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Since time is critical, I'd recommend pursuing multiple solutions simultaneously:\n\n1. Follow up on getting the provisional/conditional aid letter from financial aid\n2. Prepare the alternative documentation (bank statements, affidavit of support)\n3. Contact the Spanish consulate to confirm exactly what alternatives they'll accept\n4. Have your son check his SAI status daily and call FSA if there's any change\n\nThe good news is that once your FAFSA does process, things move quickly. Our SAI finally came through about 10 days before my daughter's visa appointment, and her school produced the final aid package within 48 hours after that. It was stressful right up to the end, but it worked out.\n\nOne more tip: when your son goes to his appointment, have him bring documentation of the FAFSA delays (news articles, official notices) to show this is a nationwide issue affecting many students. Sometimes this context helps the consular officers understand it's not just poor planning on his part.
Thank you for the thorough plan of action! I'm definitely going to pursue all these paths at once. The idea of bringing news articles about the FAFSA delays is brilliant - I hadn't thought of documenting that this is a nationwide problem. I'm feeling more hopeful now that we have some concrete steps to take!
Hey just wondering - did any of those solutions work for you? My FAFSA is still missing after trying everything suggested here. Getting really worried about my school deadlines too.
Update: I got through using that Claimyr service and the agent confirmed my application is in the system but flagged for "additional verification" - that's why it disappeared from my dashboard. They said I should receive an email in 3-5 business days with instructions on what additional documents they need. The agent also put a note in my file to expedite the review since my deadline is approaching. So relieved it's not completely lost!
Just a note for everyone dealing with missing applications: The Department of Education announced yesterday that they're aware of the dashboard display issues and are working on a fix. They're prioritizing processing applications even when they don't display correctly in accounts. If you have a confirmation email, your application IS in their system, even if you can't see it. They're adding a new status tracking feature next week that should help with visibility.
Too little too late! This rollout has been a complete disaster. My daughter might lose thousands in aid because of their technical problems. Is the DOE going to compensate students who miss out on aid because of THEIR errors?
I understand your frustration. While I can't speak for the DOE, most colleges are being extremely flexible this year with deadlines and requirements because we all recognize the challenges with the new system. I strongly encourage everyone affected to document everything and communicate directly with their school's financial aid office. Many schools have set up special exception processes specifically for these FAFSA technical issues.
try printing out the confirmation email your husband got. my sons college financial aid office said they're accepting those as proof if the system is glitching. better safe than sorry
Just wanted to follow up - did your husband's contributor information show up on the dashboard yet? The system updates sometimes happen in batches overnight, so many people see changes the next morning.
This FAFSA reform has been a disaster from start to finish. First the three-month delay in even launching the form, then all the glitches when it finally opened, and now schools can't process the information. I work in higher education (not financial aid) and this has been a major topic in administrative meetings. Just want to validate your frustration - it's completely justified. The Department of Education did not adequately prepare institutions for these changes, and students and families are bearing the brunt of these implementation problems. Many schools are considering extending decision deadlines because of these delays.
update: my daughter's school (UW Madison) just sent an email saying they expect to start releasing aid packages in mid-June. might be similar timeline for parkside since they're in the same system?
Mid-June?! That's so late! Thanks for sharing though - at least gives us some idea what to expect. I'll be following up with Parkside directly to see if their timeline is similar.
This timeline is consistent with what many state university systems are communicating. The UW System likely has a coordinated approach to implementing these changes, so mid-June is probably a reasonable estimate for Parkside as well. For planning purposes, if your daughter's financial circumstances haven't changed dramatically from last year, her aid package will likely be similar to what she received previously. The new FAFSA formula has some changes, but returning students generally see consistency in their aid from year to year unless there's been a major change in family finances.
Alicia Stern
Financial aid counselor here - just to clarify some timeline expectations for the 2025-2026 FAFSA cycle: - "Processed" status means your application was received and initial checks were completed - SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation typically takes 3-10 business days after "processed" status appears - Schools don't receive your information until the SAI is calculated - If your application is selected for verification (about 35% are), the SAI will be delayed until that process is complete If you're approaching the 10 business day mark, I'd recommend contacting Federal Student Aid directly. Also make sure to check both the student and parent portals, as sometimes the information appears in one but not the other due to access permission differences.
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Alexander Zeus
•WHY doesn't the website just SAY THIS?? Would save everyone so much stress!! The whole point of the new system was supposed to be making things clearer!!!
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Chloe Boulanger
UPDATE: Thank you everyone for your helpful advice! I had my daughter log into her student account and the SAI was actually there! It wasn't showing in my parent portal for some reason. For anyone else with this issue - definitely check both accounts. I appreciate all your help!
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Olivia Harris
•That's great news! This seems to be a common issue with the parent/student portal syncing. Glad you found your SAI and can move forward with the college financial planning process!
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