Just wanted to follow up and mention that checking your status obsessively won't make it process any faster. The system doesn't work that way. Once you submit, it enters a processing queue and checking the status doesn't move you up in line. One thing that might be useful is to verify that your daughter's Student Aid Account is properly linked to your Parent FAFSA Account. Sometimes processing delays happen when the system has trouble matching the accounts. If you log into studentaid.gov, go to the account settings and check if the parent-student link shows as verified. If it shows pending or has any warnings, that could explain the delay.

Sorry for jumping in late, but I wanted to ask - did you use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when filling out the income section? Applications that use the DRT tend to process faster because the income data is pre-verified. If you manually entered tax info, that could be causing the delay as they have to verify everything manually.

One more thing to try - have your mom create the FSA ID using her phone number for verification instead of email. The text message verification tends to be more reliable. Also, since the deadline is coming up, remember you can submit an incomplete FAFSA to meet the deadline, then go back and update it once your mom's account is working. That way you don't miss any priority deadlines while sorting this out.

Just wanted to follow up - did you get this resolved? I ended up having to call FSA for a similar issue and they were able to manually verify my mom's email. Took about 10 minutes once I actually got an agent.

I had 2 wait for my paper FAFSA 2 process last yr and it was AWFUL!!!! ended up having 2 choose a school with NO idea what aid i would get. TOTAL NIGHTMARE!!!!! I wish id known 2 bug the financial aid offices more like everyone here is saying. tell ur cousin 2 call EVERY DAY until they help her!!!!!

One clarification on my earlier advice: when requesting the professional judgment review, your cousin should specifically mention "special circumstances due to parent citizenship status and FAFSA processing delays" - this terminology will signal to the financial aid office exactly what kind of review she needs. Also, having her bring the following to each financial aid office will help tremendously: 1. Photocopy of the completed paper FAFSA 2. Proof of mailing (receipt if available) 3. Parents' tax returns with SSNs redacted 4. Her own tax information if she worked 5. A written timeline of her attempts to submit electronically and subsequent paper submission This documentation package will give aid administrators what they need to create a provisional aid package while waiting for official processing.

Update: Just got off the phone with the financial aid office at my son's college. They were actually super helpful (which surprised me after all the FAFSA frustration). They explained that we can submit an appeal for our SAI score because of my husband's one-time bonus situation. They're sending us the forms today. The counselor also mentioned that LOTS of families are appealing this year because of the FAFSA delays and calculation changes. So if anyone else thinks their SAI doesn't accurately reflect their situation, definitely reach out to your schools!

my daughters fafsa was submitted same week as yours and we just got her award yesterday too!! such a relief but now im panicking about the may 1 deadline since we have to compare offers from 3 schools lol why do they make this process so stressful every single year??

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.