As someone new to this community, this thread has been incredibly informative and reassuring! I'm currently in the exact same boat - my son's FAFSA just changed to "Processed" status yesterday after what felt like an eternity of waiting. I was completely unclear about whether I needed to take any additional steps or if the colleges would automatically receive the information. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me such a clearer picture of what to expect moving forward. I'm definitely going to implement the tracking spreadsheet idea that several people mentioned - keeping tabs on each school's portal to see when they actually receive and process the FAFSA data. It's both concerning and comforting to know that there can be such variation in how quickly different schools import the information into their systems. For those with tight scholarship deadlines, the advice about proactively contacting financial aid offices seems really smart. I think I'll reach out to the two schools with the earliest deadlines just to make sure they're aware of our situation. It's encouraging to hear that most schools are understanding about the processing delays this year. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical advice that you can't find on the official websites!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this thread! My daughter is a high school senior and we just submitted her FAFSA last week, so reading about everyone's experiences with processing times and next steps is incredibly helpful. It's both reassuring and a bit nerve-wracking to learn that even after it shows "Processed," there can still be weeks of waiting for individual schools to actually receive and import the data. I'm definitely going to bookmark this conversation and come back to it when our FAFSA processes. The advice about creating a tracking spreadsheet, checking student portals regularly, and being proactive about contacting schools with tight scholarship deadlines seems like exactly the roadmap I need. It's also good to know that most financial aid offices are understanding about delays this year - that takes some of the pressure off. Thank you all for sharing such detailed, real-world experiences. As someone just starting this journey, it's invaluable to learn from families who are actually going through it rather than trying to piece together information from official websites that don't always explain the practical realities!

Update: I was able to transfer the parent information successfully! For anyone else in this situation, here's what worked: I logged in with MY FSA ID (not my son's), started a new FAFSA for 2025-2026, entered all his student information, and then when I got to the parent section, there was an option that said "Transfer Parents' Information from another FAFSA form." I clicked that, verified my identity again, and it pulled all our tax info, assets, etc. from my daughter's application. Saved me at least an hour of work! Thanks everyone for your help!

So glad I found this thread! I'm in the exact same situation - just submitted my oldest daughter's FAFSA last night and completely forgot about the sibling transfer option. My youngest is a senior this year and I was dreading having to re-enter all our financial information again. Our situation is pretty complicated with my husband being self-employed and us having some rental income, so it took me forever to get all the numbers right the first time. Reading through all these responses gives me hope that the transfer process will actually work smoothly. Going to try it this weekend when I have more time to focus without distractions!

I'm a new community member and currently going through this exact same frustrating Cal Grant delay situation! I submitted my FAFSA about 3 weeks ago and my WebGrants portal is also stuck on just showing GPA verification received with everything else blank. I was really starting to worry that something was wrong with my application until I found this incredibly helpful thread. Diego, thank you so much for sharing your whole experience and the ultimate resolution! Your discovery about the name mismatch issue was such a revelation - I never would have thought to check for something like that. I'm definitely going to verify that my name is exactly the same across my FAFSA, Cal Grant application, and all my school records. All the insights shared here have been so valuable, especially learning that 4-6 weeks is actually normal processing time and understanding how FAFSA verification issues can create delays with Cal Grant processing. I had no idea these systems were interconnected like that! The detailed explanation from the financial aid counselor about all the different factors that can affect processing speed really helped me understand why some friends might get their notifications faster while others wait longer. There are clearly so many variables at play. For other newcomers dealing with similar delays, the main takeaways from this thread seem to be: verify name consistency across all applications, check with your school about any pending FAFSA verification, understand that 4-6 weeks is the normal timeline, and don't hesitate to contact CSAC directly if it's been over a month. This community is such an amazing resource for navigating these stressful financial aid processes when you're not sure what's normal versus what actually requires action!

I'm a newcomer to this community and currently dealing with this exact same Cal Grant delay issue! I submitted my FAFSA about 4 weeks ago and my WebGrants portal is also only showing GPA verification received with everything else completely blank. I was getting really anxious thinking something was wrong with my application until I found this thread. Diego, thank you so much for sharing your experience and the resolution! The name mismatch issue you discovered is something I never would have thought to check. I'm going to verify right now that my name is consistent across my FAFSA, Cal Grant application, and school records - I suspect I might have used my nickname on one form but my full legal name on another. All the advice shared here has been incredibly helpful, especially learning that 4-6 weeks is normal processing time and understanding how FAFSA verification holds can delay Cal Grant processing. I had no idea these systems were connected! The financial aid counselor's explanation about different factors affecting processing speed really put things in perspective too. For other newcomers in similar situations, the key takeaways seem to be: check name consistency across all applications, verify FAFSA verification status with your school, be patient with the 4-6 week timeline, and call CSAC if it's been over a month. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating these stressful financial aid processes!

Hi there! I'm also navigating the FAFSA process for the first time with my daughter who's applying for fall 2025. Reading through this thread has been incredibly helpful - especially learning that the 3-4 week processing time is normal right now. I submitted our FAFSA about 10 days ago and have been checking the status obsessively! It's reassuring to know that schools are aware of the delays and many are adjusting their deadlines accordingly. One question - for those who have been through this before, do you get an email notification when the SAI calculation is finally complete, or do you just have to keep checking the website? Thanks for creating such a supportive community for stressed parents like us!

Hi everyone! I'm another parent dealing with FAFSA for twins this year and this thread has been so helpful! We submitted both applications about 4 weeks ago and finally got the SAI calculations yesterday - they were identical as expected. One thing I learned from calling the financial aid offices directly (as Marcus suggested) is that many schools have internal tracking systems that show when your FAFSA has been submitted even if the SAI isn't ready yet. They were able to confirm our applications were "in the queue" which gave me peace of mind about the priority deadlines. For those still waiting, I'd definitely recommend making those calls - the financial aid officers were much more helpful and accessible than the federal FAFSA hotline!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful to have found this discussion! I'm dealing with a very similar situation where we're planning to sell rental property and I've been worried sick about FAFSA implications for my son's college applications. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about the prior-prior year rule! I had absolutely no idea that property sales happening now wouldn't affect financial aid until two years down the road. That changes everything for our timing! The detailed explanations about how retirement account contributions are treated differently from regular investments on the FAFSA have also been eye-opening. I'm taking notes on all the practical advice here, from the asset treatment breakdown to the importance of having adoption documentation ready if applicable. What really impresses me about this community is how everyone shares real experiences and actionable advice rather than just pointing to confusing government resources. The stories about the new FAFSA calculations being more generous than expected have given me hope that it's worth applying regardless of income level. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space for families trying to navigate these complex financial aid waters!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have discovered this incredibly informative discussion! I'm in a nearly identical situation - we're selling investment property and I've been extremely anxious about how it might impact my daughter's FAFSA eligibility. This thread has been absolutely enlightening, particularly learning about the prior-prior year rule. I had no clue that property sales happening this year wouldn't affect financial aid applications until 2027-2028! That completely changes my stress level about timing. The detailed explanations about asset treatment differences (retirement accounts vs. regular investments vs. cash) are exactly the kind of practical guidance that's impossible to find clearly explained elsewhere. I'm also impressed by how supportive everyone is here, sharing real experiences rather than just repeating confusing policy language. The positive feedback about the new FAFSA calculations potentially being more generous than expected has convinced me to apply regardless of our income bracket. It's so reassuring to find a community where people genuinely help each other navigate these complex financial aid challenges. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!