UPDATE: Finally got it working! For anyone else having this problem, I forwarded the email to my Gmail like someone suggested, and then used Chrome incognito mode at 1am. The verification link worked perfectly! Now my FSA ID is verified and I can finish my FAFSA application. Thanks everyone for your help!

So glad you got it working! I've been having the same issue for the past week and was starting to panic about my deadline too. Going to try the Gmail forwarding + Chrome incognito + late night combo tonight. Really appreciate you updating the thread with what actually worked instead of just disappearing after getting help!

One more thing to know - many private colleges require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. The CSS looks at more financial details and can result in different aid packages. If any of your son's schools require CSS, make sure to complete that too. Some institutions use it to award their own institutional aid, which can be substantial at well-endowed schools.

Welcome to the financial aid maze! As someone who just went through this with my daughter, I can tell you that an SAI of 2924 is actually pretty good news. You're definitely in Pell Grant territory - my daughter had a similar SAI and received about $5,200 in Pell funding. One thing I wish I'd known earlier is to start reaching out to the financial aid offices at each school NOW, even if they're not answering phones. Try emailing them with your specific SAI and ask for a preliminary estimate of what aid package you might expect. Most schools have online net price calculators too that can give you a rough idea. Also, don't panic if the first aid letters you get look confusing - they all format them differently and some make loans look like "free money" when they're not. Focus on grants and scholarships first, then subsidized loans if needed. You've got this!

my brother jus went thru this whole mess. its so annoying they changed everything!! he had to wait 3 1/2 weeks to get his loans. the new fafsa is such a disaster this year smh

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just submitted my FAFSA last week and was so confused when I only saw my SAI and Pell Grant info. I kept refreshing the page thinking it was a glitch. This thread is super helpful - at least now I know it's normal and not something wrong with my application. Going to call my school's financial aid office tomorrow to ask about their timeline. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

To give you some context on the technical side: colleges are having to completely rebuild how their systems interpret FAFSA data this year. The Federal Student Aid office changed not just the formula (from EFC to SAI) but also the entire data structure and transmission protocols. Many colleges built their systems around the old ISIR format and are now having to adapt to receive data in the new format. What's happening at your daughter's school is actually a good sign - they're implementing the required updates to process the new FAFSA data. Based on my experience working with several institutions, once these updates are complete, the processing of aid packages typically accelerates significantly. You might see a lot of movement within 7-10 days after their system comes back online. If you don't see updates within two weeks after their system upgrade, that would be the appropriate time to follow up directly with their financial aid office.

I'm going through the exact same thing with my son's college! His FAFSA was processed in early June but we're still waiting for the financial aid package. The uncertainty is killing me because I need to know if we should apply for parent PLUS loans or look into private loan options. It's so stressful not knowing what our out-of-pocket costs will be when fall semester is just around the corner. I keep refreshing his student portal hoping something will appear. At least it sounds like your daughter's school is being proactive about the system upgrade - that gives me hope that things will start moving faster once these technical issues are resolved.

Just a friendly reminder to check each school's financial aid deadline date for incoming students. While May 1st is the standard commitment date for admissions, many schools have earlier priority deadlines for financial aid applications. If you missed a priority deadline, don't panic - still submit everything ASAP and contact the office directly as others have suggested. Also, be sure to check your student's email (including spam/junk folders) and any student portals regularly. Some schools communicate exclusively through their own systems rather than parents' email addresses, even if you completed the FAFSA as the parent.

I'm in the exact same situation! My son was accepted to three schools but we've only heard back from one with a financial aid package so far. The stress is real with the May 1st deadline approaching. One thing I learned from our college counselor is that you can request an extension on the decision deadline if you're still waiting on financial aid information. Most schools will grant a brief extension (usually 1-2 weeks) when you explain that you're waiting on aid packages from other schools to make an informed decision. Also, make sure to submit your tax returns and any other required documents to the schools' financial aid offices if you haven't already. Sometimes they're waiting on additional verification before they can finalize packages. Good luck to your daughter!