even though it won't reduce your SAI, some schools still use this information for their own calculations, 2) Look into schools that participate in consortium agreements where students can take classes at multiple institutions, potentially reducing costs, 3) Consider having your kids apply to a mix of public and private schools, as some public institutions have started offering more need-based aid to compensate for the FAFSA changes. The silver lining is that this issue is on lawmakers' radar, and there's growing bipartisan support for fixing it. Keep advocating to your representatives - family stories like yours are exactly what they need to hear to understand the real impact of this policy change.

I'm going through something very similar with my daughter starting college this fall and my son following next year. What I've discovered through extensive research is that you really need to approach this systematically. I created a detailed spreadsheet tracking not just schools' published financial aid policies, but also their actual practices based on conversations with current families. One strategy that's been working for us is applying Early Action (not Early Decision) to multiple schools to compare aid packages early. This gives you leverage to negotiate - many schools will match or beat aid offers from comparable institutions, especially if you can demonstrate multiple students in college even without the federal adjustment. Also, don't overlook work-study opportunities and campus employment. While it won't cover tuition, having your kids earn $2-3k per semester on campus can significantly help with living expenses. Some schools even have programs where siblings can share certain campus jobs or housing arrangements. The key is starting these conversations with financial aid offices now, before applications are even submitted. I've found that building relationships with aid counselors early makes a huge difference when it comes time to negotiate packages.

I'm a parent of twins who will be college sophomores next year, so I went through this exact transition when the FAFSA changes hit. The reality is brutal - our family contribution essentially doubled overnight. However, I want to share some hope and practical strategies that actually worked for us. First, the appeals process is more powerful than most people realize. I wrote detailed letters to each school explaining our multiple-student situation and attached documentation showing our unchanged income but doubled expected contribution. Three out of four schools made significant adjustments to their institutional aid - one school increased aid by $8,000 per child. Second, look into schools with "meets full need" policies. While the federal formula changed, schools like Vanderbilt, Rice, and many liberal arts colleges still consider family context in their institutional methodology. We actually ended up paying less at a "more expensive" private school than we would have at our state flagship because of their generous aid adjustment. Finally, timing can be everything. If possible, consider having one child start in spring semester rather than fall - you'll get a different aid calculation and it might help with cash flow. We also discovered that some schools have emergency aid funds specifically for families hit by the FAFSA changes. Don't give up hope - this system is broken but there are still paths forward with persistence and strategy.