Just a quick update - my son's application that had been stuck since January finally processed yesterday! The SAI and DRN are now visible in his studentaid.gov account. It seems like they might be starting to work through the backlog. One thing that helped us was having the financial aid office at his top-choice school submit an official request for his FAFSA information. The financial aid counselor told me they have a special channel to request expedited processing for students approaching decision deadlines. Might be worth asking your kids' schools if they can do something similar. They have more leverage with the Department of Education than we do as individuals.

UPDATE: I'm making progress! Following everyone's advice: 1. I've submitted a case through the FSA Feedback Center 2. Both schools have granted an extension on the May 1st deadline 3. I used Claimyr and actually got through to someone who confirmed my daughter's application should complete processing within 7-10 days 4. For my son, they gave me his DRN over the phone which I've provided to his school The financial aid officer also confirmed what many of you said - they're experiencing unprecedented delays with the new FAFSA system. She mentioned they can create a preliminary aid package based on the information we've already provided while waiting for the official SAI. Thank you all for your help and suggestions! This has been incredibly stressful, but I feel like we're finally making progress.

my daughter just went through this whole process last year. biggest advice: START EARLY!! so many of her friends waited till december and missed out on tons of aid. also the css profile is way more detailed than fafsa so leave extra time for that if your kid applies to private schools

To answer your question about the CSS Profile timing - you can complete it anytime after October 1st as well, just like the FAFSA. The College Board administers it (collegeboard.org), and unlike the FAFSA that uses one formula for everyone, each school can customize how they use CSS Profile information. One big difference: CSS Profile considers home equity and retirement assets that FAFSA doesn't. It also asks about expenses like medical costs and elementary/secondary school tuition for other children, which can actually help demonstrate need. There's a fee of about $25 for the first school and $16 for each additional school. And yes, definitely prioritize schools that have earlier financial aid deadlines. Some have December priority deadlines, while others go into February-March.

One more tip I forgot to mention - if she's still stuck after trying everything here, have her create a completely new FSA ID (different email address) and start a new application. She'll have to re-enter everything, but sometimes that's the only way to break out of these technical loops. Just make sure she withdraws the original application first so she doesn't have duplicate applications in the system.

UPDATE: My niece tried several of your suggestions and FINALLY got through the loop! What worked was a combination of: using Microsoft Edge, filling ALL fields with exact dollar amounts (no cents or commas), and doing it at 1am when traffic was low. She's submitted her FAFSA and got confirmation! Now we're working with her school's financial aid office about extending that emergency loan deadline. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help - this community is amazing!

my brother got extra financial aid by submitting a special circumstances form to his college. not thru fafsa but directly to the school. maybe try that?

One more important thing to understand: FAFSA (federal aid) and institutional aid are different. Even with a high SAI, your daughter might still qualify for: 1. Unsubsidized federal loans (don't require demonstrated need) 2. Merit scholarships from individual schools 3. State grants (which sometimes have different formulas) 4. Institutional need-based aid at private colleges For the private colleges, definitely complete both the FAFSA and CSS Profile. The CSS Profile schools often have more institutional aid available and may have a more holistic review process. They might ask for the non-custodial parent's information regardless, so be prepared. Don't give up hope! Many families in similar situations find options through a combination of different aid sources.

One thing I always tell the first-gen families I work with: start a dedicated email folder to save ALL communications from the financial aid office. Also, take notes during every phone call with the date, time, and name of who you spoke with. The financial aid process often involves multiple follow-ups, and good documentation will save you headaches later. Also, does your daughter's high school have a college counselor? They often have experience helping families in similar situations and might have school-specific insights about the college she's considering.

Yeah and DONT FORGET to list the correct school codes on your FAFSA!!! This was our biggest mistake. You can list up to 10 schools, so make sure all the places your daughter applied are included. If you need to add more than 10, you can go back later and swap some out. Also, double-check if they need the CSS Profile!! Not all schools require it but if they do and you miss it, you might lose out on institutional aid. The CSS Profile costs money to submit though unlike FAFSA which is free.