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Thank you everyone for all the suggestions! I've made a list of everything to discuss with the financial aid office. I'm also going to look into private loans with my husband as cosigner and see if there are any emergency funds or special scholarships I might qualify for. Will try calling FSA directly too using that Claimyr service - worth a shot at this point. I'll update once I figure something out in case it helps others in my situation.
Good plan of action. One more thing - when your SSN does arrive, file your FAFSA immediately, even if the semester has already started. You might be able to get some aid retroactively applied to your account. Good luck!
My wife had this EXACT problem when we got married!!! She ended up getting a small private loan ($5,000) through Sallie Mae with me as cosigner for her summer classes, and then once her SSN came in (took almost 4 months!) she could do FAFSA for the fall semester. Interest rate was higher than federal loans but we didn't have much choice. Check with Discover and Sallie Mae, they both have options for this situation.
Thank you for sharing your experience! It's really helpful to hear from someone who's been through this exact situation. 4 months is a long wait - hoping mine comes sooner, but at least the private loan option worked out for you guys in the meantime. I'll look into Sallie Mae and Discover today.
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Financial aid advisor here. For the 2025-2026 application cycle, paper FAFSA forms are indeed experiencing significant delays. The Department of Education is prioritizing the online system, and paper forms are being processed in batches rather than continuously. Here's what you should do: 1. Contact your school's financial aid office immediately to explain your situation. They may have a provisional process or can note your account. 2. If you need verification of receipt, call FSA at 1-800-433-3243. Be prepared for long wait times or try early morning (8am ET). 3. If you have access to a computer now, consider submitting the online FAFSA as well. The system will recognize if you have a paper form in process and will treat the online submission as a correction rather than a duplicate. 4. Keep documentation of when you mailed your form (receipt, etc.) in case you need to prove your timely submission. This year has been especially challenging with the new FAFSA simplification initiative. Rest assured that most schools are aware of these delays and making accommodations.
Thank you so much for this detailed advice! I'll call my school tomorrow and explain the situation. I do have a receipt showing when I mailed it, so that's good to know. I might try the online submission as well just to be safe. Really appreciate your help!
Quick update for anyone following this thread - I just called my school's financial aid office as suggested above, and they told me they've extended their priority deadline to May 1st because of all the FAFSA delays this year. Might be worth checking if your school has done something similar!
THANK YOU for sharing this!! I'm going to have my son call his school right now to check!
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From what I understand based on the Department of Education's public statements, the 2025-2026 FAFSA will likely open on December 1st, 2024. This isn't just a temporary change - the December opening is now part of the permanent FAFSA calendar following the implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act.\n\nThe key dates you should be aware of:\n- December 1, 2024: FAFSA likely opens\n- Using 2023 tax information (prior-prior year)\n- Most state aid deadlines remain in February-March 2025\n- CSS Profile (required by some private schools) typically opens October 1\n\nMy advice would be to prepare your tax documents and other financial information in advance, and set a calendar reminder for December 1st. Also check your specific colleges' financial aid deadlines, as they may have adjusted their timelines to accommodate the new FAFSA schedule.
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One more thing to be aware of for 2025-2026 FAFSA: they're now using information from your 2023 tax return (called prior-prior year). So you don't need to wait until you file 2024 taxes - you'll be using information you already filed. Also, with the simplified FAFSA, fewer assets are counted against you compared to previous years. The new Student Aid Index calculation is a bit more generous for middle-income families in many cases.
yes this!!! and if ur income in 2023 was way higher than normal (like we sold some stock that year) u can do a financial aid appeal after u get ur offers. my daughter got way more $ after we explained that was a one time thing
You all have been SO helpful! I'm going to make sure we start college apps this fall, submit CSS Profile in October for any private schools, and then FAFSA immediately when it opens in December. I'll mark January 15th as an important deadline to watch for those merit scholarships too. I feel much better prepared now. This timing question was really stressing me out!
Freya Larsen
Update: I finally got through to someone at Federal Student Aid after trying for WEEKS! The agent confirmed they're seeing unusual verification rates for NYC zipcodes (validation that we're not imagining this!). I've submitted the additional documentation they requested:\n- Rent stabilization rider from our lease\n- Letter from my daughter's school confirming her address\n- A statement explaining our housing situation \n- Birth certificate and tax returns showing dependent status\n\nThe agent said to expect 2-3 weeks processing time, which pushes us past NYU's deposit deadline. I called NYU financial aid and explained everything, and they've granted us a 3-week extension pending our FAFSA verification! Relieved but still stressed about getting everything resolved in time.
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GalacticGladiator
This is great progress! I'm glad NYU extended your deadline. That documentation package looks thorough and should resolve the flags. One more tip: follow up weekly by phone until it's resolved. The squeaky wheel approach really does help move verification cases along faster.
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