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.

did u try using a different browser? i heard someone say that internet explorer (lol) actually works for the 2000 birth year glitch

GOOD NEWS! FSA just released an update yesterday that specifically mentioned fixing the birth year issue for people born in 2000. If you update your browser and clear your cache completely, it should work now. I just helped my little brother submit his (he's a 2000 baby too) and it went through fine. They've been rolling out fixes all month for various bugs in the new system.

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??

My daughter had this same issue last year when applying for fall 2024. What ended up happening was that when the FAFSA was processed, it actually pulled the correct income info directly from the IRS through the data retrieval tool, so her error was automatically fixed! Did you use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when filling out the form? If so, it might correct itself.

One important thing to remember: after making the correction, you AND your parent will both need to re-sign the FAFSA with your FSA IDs. The correction isn't submitted until both signatures are applied. Many students miss this step and wonder why their correction wasn't processed.

This doesn't help your current situation, but for anyone with younger kids: this is why having a solid college funding plan BEFORE senior year is so important. We knew exactly what we could afford for each of our kids and only applied to schools within that budget, plus a few reach schools where we might qualify for merit aid. For your current situation, I'd suggest having your son pick his top 2 choices, then really press those financial aid offices for answers about potential changes. Be persistent! Ask to speak with financial aid directors, not just front-line staff.

Update based on the discussions: Here's what I recommend you do specifically: 1. Email the financial aid directors (not just the general office) at each school explaining your situation and concerns about post-May 1st changes. 2. Ask each school for a written statement of their policy regarding aid reductions after commitment. Specifically request that they confirm you could withdraw without penalty if aid is reduced by more than $1,000-$2,000. 3. For the top choice school, ask if they can expedite any verification processes to finalize the aid package before May 1st. 4. Get any verbal promises in writing via email - even if it's just you sending a follow-up email saying "As we discussed on the phone today, you confirmed that..." 5. Consider submitting a FAFSA appeal to Federal Student Aid if your financial circumstances have changed significantly since you filed. The new FAFSA has created unprecedented challenges this year, but most institutions are aware and trying to be accommodating.