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My daughter's took exactly 19 days. But then her CSS Profile (which some private schools require) took another week after that. Make sure you check if any of your schools need the CSS Profile too - that's a separate application through College Board with its own timeline!
UPDATE: Just got my SAI this morning - took exactly 17 days! Looks like the average processing time from everyone's responses is around 2-3 weeks, though it can vary widely. For those still waiting, hang in there and definitely contact your schools about any upcoming deadlines. Most of mine were super understanding about the delays. Thank you all for your helpful responses! This community has been so supportive during this stressful process.
17 days isn't bad considering how messed up the system is! Did you get the SAI you were expecting or was it way off? Mine was COMPLETELY different from the estimate I got using the Federal Student Aid calculator...
my daughter fixed her signature problem yesterday too! we're in the same boat. let me know if you hear anything back on yours and i'll do the same :
Quick update on processing times - I just spoke with an FSA representative yesterday who confirmed they are currently prioritizing applications with impending school deadlines. When you contact them, specifically mention your April 15th scholarship deadline, and ask if they can add a priority note to your application. This won't guarantee faster processing, but it may help. Also, make sure to check both the student AND parent emails for any communications, as sometimes verification requests go to the parent email even though the student is the primary applicant.
OMG the exact same thing happened to us last month!!! So frustrating! It turned out that even though we both signed, my daughter's FSA ID wasn't properly linked to her Social Security number in the system. We had to call and stay on hold for almost 2 hours, but they finally fixed it. The problem is that the system sometimes shows "in review" status even though it's actually waiting for something else to be fixed. Keep trying the phone line at odd hours - we got through at 8:05am on a Tuesday.
UPDATE: I finally figured it out! After trying literally everything suggested here, I discovered the issue was actually with our browser settings. I switched from Chrome to Firefox, cleared all cookies, and suddenly a pop-up appeared with the signature prompt when I logged in. For anyone facing this issue - try different browsers and disable any ad blockers or cookie blockers you might have. The signature page was there the whole time but was being blocked by my browser settings. My daughter's FAFSA now shows fully processed instead of in review. Thanks everyone for your help!
Glad you figured it out! Their website is so poorly designed it's ridiculous. Thanks for sharing the solution!
One more thing to check - log into the StudentAid.gov portal and go to the "My FAFSA" section. Look at the actual confirmation page and make sure it says "Processed Successfully" with a green checkmark, not just "Correction Submitted." Also, verify the school code is correct. Sometimes people accidentally select similar-named institutions (like University of Michigan-Ann Arbor vs. University of Michigan-Dearborn).
Not helpful to your current situation, but for future reference - when adding schools, I always recommend doing it during regular business hours then immediately calling both FSA and the financial aid office to confirm receipt. This year's FAFSA rollout has been a complete disaster compared to previous years.
Hugo Kass
do ur best to stay calm, we were so stressed bout this but it all worked out fine. just stay on top of followin up with the school every few days
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Simon White
•Thanks for the encouragement. It's so stressful when it's your kid's future on the line! I'll definitely be following up regularly.
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Brian Downey
Wait did anyone else have to provide their parent's birth certificates too?? My school asked for BOTH my proof of citizenship AND my parents' proof even though I'm the only one applying for aid. Seemed excessive.
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Nasira Ibanez
•That's unusual. Parent citizenship documentation is typically only required if the parents themselves are also applying for federal aid (like Parent PLUS loans) and have citizenship verification issues. If you're the only one applying and you're dependent, they should only need your documentation. Might be worth clarifying why they need your parents' information as well.
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