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Did you fix this? I'm curious what ended up working because we might run into the same problem soon.
While searching is absolutely helpful, I also want to point out that the FAFSA has undergone significant changes for the 2025-2026 application cycle. The SAI calculation methodology has several key differences from previous years, particularly regarding how business income, multiple students, and divorced parent contributions are assessed. Make sure you're looking at posts from this current application cycle, as advice from even last year might be outdated. For example, the multiple children in college benefit was reduced, and the small business protection threshold changed from $175,000 to $240,000. There's also more emphasis on actual cash income rather than adjusted gross income in some calculations. So while search is valuable, verify information is current!
wait what?? i didnt know about the multiple children thing changing!! my brother and i are both in college and my parents were counting on that discount.... is there somewhere i can read more about this???
Yes, you can find the official explanation on studentaid.gov under the 'What's Changed' section. The multiple student benefit still exists but was reduced by about 35% compared to previous formulas. Your family will still receive some consideration for having multiple students, just not as much as in prior years. It's worth having your parents recalculate their expected contribution with the new formula to avoid surprises.
I think this thread is a perfect example of why the search function AND new posts both have value! We've gone from a simple tip about searching to a discussion about the new FAFSA changes that might not have happened otherwise. This is super helpful information.
has anyone tried starting a new fafsa application? my counselor suggested that but im scared it will mess things up even worse
Financial aid advisor here - DO NOT start a new application! This creates duplicate records in the system and can cause even longer delays. The original application is still in their system even if you can't see it. Starting a new one creates more problems and potentially flags your account for fraud investigation (multiple submissions).
I think they might be prioritizing certain applications right now? My wife and I filed our daughter's FAFSA late (last week) and it was processed in 2 days. My coworker filed his son's in March and it's still processing. Maybe they're focusing on getting newer applications through the system first? Either way, definitely faster than when I went to college!
Update: I just got an email that we've been selected for verification too, despite the quick initial processing! Ugh, back to waiting I guess. They're asking for 2023 tax transcripts and W-2 forms. Is this happening to a lot of people this year?
Amina Diallo
i dont get why everyones having so many problems with fafsa this year lol. mine went through in like a week with no issues 🤷♂️
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Olivia Clark
•Consider yourself extremely lucky then. The Department of Education has publicly acknowledged major system-wide issues with the new FAFSA rollout. Just because it worked for you doesn't mean the problems aren't real for thousands of others.
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Paolo Bianchi
Quick update on processing times - I just checked the FSA website and they're currently reporting an average of 14 business days for applications in review status. That's significantly longer than previous years. Make sure you're checking both your email and your studentaid.gov account messages regularly, as they sometimes send requests for additional information through the message center that don't come through email.
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Keisha Thompson
•Thanks for checking! I'll make sure to log in daily to check for messages. The 14 business days is frustrating but at least now I have a realistic timeline to work with.
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