Just want to give you some hope - my daughter submitted in January too and randomly got her SAI yesterday with no emails or anything beforehand. The system just updated. Maybe check your account again?

UPDATE: I called FSA this morning using that Claimyr service I mentioned, and the agent was super helpful. Turns out my application was complete but stuck in a processing queue. She manually pushed it through and said my SAI should appear within 3-5 business days! So relieved I didn't wait any longer to call.

does anyone know if adding more schools will change my SAI?? i'm worried that making ANY corrections might mess up my current number which is pretty low

Adding schools won't affect your SAI calculation. Your Student Aid Index is based solely on your financial information and family circumstances, not which schools you select. You can add up to 20 schools total, and it won't impact your aid eligibility at all.

my daugter got a letter from her school saying they received her fafsa today but it was corrected back in march. its all messed up this year lol

Quick update for everyone in this thread - FSA just released a statement yesterday acknowledging ongoing transmission delays to institutions. They're implementing a system update this weekend that should clear the backlog. If your school still hasn't received your FAFSA by next Wednesday, they recommend submitting a case through the FSA Feedback Center online rather than calling, as the call centers are overwhelmed.

Financial aid advisor here. The "parent doesn't exist" error (PA-2345) is one of the most common issues with the new FAFSA system. I want to clarify a few important points: 1. This is a system matching error, not a reflection of your information being incorrect 2. Your school CAN'T fix this directly - it must be resolved with FSA 3. This will NOT affect your aid eligibility once resolved 4. While waiting for resolution, contact your school's financial aid office to document that you're actively working on the issue The fastest resolution is speaking directly with an FSA technical support agent who has the authority to perform a manual override. If you're struggling to get through on the phone, email FSA_FAFSA@ed.gov with "URGENT: Parent Verification Error PA-2345" in the subject line. Include your name, FSA ID (not password), and a brief description of the issue. Schools are aware of these system problems and most have processes in place to prevent these technical issues from affecting your aid packages, as long as you're actively trying to resolve them.

Update: I finally got through to FSA technical support this morning using the menu options that @FinAidHelper suggested! The agent confirmed it was an issue with my mom's hyphenated last name - apparently there was a space after the hyphen in the IRS database but not in the Social Security database. They did a manual override and told me it should be resolved within 48 hours. Thanks everyone for your help! I'll update again when I can confirm it's fixed.

also just fyi if u get selected for verification STAY ON TOP OF IT!!! my roommate got selected and didn't complete everything in time and lost out on like $4000 for that semester!! they are SUPER strict about deadlines with that stuff

One more thing to consider: since you'll have a full Pell Grant, you might also be eligible for additional institutional aid from your school. Many colleges offer supplemental grants or scholarships to Pell-eligible students. When you speak with the financial aid office, specifically ask if there are any additional funding opportunities you qualify for with your negative SAI. Also, make sure to file the 2026-2027 FAFSA as soon as it becomes available (usually October 1, 2025) if you plan to continue your education beyond Spring 2026. Early filing often means access to more institutional funds.