Cal Grant deadline extension possible? Stuck waiting for FAFSA SAR to apply

same boat!! my fafsa has been "processing" for like a month now. this is ridiculous

There's good news - CSAC (California Student Aid Commission) announced they're extending the Cal Grant deadline to May 5th specifically because of the FAFSA delays. They acknowledged many students are unable to complete applications due to pending SARs. You can verify this on the official CSAC website. They're coordinating with schools to ensure students aren't penalized for the federal delays.

This whole FASFA rollout has been a NIGHTMARE!! I'm a student counselor at a community college and we've had hundreds of panicked students. The system was supposed to be SIMPLER this year with the new SAI replacing EFC, but instead it's been one technical glitch after another. The Cal Grant extension helps but doesn't solve the underlying problem that students can't get their SARs because the federal system is broken!!! 😡

If you're still waiting on your SAR, you might want to try calling Federal Student Aid directly. I was stuck in the same situation and finally got through to an agent who manually reviewed my application and released my SAR within 48 hours. The trick is actually getting through to someone - I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and called me when an agent was available. Saved me hours of hold time and got my Cal Grant application submitted. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

When I applied for Cal Grant last yr they didnt even look at my FAFSA until like 3 weeks after deadline so dont stress too much. they kno theres delays n stuff

I had a similar situation with my daughter's application. The extended deadline is helpful, but what worked for us was contacting our state representative's office. They have liaisons who work directly with CSAC and can sometimes expedite SAR processing in hardship cases. Worth a try if you're still stuck after trying the phone route. Also, document EVERYTHING - screenshots of your FAFSA status, dates you've called, etc. This will help if you need to file an appeal later.

my cousin said they might extend it again if too many people still dont have their SARs

UPDATE: I finally got my SAR!!! Called FSA using that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and got through to an actual person in about 30 minutes. They found a small error in my parent's contribution section that was holding everything up. The agent fixed it right away and my SAR was processed within 24 hours. Already submitted my Cal Grant application with 2 weeks to spare before the extended deadline. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help!