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As a financial aid officer, I want to echo what others have said - this Common App mistake absolutely will not impact her FAFSA or financial aid eligibility. The FAFSA uses income data, family size, and assets to calculate her Student Aid Index (SAI), not test scores. For the SAT issue itself, definitely have her send that clarification email to each school's admissions office. Most schools have robust systems to track these kinds of corrections, and admissions officers are used to handling application updates. Just make sure she includes her full name, date of birth, and Common App ID in the email so they can easily locate her file. One practical tip: if any school has an online portal where she can check her application status, she should monitor those after sending the emails to see if they update her file to show "test optional" status.
This is incredibly helpful advice, thank you! I didn't even think about checking the online portals to see if they update her status. That would definitely give us peace of mind to know the correction went through. We'll make sure to include all her identifying information in the emails too. It's reassuring to hear from so many people that this mistake isn't as catastrophic as it seemed at first!
I'm new to this whole college application process and reading through this thread has been so educational! My younger sibling will be applying next year and I had no idea that FAFSA and Common App were completely separate systems. This gives me confidence that even if we make similar mistakes, it won't ruin everything. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps those of us who are still figuring all this out!
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For future reference, schools typically allocate work-study based on these factors: 1. Filing date (priority deadline varies by school) 2. SAI (lower numbers get priority) 3. Remaining need after other aid 4. School's total FWS allocation from the Department of Education Many institutions exhaust their work-study funds by mid-February for the following academic year. Your FAFSA processing completion date of March 18th might have been the issue, despite submitting in January. Also, for anyone reading this - the school with the $79K cost of attendance should be providing more institutional aid with an SAI of 3470. That's a concerning gap even with $50K in aid already awarded.
Completely agree with your last point. With an SAI that low and a $29K gap after federal aid, the institution should be offering more need-based institutional grants. OP should definitely appeal for additional institutional aid beyond just securing work-study.
You've given me something else to consider - I haven't thought about appealing for more institutional aid. The $50K includes merit scholarships and some need-based grants from the school, but you're right that the gap is still substantial. I'll draft an appeal letter tonight!
Glad to hear you got the work-study resolved! As a newcomer here, I'm wondering - when you mention drafting an appeal letter for more institutional aid, do you have any guidance on what to include? My family is in a similar situation with a low SAI but still facing a significant gap even after federal aid. Should the appeal focus on comparing aid packages from other schools, or are there other factors that tend to be more persuasive to financial aid offices?
Welcome @Liam O'Sullivan! As someone new to navigating financial aid appeals myself, I've been following this thread closely and wanted to share what I've learned from other posts in this community. One strategy I haven't seen mentioned yet is asking about payment plan options that might make the remaining gap more manageable - some schools offer interest-free monthly payment plans that can help spread the cost. Also, consider reaching out to your daughter's intended academic department directly, as they sometimes have emergency funds or last-minute scholarship opportunities that aren't coordinated through the main financial aid office. I've also read that it can be helpful to frame your appeal not just in terms of need, but also in terms of your daughter's potential contributions to the campus community - schools want to invest in students who will enhance their academic environment. Don't forget to ask about work-study alternatives too, since regular campus employment might be available even if federal work-study funds are exhausted. The persistence everyone has shown in this thread is really inspiring!
Welcome @Liam O'Sullivan! As a newcomer to this community, I've been amazed by how helpful everyone has been with sharing their experiences. From what I've learned reading through various threads here, one often overlooked aspect of financial aid appeals is timing them strategically around enrollment deposit deadlines. Schools are sometimes more willing to find additional funding when they know a student they want to enroll might walk away due to financial constraints. Also, I'd suggest checking if your daughter's intended major falls under any STEM or high-demand programs that might have additional scholarship pools available - sometimes these funds are managed separately from general financial aid. Don't forget to ask about sibling discounts if applicable, or alumni connection benefits that might not have been initially considered. The community here has taught me that financial aid is much more nuanced than I originally thought, and there are often multiple paths to securing additional funding that aren't immediately obvious. Keep advocating for your family!
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I'm in the exact same situation! My FAFSA has been "In Process" for about 2.5 weeks now and I was getting really worried. Reading all these responses is so reassuring - it sounds like this is completely normal this year and not a sign that something went wrong. I'm definitely going to contact my schools tomorrow to let them know I submitted on time but am still waiting for processing. Has anyone had luck getting updates by checking the FAFSA app versus the website, or are they both showing the same status?
I've been checking both the website and the app, and they show the same status for me - both still say "In Process." I think they pull from the same database. But reading through all these responses has been such a relief! It sounds like 2-3 weeks is actually pretty normal right now, even though it feels like forever when you're waiting. I'm also going to call my schools tomorrow with my confirmation number. Good luck with yours!
I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My FAFSA has been stuck on "In Process" for about 3 weeks and I was starting to panic about missing deadlines. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that the processing times were this extended across the board this year. The advice about contacting schools directly with your confirmation number is brilliant. I just checked and I still have my original submission email from when we completed everything. It's such a relief to know that schools can see we submitted on time even without the SAI calculation being finished yet. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this!
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I'm dealing with this exact same issue! Just wanted to add that if you're still not seeing your SAI after trying all the suggestions here, you can also log into your college's student portal (if they have one) - sometimes schools receive your FAFSA data before it fully updates on studentaid.gov. My school's financial aid office told me they can see my SAI even when I couldn't see it myself. Also, for anyone worried about scholarship deadlines, definitely email your financial aid office explaining the FAFSA processing delays - most schools are being super understanding about this since it's such a widespread issue this year. They might be able to give you a temporary extension or work with preliminary information.
This is really helpful advice! I didn't know colleges could see FAFSA data before we can see it on our end. I'm definitely going to check my college portal now and reach out to financial aid about the deadline. It's reassuring to know schools are being understanding about these delays - I was worried I'd automatically miss out on scholarships just because of technical issues that are completely out of my control. Thanks for sharing this tip!
I'm a college financial aid counselor and wanted to add some additional context that might help. The 2025-2026 FAFSA rollout has been particularly challenging due to the major system overhaul. Here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. **Timeline expectations**: While the normal processing time is 3-5 days, we're seeing 7-10 days regularly due to the high volume and system issues. 2. **Mobile app vs website**: The mobile app has had more display issues than the website version. If you submitted through the app, try logging into studentaid.gov through a desktop browser to check your SAI. 3. **For urgent deadlines**: Most colleges have received guidance from the Department of Education about these delays and have contingency plans. When you contact your financial aid office, mention specifically that you're dealing with the "2025-2026 FAFSA SAI display issue" - they'll know exactly what you're talking about. 4. **Verification flags**: If you're selected for verification, your SAI might show as "pending" or not display at all until verification is complete. Check your to-do list on the portal. Don't panic - virtually every school is dealing with these same issues with multiple students. The system will catch up!
Malia Ponder
Just wanted to follow up and see if you were able to create your FSA ID without issues? Did the name change cause any problems?
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Cass Green
•I created my FSA ID last night and it went through fine! The system did ask me to verify some addresses from my credit history, including one from when I had my previous name, but it accepted my answers. Now I feel much more prepared for when we actually fill out her FAFSA. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice!
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CosmicVoyager
That's great to hear that your FSA ID creation went smoothly! For other parents in similar situations, it's worth noting that the credit verification questions can actually be helpful - they prove the system IS linking your financial history correctly across name changes. One more tip for when you actually complete the FAFSA: make sure to have your 2023 tax return handy (for the 2025-26 FAFSA). The IRS Data Retrieval Tool can automatically import your tax information, which reduces errors and speeds up processing. Since you mentioned having a complicated history, using the automatic import feature will help ensure everything matches perfectly with what the government already has on file.
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Aisha Abdullah
•This is such helpful advice about the IRS Data Retrieval Tool! I had no idea that was an option. Since my tax situation is pretty straightforward (just W-2 income), using the automatic import sounds like it would definitely be the safest route to avoid any discrepancies. Do you know if there are any situations where the tool doesn't work, or should I expect it to pull everything I need?
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