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.

did ur daughter give him permission to do it? cuz she woulda had to make the FSA ID and approve him as parent, right? or did he make it for her?

UPDATE: I called FSA this morning and finally got through after being on hold for almost an hour. The representative confirmed that since I'm the custodial parent responsible for education expenses, I should be the one completing the FAFSA. They've put a hold on processing the current application and will be sending me instructions for submitting the correct parent information through the correction process. They said it should take 2-3 weeks to process once I submit everything. Thank you all for your help and advice!

have u looked at ur sons SAI number on the FAFSA? that will tell u exactly what theyr expecting u to pay. might be scary but at least u know whats coming

one thing nobody mentioned - check if your state has a 529 plan with tax deductions. even if u start one NOW, u can get state tax benefits while saving for next year. we put in like $8k last year and our state gives tax deduction for it. every little bit helps

One other thing to check before going the paper route - make sure the AGI you're entering matches EXACTLY what's on the tax return line 11. Sometimes people mistakenly enter the taxable income line instead, or they round the number when it needs to be exact to the dollar. Also, if your parents filed separately, remember you need to combine both of their AGIs for FAFSA purposes.

Based on your latest comments, this sounds like a known issue in the current FAFSA processing system. When making corrections for the 2025-2026 cycle, if you modify ANY field, it sometimes triggers re-validation of previously accepted fields. The best solution is to call FSA directly and get them to note your account with an override authorization. Don't waste time with paper corrections - they'll likely run into the same validation issue when manually processing.

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