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.

THIS IS WHY THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! Why should parents have to jump through all these hoops and strategize about loans just to send their kids to college? The whole FAFSA parent contribution expectation is ridiculous. I make decent money but have 3 kids and the "expected family contribution" they calculate is LAUGHABLE. No normal family has that kind of extra cash sitting around!

To summarize the key points everyone has made: 1. Parent PLUS interest rates are fixed for the academic year regardless of credit score (pass/fail only) 2. You WILL save interest by borrowing only what you need for fall now 3. You'll pay the origination fee on each loan amount 4. If your credit improves significantly, you might qualify for better private loan rates for spring 5. Check with your school's financial aid office about their procedures for splitting the loan between semesters Given all this, your strategy does have merit, even if not for the exact reasons you initially thought.

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.

To follow up on the tax information question - if there's any discrepancy between the IRS data and what's showing in your FAFSA, even a small one, it can trigger a manual review. This might include differences in adjusted gross income, filing status, or even address formatting. The most efficient approach is still to: 1. Contact the schools to explain the delay 2. Keep documentation of your submission and status 3. Reach a Federal Student Aid representative to check for hidden verification requirements Once your son's SAI is calculated, make sure to immediately notify all schools.

Has anyone else noticed that the FAFSA applications submitted in December seem to be getting processed faster than those submitted in January? My neighbor's kid submitted in December and got the SAI in less than a week, while we're still waiting after submitting Jan 10th. Seems like they're prioritizing older applications which makes sense I guess.

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.