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Did you resolve this issue? I'm curious what the outcome was, as it might help others who get similar notices in the future.
This is why i HATE the new FAFSA. The entire system is filled with these kinds of confusing notifications. My daughter got an "action required" email that made it sound like her application was going to be rejected, but it was just asking her to fill out an optional survey. The stress these vague emails cause is ridiculous.
omg those action required emails are THE WORST!!! i legit had a panic attack over one last month and it was just asking me to update my email preferences lol. like WHY make it sound so scary???
Just to provide some clarity on what happens next: once colleges receive the FAFSA data, they'll create financial aid packages based on your daughter's SAI and their own institutional methodology. You should start receiving these packages starting in March/April for most colleges. If you don't see financial aid information appearing in her student portals by late March, that would be the time to start making calls to confirm everything is on track. And a quick tip - take screenshots of the "processed" status and save copies of the SAR. If there are any disputes later, having documentation of what the system showed you can be very helpful.
Thank you! I'll definitely take screenshots right away. That's a smart idea I wouldn't have thought of. And knowing the timeline helps a lot - we'll watch for packages starting in March.
Anyone else notice how they changed from EFC to SAI this year and it's COMPLETELY DIFFERENT calculations? My son's number went up by like 8000 even though our income actually dropped! Makes no sense and the financial aid offices just shrug and say "that's the new formula" 🙄
You're right about the change from EFC to SAI - it's part of the FAFSA Simplification Act. The formula now handles certain income and asset types differently. For instance, there are changes to how multiple college students from the same family are calculated, and some income protection allowances were increased. But other aspects became less generous, especially for some middle-income families. It's definitely causing confusion and frustration for many families this year.
Quick update since this is a common issue: FSA just announced yesterday they're rolling out a fix for this specific problem over the next 10 days. The fix will synchronize account visibility between parent and student FSA IDs for both application years. However, I still recommend having your daughter generate the PDF and sending it to the financial aid office now rather than waiting for the fix. The college needs to finalize aid packages soon, and having the information manually is better than waiting for the system to be fixed.
Thank you for this update! We did email the PDF to the financial aid office yesterday, and they confirmed receipt and said they'll manually process it. It's good to know a fix is coming though - I'll keep an eye on our accounts to see when it's resolved.
y does fafsa gotta be so complicated every year its somethin else lol. last yr they wanted my moms tax returns from like 3 diff years
SERIOUSLY!!! It's like they DELIBERATELY make it confusing to discourage people from applying. And this year is BY FAR the worst with all the "improvements" they supposedly made to the system. Complete disaster.
my cousin works in financial aid and she told me they're SWAMPED right now with the new FAFSA changes. said people are waiting wayyyy longer than usual.
If your SAR shows code 099 without any other processing codes, that's good news! It means your application has been processed successfully, and you should see your SAI calculation soon. You could still be selected for verification later (about 30% of applications are), but that would be initiated by your specific college, not the federal processor at this point. One recommendation - download and save a PDF copy of your submitted FAFSA and confirmation page. If there are any delays that might affect your school's deadline, having documentation of your submission date can be helpful when speaking with your school's financial aid office.
Thank you so much! I just downloaded everything. My SAI finally came through this morning - 7 business days after submission. That was more stressful than it needed to be! For anyone else waiting, just be patient and keep checking the portal.
Dylan Mitchell
when was the FAFSA deadline again? i havent even started mine lol
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Amara Eze
•The federal FAFSA deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year is June 30, 2026, but many schools have much earlier priority deadlines for maximum financial aid consideration. Some state grants have deadlines as early as February or March 2025. I'd recommend checking your school's financial aid website for their specific priority deadline.
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NeonNomad
Just to follow up on this thread: If anyone experiences persistent technical issues with the FAFSA that can't be resolved through the suggestions here, remember to document everything. Take screenshots of error messages, note dates and times of system issues, and keep track of any confirmation numbers if you speak with representatives. This documentation can be extremely valuable if you need to file for a deadline extension or appeal a financial aid decision due to technical issues outside your control.
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Mei Zhang
•Update: We got it working! My mom had to log in separately with her FSA ID and authorize her section. The invitation is still missing from my dashboard, but I can access everything through the Apply for Aid menu. Thanks everyone for your help!
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