FAFSA
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FAFSA status stuck 'In Progress' - Is there a processing deadline for 2025-26 application?
I submitted my 2025-26 FAFSA almost 6 weeks ago, and my status is STILL showing 'In Progress' on studentaid.gov. My college financial aid deadline is coming up next month, and I'm really starting to panic. Has anyone else's application been stuck this long? I triple-checked everything before submitting and even got confirmation emails. Is there some final date when they're required to finish processing applications? My college needs my SAI score by April 15th and I'm seriously worried about losing potential aid. This is my last year and I can't afford to mess this up!
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FAFSA stuck 'In Review' - can't compare financial packages between UC and private college before deadlines
I'm so stressed out right now! My son got accepted to both a private college and one of the UC schools, but we're stuck in FAFSA limbo. The private school already offered him a really good merit scholarship based on his CSS Profile, but the UC acceptance just came Friday and we have NO financial info from them yet.\n\nOur FAFSA is still showing 'In Review' and my son got that frustrating "unable to calculate SAI" message weeks ago. He checks the portal literally every day! From what I understand, once FAFSA finally calculates our SAI, it'll go to the UC who will then determine our financial package. \n\nHere's our problem: The private college deadline is May 1st, but the UC deadline is May 15th. We absolutely cannot make a decision without comparing both financial packages side by side. I've heard UCs don't offer much merit aid (mostly need-based?), but we need to see actual numbers.\n\nHow long typically does it take for UCs to send their financial aid packages after they receive the SAI? Is there any way to speed this up? My son will make the final choice, but with two more kids right behind him, we need to be strategic about college costs. I didn't anticipate this time crunch at all!
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Great news on the extension! That takes some pressure off. Keep us posted on how things develop with the FAFSA and if Claimyr helps get your application moving.
FAFSA calculated my SAI at 51% of annual salary - can I appeal this insane amount?
I'm absolutely shocked at the SAI we just received after submitting our FAFSA for my daughter's freshman year. They calculated our Student Aid Index at approximately 51% of my annual salary! How is that even possible? I make $84,000 a year, and they expect us to contribute over $43,000 for one year of college? We have some retirement savings but not much else - definitely no college fund because we've been living paycheck to paycheck since my wife became disabled three years ago. Our mortgage takes up a huge chunk of income and we still have medical bills we're paying off. There's no way we can contribute that amount without emptying our retirement accounts. Has anyone successfully appealed an SAI calculation? What documentation would we need? This seems totally wrong and I'm panicking because my daughter got accepted to her dream school but we may have to tell her she can't go.
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everyone talks about appealing but does it actually work? seems like colleges just want to get as much $ as possible from us parents...
Appeals absolutely do work, especially for situations like this where there's likely an error or special circumstance not captured by the standard formula. Financial aid offices have significant discretion through Professional Judgment. I've seen SAI/EFC numbers reduced by tens of thousands of dollars when families provide proper documentation. The key is being persistent, thorough, and working directly with each school's financial aid office.
UPDATE: I went through our FAFSA application line by line and found the problem! When entering our assets, I mistakenly included our entire retirement savings ($175k) as regular investments instead of marking them as retirement accounts. I just submitted a correction through the studentaid.gov portal, and according to the estimate calculator, our SAI should drop to around $12,000 - which is still tight but at least within the realm of possibility with loans and work-study. I'm also going to follow the advice about appealing for professional judgment at my daughter's top choice schools. THANK YOU all for helping me figure this out! I've been losing sleep over this for weeks.
wow thats HUGE difference!! so glad you caught that error. definitely gives me hope - gonna double check our application tonight
That's excellent news! The retirement asset misclassification is actually one of the most common FAFSA errors, and it has a massive impact on the SAI calculation. The $12,000 figure sounds much more in line with typical expectations for your income level. Once the correction processes (which typically takes 3-5 business days), I'd recommend following up with the financial aid offices at your daughter's schools to make sure they're using the corrected information.
FAFSA lender not following SAVE plan rules - who to contact for enforcement?
I'm having a serious issue with my student loan servicer (Great Lakes) not implementing my SAVE repayment plan correctly. I submitted all paperwork 3 months ago, got confirmation it was approved, but they're still charging me the old IBR amount ($342/month) instead of the SAVE calculation ($189/month). I've called them SIX times and each representative gives me different information. One said they're "still processing" but couldn't explain why I got an approval letter. Another told me SAVE doesn't apply to my loan type (which is false - I have Direct federal loans from 2018-2022). Who do I contact to report this? Is there an ombudsman or department at the Department of Education that enforces servicers to actually follow the SAVE guidelines? This difference is really significant for my budget right now and I'm beyond frustrated with the run-around.
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One more important detail: document EVERYTHING going forward. Take screenshots of your online account showing the incorrect amount, save copies of all communications, and keep a log of every phone call (date, time, representative name, and what was discussed). This documentation will be crucial when you escalate to the FSA Ombudsman or CFPB. Also, when you call FSA directly, ask specifically for a "servicer escalation specialist" rather than just speaking to the first representative. The specialists have direct lines to management at the servicers and can often resolve these issues in days rather than weeks or months.
This is excellent advice. Documentation is absolutely critical. I'd add that you should send follow-up emails after phone calls summarizing what was discussed and agreed upon. This creates a paper trail that's invaluable if things continue to go sideways. One additional tip: if FSA does open a case, you'll get a case number. Use this in ALL future communications with both FSA and your servicer. It helps track the issue through their systems and prevents you from having to re-explain the situation repeatedly.
wait do we have to reapply for SAVE every year like we did with IBR?? I just got on it and no one told me anything about recertification
Yes, you do need to recertify your income annually for SAVE, just like with IBR/PAYE/REPAYE. However, starting in July 2024, if you use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and consent to automatic income information sharing, the recertification should happen automatically without you having to manually resubmit documentation each year. But for now, mark your calendar for recertification about 2-3 months before your anniversary date of entering the plan.
FAFSA shows 'Processed' status but no SAI number appeared - what's next?
I submitted my FAFSA for the 2025-26 year last Tuesday, and my daughter submitted hers the same day. We both got confirmation emails that our forms were received, but now we're confused. We checked our studentaid.gov dashboards today and both say 'Processed' with a date of 2/27/2025, but that's literally it. No SAI number is showing anywhere, no award info, nothing else. The dashboard is basically empty except for that 'Processed' status. Shouldn't there be more information by now? Do we need to do something else or just wait longer? I thought once it was processed, we'd see our SAI calculation immediately. Anyone else experiencing this?
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Glad to hear it! Now your selected schools should receive your information within 3-5 business days, and they can start preparing financial aid packages. Make sure to check each school's financial aid portal or student portal for any additional documentation they might require.
Oliver Schulz
Just want to follow up - did you contact your financial aid office? Many schools are creating exceptions for the FAFSA processing delays this year since it's affecting so many students nationwide. Keep us posted!
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CosmicCowboy
AuthorYes! I finally got through to them yesterday. They said they're aware of the delays and are being flexible with their deadlines as long as I can show proof that I submitted before their priority date (which I did). They said not to worry and that my aid package won't be affected by the processing delays. Such a relief!
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NeonNebula
MY FAFSA JUST GOT PROCESSED AFTER 7 WEEKS!! There's hope!! Check your account - maybe yours went through too!
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CosmicCowboy
AuthorOMG MINE TOO!! Just checked after seeing your comment! Status finally says "Processed" and I can see my SAI score now. THANK YOU for making me check again! What a relief!
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