i bet they're just using this as an excuse to delay processing applications again this year!! first they launch the new system late, then all these "technical issues" that conveniently push everything back. FAFSA is such a disaster this year, my kid's college financial aid office told me they're weeks behind on processing because of all these FSA problems

UPDATE: We finally got this resolved! Calling the FSA helpline directly was the key. My husband had to have an agent manually update his account status from "student" to "parent" in their system. Once they did that, he was able to log back in and complete the parent signature section. The whole FAFSA has now been submitted. For anyone else facing this issue - be prepared to wait on hold for a while (we used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it did help get through faster). Make sure you explain that the system is showing old student aid info instead of parent contributor options. They'll need the student's name and some verification info to make the update.

my niece goes to penn state and she said a lot of people dont know that u can appeal for more summer aid. but you gotta do it quick b4 the term starts!!!! did u try that??

One important detail no one has mentioned: Your 23-24 FAFSA technically covers Fall 2023, Spring 2024, and Summer 2024. If your son received full Pell for Fall and Spring, that would explain the reduced summer amount (hitting that 150% cap others mentioned). For the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year, make sure you've completed the new FAFSA (the simplified one that just launched). If you maintain a 0 SAI (formerly EFC), your son should be eligible for maximum Pell Grant amounts for the regular terms. And definitely check with Penn State about possible summer scholarship options - many schools have specific funds just for summer study that aren't automatically applied.

i think you're overthinking this lol. just put her current school for now then update it later if she decides to transfer. that's what we did with my son. the whole updating schools thing takes like 2 minutes online. way easier than trying to predict where she might go.

The whole FAFSA system is RIDICULOUS! Why should we have to guess where our kids are going??? My daughter changed her mind THREE TIMES last year about where she wanted to transfer. And each time we had to update the stupid FAFSA AND contact both financial aid offices AND resubmit verification documents! The entire process is designed to make you want to GIVE UP on getting any aid at all!!!

Their probably just confusing their own internal policies with FAFSA requirements. I mean the financial aid office and admissions don't always talk to each other that well lol. Your brother passed the DOT physical so he's cleared to drive according to federal transportation guidelines. FAFSA only cares about $$$$ not medical stuff. The delay in processing is normal this time of year - my SAI score took almost a month to come through and I applied in February too.

UPDATE: Thank you everyone for your help! My brother called the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly and they confirmed his FAFSA application is processing normally with no issues or missing documentation. When he asked about any medical forms being required, the rep was confused and said they don't request that kind of documentation. He then went back to the school with this information, and after some back and forth, found out they were actually talking about a school-specific scholarship program for students with disabilities that requires additional documentation - NOT a FAFSA requirement! Just like some of you suggested! The miscommunication happened because he was talking to an admissions person who didn't understand financial aid very well. When he spoke with the actual financial aid office, they cleared everything up. His federal aid is processing normally and should be available soon. Such a relief!

I called our university's financial aid office yesterday about my son's delayed SAI, and they said they're accepting screenshots of the "FAFSA submitted" confirmation page as proof that students have completed their financial aid application requirements by the priority deadline. Then they'll process the actual awards once the SAI comes through. Might be worth asking your daughter's schools if they have a similar policy in place.

In response to your question about contacting FSA directly - yes, it can help, especially if your daughter's application might have an issue that's not displaying in the system. Many families are discovering their applications are stalled for verification or inconsistencies that aren't being clearly communicated. If you do manage to speak with an agent, ask them to check if the application is truly "in process" or if it's flagged and waiting for additional information. Also ask them to verify that all parental contributions and signatures are properly recorded in the system. By the way, most colleges have established workarounds for these delays, so don't panic about the deadlines. Just make sure your daughter communicates proactively with each school's financial aid office.