my husbands info never got confirmed AT ALL last yr and we had to submit like special documentation thru the school financial aid office. total nightmare!! btw they sent us a paper form to fill out cuz his ssn wasnt matching for some reason. check ur email filters maybe they already sent u something?

One more thing to check - make sure you confirmed your email in the new StudentAid.gov system. I had a similar delay and realized I never clicked the verification link they sent when I created my new FSA ID. Once I did that, my SSA confirmation processed within 48 hours. My husband and daughter had already verified their emails which is why theirs went through first.

I just went through this exact situation! Here's how I navigated it: 1. The "don't take action" email is automatically generated when your loan is in transition to a new servicer for the Fresh Start program 2. The Fresh Start notice is the one you should follow - it's a legitimate program created specifically to address situations like yours 3. I had a similar balance explosion ($19K to $67K over 6 years of default) 4. After enrolling in Fresh Start, they removed about $15K in collection fees 5. I then applied for an income-driven repayment plan (specifically SAVE) and my payments are now $43/month based on my income 6. My loans will be forgiven after 20-25 years of qualifying payments The key is documenting everything and following up persistently. The system is frustrating but Fresh Start is actually one of the more borrower-friendly programs they've created.

To answer your follow-up question - yes, for the income-driven repayment plan I had to provide my most recent tax return. If your income has changed significantly since then, you can submit pay stubs instead. The SAVE plan is particularly generous for lower incomes. They also didn't count my spouse's income because we file taxes separately.

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

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.

our financial aid finally came yesterday!!! literally called my daughter at school crying because one package was SO MUCH BETTER than we expected. don't give up hope! they explained that they're prioritizing packages for students who listed their school as first choice on fafsa. did you guys put the schools in preference order when you submitted? that might be affecting which ones come first.

As we navigate these unprecedented FAFSA delays, here's what financial aid administrators are saying behind the scenes: 1. Most schools are processing aid packages as quickly as they receive SAI data from the Department of Education 2. Many institutions are creating contingency plans for students who commit without aid information, including extended decision windows and modified refund policies 3. Some schools are offering preliminary aid estimates based on previous year formulas (though these could change) 4. Almost all schools understand this is not the fault of students and families If your student absolutely must decide by June 1st without aid information, ask the financial aid office these specific questions: • "If I commit now and later find your aid package insufficient, what specific policies do you have for releasing me from my commitment?" • "Will I receive a full deposit refund if I need to change my decision based on aid that arrives after the deadline?" • "Can you provide a timeline in writing for when I can expect my aid package?" Get these answers in writing (email) whenever possible.

this is y the whole system sucks!! why make it so complicated with so many deadlines?? my brother missed deadlines too and ended up having to take a gap year bc he couldnt afford school. the whole financial aid system is designed to trip people up i swear

Update: I wanted to thank everyone for their advice! We submitted the FAFSA today and I've scheduled a call with the financial aid office tomorrow morning. I also found out his school has a special consideration form for late applicants that we're filling out tonight. There's still hope! I'll let you know how it goes after we talk to the school.