


Ask the community...
so i got that email with the green check and SAI number too but then when i looked at my actual FAFSA the status still says "processing" on the website... anyone else see that discrepancy? should i be worried?
That's actually normal. The FAFSA website sometimes shows "processing" for a while even after the application has been completed and the SAI has been calculated. If you received the email with the green check and SAI number, your FAFSA has been processed successfully and that information has been made available to your selected schools. The website status will eventually update.
Update: I had my daughter check her student portals for her four schools and two of them show they've received her FAFSA (with her SAI number listed) but the other two don't show anything yet about financial aid. Should she email just those two schools?
Yes, I'd recommend having her email the financial aid offices at the two schools that don't show her FAFSA data yet. She should include her full name, student ID number (if she has one), and date of birth in the email, and simply ask them to confirm if they've received her FAFSA data or if there's anything else they need from her. This is very common and most financial aid offices are used to these inquiries.
Update: You all were right! I was looking for 2023 tax info when I should have been requesting my 2022 transcript for the 2024-2025 FAFSA. I just successfully got my transcript online! I also talked to my financial aid office and they're giving me a 1-week extension on the verification documents. THANK YOU all for your help!
This whole system is DESIGNED to make students miss deadlines and lose aid. My sister lost her entire grant package last year because of verification delays. The financial aid system claims to help low-income students but then creates impossible bureaucratic hurdles. Did you know colleges actually MAKE MONEY when students don't complete verification? They get to keep the federal aid money that would have gone to students. The whole thing is corrupt.
While verification can certainly be frustrating, colleges don't actually profit from students not completing verification. Unclaimed federal aid returns to the Department of Education, not to the schools. The verification process exists to ensure program integrity, though I agree the implementation can create unnecessary barriers for students. The good news is that the simplified FAFSA rolling out fully for 2025-2026 should significantly reduce verification requirements for many students.
The Federal Student Aid website has been a DISASTER this year!!! I'm convinced they're deliberately making it difficult so fewer people get financial aid. They can claim they're "offering" all this money while making the system so broken nobody can actually complete the application! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
While the frustration is understandable, there's no evidence of deliberate obstruction. The issues are most likely related to the significant overhaul of the FAFSA system for 2025-2026, which changed from the old EFC to the new SAI calculation model. Any major system update of this scale typically has bugs that need to be worked out. It's unfortunate timing but not a conspiracy.
UPDATE: I followed the advice from this thread and FINALLY got it fixed! For anyone having the same issue, what worked was: 1. Clearing my browser cache completely 2. Using Chrome instead of Safari 3. Re-signing both student and parent sections even though they showed as complete 4. Staying on each page for at least 30 seconds before proceeding (weird but it worked!) AND most importantly - I used Claimyr to reach a Federal Student Aid agent who manually verified the signatures were received on their end. The agent confirmed there was a known issue with signature verification for some accounts and put a note on my file. My FAFSA now shows as fully processed with an SAI score! Thanks everyone for your help!
Those are good stats! Look for public universities in neighboring states that might be trying to boost enrollment or improve their academic profile. Many have specific scholarships for out-of-state students with GPAs above 3.5 and SATs in her range. Check their financial aid websites for
Ella Harper
just wondering does anyone know if both parents HAVE to fill out the form separately? My wife did hers but I'm having the same issue as OP. Will it affect our son's SAI if only one parent completes it?
0 coins
Abigail Spencer
•Yes, for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, if both parents are married and living together, both must complete their contributor sections separately. Having only one parent complete it will either prevent submission entirely or could significantly delay processing while they request the missing information. This is different from the old FAFSA which allowed one parent to enter information for both. The new SAI calculation requires input from all contributors to generate an accurate Student Aid Index.
0 coins
Austin Leonard
UPDATE: IT WORKED! I followed the advice about checking account roles and discovered I only had "Student" enabled. After adding the "Parent" role, logging out completely, and using the fresh invitation link my son sent, I was able to access his FAFSA as a contributor! Currently finishing up my section now. Thank you all so much for your help!
0 coins
Isla Fischer
•That's great news! This role conflict issue is becoming increasingly common as more parents who once were students themselves are now helping their own children with FAFSA. Glad you got it resolved before any deadlines. Make sure to have your son check his submission status a few days after you complete your portion - sometimes there's a final confirmation step needed on his end to complete the process.
0 coins