FAFSA
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FAFSA processed but can't find SAI score - where to view financial aid amount?
My son's FAFSA was processed successfully on May 2nd (got the confirmation message and everything), but I'm completely lost on what to do next. The submission summary says it has information about his eligibility, but WHERE exactly do I find out how much aid he'll receive? There's no clear number or amount listed anywhere. Do I need to look somewhere specific on studentaid.gov? Is there another step we're missing? His college orientation is in 3 weeks and we have no idea if we can afford it yet!
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FAFSA showing completed SAI but college says SSN issue needs fixing - confused!
I'm completely stumped about my son's FAFSA application. The college financial aid office emailed saying he needs to sign something and that there's an issue with his social security number. But when we log into studentaid.gov, everything looks completed! I can even see and download the form with his SAI score. Would we be able to see the SAI if there were still missing elements? The college is saying one thing but the FAFSA portal shows everything complete. Has anyone dealt with this disconnect between what the school says vs what the FAFSA site shows? His fall semester starts in 6 weeks and I'm worried this will delay his financial aid package.
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Just a quick update - I got the SSN issue fixed with my daughter's application after we used that Claimyr service. The agent said nearly 40% of applications this cycle have similar verification issues because of how the new system processes things. The good news is that once it's fixed, the aid package usually comes through within 5-10 business days since the SAI calculation is already done.
That 40% statistic tracks with what we're seeing at schools nationwide. The new FAFSA system is definitely processing things differently than previous years. The good news is most of these verification issues don't affect the final aid amount - they're just technical hurdles.
UPDATE: We called the financial aid office this morning and they were super helpful! Turns out there was a transposed digit in my son's SSN. They're sending a specific verification form that he needs to complete and submit with a copy of his social security card. They said it should be processed within 3-5 business days after they receive it. Thanks everyone for your help!
awesome! glad u got it figured out. financial aid offices can be super helpful if u actually get someone on the phone lol
When does FAFSA 2025-2026 open? Already filled out 2024-2025
Ok so I just spent like 3 hours filling out the FAFSA for 2024-25 (finally got through all the contributor issues!) and I'm wondering when I'll need to do all this again for 2025-26? My younger brother said something about them changing all the deadlines and I'm trying to plan ahead. Does anyone know when the application opens for the 2025-26 year? And will I need to do anything differently next time around?
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omg its sooo annoying we have to do this every single year. i wish they would just let us submit once for all 4 years
They make us do it every year because our financial situations change. Some people might qualify for more aid their sophomore or junior year if their family income drops. But I agree it's super annoying!!
So it sounds like I should mark my calendar for December but maybe plan to actually do the application in January? And I'll need my 2023 taxes again.
That's a good plan. Also, make sure your school doesn't have any early priority deadlines. Some schools have January deadlines for certain scholarship packages, so check with your financial aid office to confirm. Since you've already done the 2024-2025 FAFSA, the 2025-2026 one should be a bit easier. Your FSA ID will already be set up, and some of your basic info will carry over. You'll just need to update any income changes and review your contributor information. One other thing to remember: if your financial situation has changed dramatically since 2023 (like job loss or major medical expenses), you can submit an appeal for professional judgment to your school's financial aid office after you receive your aid package. They can adjust your aid based on your current situation, regardless of what the FAFSA shows based on 2023 taxes.
Documents needed for 2025-2026 FAFSA - Is exact AGI required?
First timer with the FAFSA for my daughter starting college next fall. I've heard so many horror stories about gathering the wrong documents and having to start over! For the 2025-2026 application, do I need to have our exact AGI amount from our tax returns ready? Or can I estimate until I file? Also, what other financial documents should I have on hand before I start the application? I want to be super prepared and avoid the back-and-forth. Thanks for any advice from those who've done this before!
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I just want to warn you about something that RUINED us last year. When they ask about assets, DO NOT include your retirement accounts (401k, IRA, etc) or the value of your primary home. I made this mistake and it MASSIVELY inflated our SAI score. My son lost out on like $8000 in grants because of my mistake!!!! By the time I realized and tried to correct it, they said it was too late for that academic year. The instructions are confusing but trust me - ONLY include checking/savings accounts, secondary properties, investments, and business assets if you own more than 50% of a business with over 100 employees.
Oh no! That's exactly the kind of mistake I'm afraid of making. Thank you for the warning. I've got a small 401k and our home, so I'll be sure not to include those. I'm sorry that happened to your family - that's a huge financial hit.
To answer your follow-up question about W-2s: While the total from your tax return is most important, it's good to have all individual W-2s available just in case. Sometimes the verification process requires them, especially if you or your spouse had multiple employers. Also, the IRS Data Retrieval Tool doesn't transfer all information - just the main tax return data. For any income not reported on your federal tax return (like child support received), you'll need to enter that manually. One final tip - take screenshots of your confirmation page and save/print the confirmation email. I've had instances where students' FAFSAs were claimed to be "not received" despite confirmation numbers. Having that documentation saved me weeks of headaches.
That's smart advice about the screenshots! I'll definitely do that. I have all our W-2s in a folder already, so I'll keep those handy too. Thanks again for all your help!
FAFSA repeatedly rejected for SAI calculation - grad student with separate tax filing spouse
I'm at my wit's end with this FAFSA nightmare! I'm an independent graduate student and have resubmitted my 2025-26 FAFSA application FIVE times since January 10th. Every single time, I get this vague message that 'SAI cannot be calculated' with zero explanation about what's wrong. My university financial aid office confirms they received the application but says they also can't calculate my SAI. The most frustrating part is my husband is listed as a contributor since we file taxes separately, and I'm wondering if that's causing the issue? I've triple-checked every answer multiple times. Has anyone experienced this problem with separate tax filing spouses? What specific sections should I focus on fixing? At this point, I'm worried I'll miss out on aid entirely for fall semester.
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Have you checked if your application is stuck in verification? Sometimes the system flags applications for verification but doesn't clearly communicate it. For grad students with separate filing spouses, the FAFSA often requires additional verification due to the separate tax situations. Log into studentaid.gov and check the verification status specifically.
I didn't think about verification being the issue since I never received a clear notification about it. I just checked my studentaid.gov account and don't see anything obvious about verification, but I'll click through all the sections again to make sure I'm not missing something. Would my school also be notified if verification was needed?
Yes, your school would be notified if verification was needed, but sometimes there's a communication gap. In my experience, it's worth directly asking your financial aid office if your application has been flagged for verification. They can see status details that might not be immediately visible to you in the student portal.
Update on your situation: I consulted with our graduate financial aid specialist. For the 2025-26 FAFSA, there's a known issue affecting graduate students with separate-filing contributors. The system sometimes fails to process applications when there's any discrepancy in financial information, particularly with retirement accounts and business income. My recommendation: 1. Start a fresh application 2. Have both your and your husband's tax documents ready side-by-side 3. Report retirement accounts on the correct person's profile (not split) 4. Be extremely precise with business income if either of you has any 5. Double-check the "support provided" section numbers The good news is that graduate student aid deadlines are typically later than undergraduate, so you should still have time to correct this for fall semester.
Thank you for checking with a specialist! You're right about retirement accounts - we weren't sure how to handle my husband's 401k and my Roth IRA. I'll start fresh and make sure to report each account with the correct person rather than trying to split them. And yes, he does have some small business income so I'll be extra careful with that section. You've been incredibly helpful!
Christian Bierman
Somtime the schools take FOREVERRR to send out there aid packages, my daughters college took almost 2 MONTHS after fafsa processed to send her awards. So frustrating!! But you can call the financial aid office directly to ask for a timeline, sometimes they'll give you an early estimate over the phone.
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Emma Olsen
yep this is normal unfortunately. my son's took 6 weeks last year and we were PANICKING the whole time. colleges don't seem to understand parents need this info to plan!!
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Kiara Fisherman
UPDATE: I finally called the college's financial aid office and they said they're behind on processing because of all the FAFSA delays this year. They expect to have aid packages out within 2 weeks, and they suggested we go ahead with orientation since we can still make decisions after seeing the package. The woman was super nice and said based on our SAI, we should qualify for "significant assistance" but wouldn't give specific numbers. Fingers crossed!
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Savannah Vin
That's great news! "Significant assistance" is definitely promising language from a financial aid officer. They typically don't use those terms unless they expect you'll receive a substantial package. While waiting, make sure all verification documents are ready if requested - having those prepared can speed up the final steps.
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