<p>My daughter applied to 14 colleges. Some of them--mostly the LACs--had FAFSA deadlines of Feb 1 or Feb 15. So I did the estimated tax numbers and met all those deadlines.</p>
<p>After I confirmed that the first group of 10 had downloaded the FAFSA, I deleted some and added those that weren't part of the first group. I contacted those schools and a majority said they had downloaded the FAFSA.</p>
<p>I just finished our taxes, and I want to correct the FAFSA, and submit.</p>
<p>It's kind of like a game of musical chairs (and a pain that you can only do 10 at a time).</p>
<p>So my question: Is there a deadline for the corrected FAFSA? I'm worried that something might get lost in the shuffle. I'd prefer to make a priority of leaving online those schools my daughter has a high likelihood of attending if admitted.</p>
<p>Will I be safe to wait until after decisions are sent to her, before I put up the corrected FAFSA for those schools she is likely to attend?</p>
<p>(I have, of course, been separately dealing with timely CSS Profiles, IDOCs, various supplements and proprietary finaid applications. Ugh.)</p>
<p>I am in exactly the same boat, but now I’m worried. We submitted the FAFSA with estimates, listing the first 10 schools. But I didn’t know I needed to wait for them to download it. So pretty much as soon as we had confirmation that it had been processes, I went in and deleted some schools and added in others.</p>
<p>Should I be concerned that some schools may not have received it? How did you confirm that schools had downloaded it? I just assumed it was sent to them automatically, sort of like SAT scores!!</p>
<p>Then we also have to submit corrections, but we won’t be able to file our taxes until almost the end of March because some of our investments won’t have a final 1099 until then. (We received preliminary ones but were told that we would be receiving a corrected one mid=March.) Same thing then. I’m hoping that by then perhaps we can take a couple of schools off the list and will be able to get it down to 10 schools total, but I’m not counting on it!! If not, assume we have to go through this whole process again after that. What a pain in the backside!</p>
<p>I called each school to ask. Some are easy to get through to, and helpful. Others not so much, giving me vague answers like, “We’ll do it in a couple of weeks.” Others won’t even pick up the phone, prompting you to check online.</p>
<p>My sense is–but don’t quote me on this–that as long as you demonstrate a good faith effort to comply with requirements they may cut you some slack.</p>
<p>After being puzzled by a supplemental question one college had for the CSS Profile, I called the finaid office, and the head of finaid answered the phone. We got to chatting and he told me that he volunteers as a finaid consultant to kids at the local high school, and that he has to scratch his head in wonderment when trying to answer some of the questions from the various schools–and this from the head of finaid at an elite LAC.</p>
<p>But my basic question remains. Can we wait until acceptances and rejections sort themselves out before we put up the corrected fafsa?</p>
<p>Call FAFSA and be prepared to be persistent! The number for them from my sheet is 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). Almost the same thing happended to me, but I did at least wait for the email with the SAR before I deleted the first set. You may have to re-enter the first set. </p>
<p>I called FAFSA to ask how I update the first set of 10 I submitted. The rep said, only the second set was available - that when you delete the first set it is gone forever, and kept insisting that you can not - there is no way to - list more than 10 schools. She repeated my question 5+ times…“so you want to know…”" aagghhh! I asked to speak to a supervisor, who verified on HER screen that ALL the schools I listed - from the first AND seecond submission- are available when the schools try to access them.</p>
<p>I thank College Confidential for advising how this (adding more than 10 schools) could be done in the first place. Had I called FAFSA first, we would have been out of luck. Thanks guys!!</p>
<p>You have to distinguish betwween when FAFSA has your Fafsa online, and when a school has downloaded it. To determine the latter, you need to contact the school. Just because it’s on the fafsa website, it doesn’t mean the school has it.</p>
<p>In the past my understanding was that the schools would award a preliminary package based on the submitted information and you would get a final package after the taxes are filed (and you have indicated so on FAFSA). I would be concerned that the final package would be smaller (!) and you would not have that final package prior to May 1. Also if it turns out you need more FA than the initial estimate there may not be any additional $$ available.
I don’t know if that is different now with the electronic link with the IRS. Some of the schools my D2 has applied to require that the FAFSA be linked to the tax return. One note of caution - if your student also is filing taxes you have to link BOTH parent & child tax returns. </p>
<p>On the revised submittal (after 2 initial submittals for >10 schools) the processing time is almost immediate and not very difficult if you use the link to IRS - it automatically updates the FAFSA.</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies, but I’m still wondering what is the rule of thumb for submitting corrected FAFSAs. Is there a deadline? Or could I wait to submit, for instance, until after an acceptance and/or an initial aid offering?</p>
<p>Another question: How does the school know that the FAFSA correction has been submitted and processed? Do they receive some kind of an alert?</p>
<p>I guess I could call, but any experiences with deadlines for corrected FAFSAs would be appreicated.</p>