This whole FAFSA system is RIDICULOUS! They make it SO COMPLICATED for families just trying to get some help with college costs. My daughter is a sophomore now and I've been through this nightmare twice. The "cannot compute SAI" is just one of their many useless error messages that tell you NOTHING about what's actually wrong. And the fact that schools all have different portals and deadlines is just the cherry on top of this bureaucratic disaster. Just wait until you have to do verification - that's a whole new level of FAFSA hell. They'll make you upload every financial document you've ever had and then still take weeks to process it.

To directly answer your questions: 1. Yes, "Processed" status means your FAFSA is complete and the SAI has been successfully calculated 2. The colleges your daughter listed on her FAFSA will automatically receive her information 3. Each college creates their own financial aid package based on your FAFSA information 4. You must check each college's individual financial aid portal or wait for them to contact you with award packages 5. If you need to see what your actual SAI number is, view your processed FAFSA or Student Aid Report (SAR) on studentaid.gov Most incoming freshman receive financial aid offers between February and April, though some schools may be delayed this year due to the FAFSA changes.

Gracias a todos por su ayuda! I just helped my husband create his own FSA ID with a different email address. We've linked it to the existing FAFSA application, and everything seems to be working now. Hopefully we won't have any more delays with the verification process!

Great! Just remember for next year's FAFSA that you'll now both need to remember your FSA ID login info. I recommend storing it in a password manager or writing it down somewhere safe. And start the application early - I learned that lesson the hard way!

There's something called the "financial aid gap" that many families in your income bracket experience. With an SAI around 21500, you're in a challenging position - not demonstrating enough financial need for significant need-based aid, but still not able to comfortably afford full cost. A few technical points: 1. Your SAI of 21500 means the formula expects your family to contribute about that much per year toward educational costs 2. Pell Grant eligibility for 2025-2026 cuts off around an SAI of 19500, so you're just outside that range 3. Many state schools reserve their institutional grants for SAIs under 10000 4. Merit aid is separate from FAFSA and increasingly competitive I would recommend looking at schools known for generous merit aid, as they often use academic scholarships to attract students in your daughter's position. Also, consider if your financial situation has recently changed - job loss, medical expenses, etc. These can be grounds for a professional judgment review.

I went through this EXACT situation with my son last year. Here's the thing: what financial aid offices tell you over the phone in January/February is often their most conservative estimate. They don't want to promise aid they can't deliver. The actual award letters we received in March were MUCH better than what they initially told us. With your daughter's impressive stats, I'm surprised none of the schools mentioned merit scholarships. Those are often handled by admissions rather than financial aid. Have you checked with the admissions offices as well? Sometimes they have separate scholarship applications that aren't linked directly to FAFSA.

wait im confused... i thought FAFSA uses like your parents income anyway unless ur over 24? does ur own income even matter that much on fafsa calculations?

One more important point: October 1, 2024 is when the 2025-2026 FAFSA application opens. Even though the federal deadline extends into 2026, submitting as close to October 1st as possible is ALWAYS recommended for maximum aid consideration. February is definitely cutting it close for many schools' priority deadlines.

One important thing to clarify - do you have any previous FAFSA on file with your school? If you received financial aid for Fall 2024/Spring 2025, you might just need to complete a summer aid application with your school rather than a whole new FAFSA. Many schools have a separate summer aid application process that's much faster than waiting for new FAFSA processing. Worth asking about on Monday!

My roomate works in our financial aid office and she says ppl come in last minute ALL THE TIME for summer aid. Just go in person with your fafsa confirmation number and beg lol. they usually have some kind of form you can fill out for emergency processing