Conflicting FAFSA status - college says rejected but StudentAid.gov shows processed?

This is actually super common this year with the new FAFSA rollout. Schools are getting multiple SAI calculations (when adjustments are made) and their systems aren't always catching which one is most current. A similar thing happened to my daughter - she got a scary email saying her application was incomplete, but when I called the financial aid office they confirmed it was a system issue on their end.\n\nI would recommend calling your son's financial aid office directly to confirm everything is good. The fact that you can see the aid package is a positive sign that they DO have his complete info. But a quick call can save a lot of worry!

Thanks, that's reassuring! I'll have him call tomorrow just to make sure there aren't any other issues lurking in their system.

the same EXACT thing happened to my nephew! his school sent an email saying incomplete FAFSA but the studentaid website showed everything was done! such a mess this year

I work in a college financial aid office (not at your son's school obviously) and I can explain what's likely happening. With the new FAFSA system, schools are receiving data in a completely different format than previous years. Many schools are using automated systems that haven't been perfectly calibrated for the new data structures.\n\nWhen there are multiple FAFSA transactions (like if you made any corrections or updates), some school systems are incorrectly flagging the newest transaction as an \

This explanation is spot on. I've seen this exact issue at multiple institutions this year. The Department of Education has been sending data corrections and updates to schools in ways that some software systems aren't handling properly. \n\nOne thing to watch for - check if the aid package showing in his portal matches his expected aid based on his SAI. Sometimes these system glitches can also affect aid calculations, though that's less common than these notification errors.

Good point about checking the aid amounts. His package seems to be what we expected based on the SAI and what older siblings received in previous years, so I think that part is correct. It's just frustrating dealing with these system issues when so much is riding on getting the financial aid right!

OMG the New FAFSA is a DISASTER!!!! My daughter got 3 different emails from her school - first saying everything was fine, then saying she needed to fix something, then saying nevermind it's all good. The whole system is broken and nobody knows what they're doing. I spent 6 HOURS trying to call FSA just to check if her application was actually processed correctly and never got through. This is ridiculous when we're talking about thousands of dollars in aid!!!

I had the same issue trying to call FSA about my son's application. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual FSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ\n\nThe agent confirmed that the school can see when multiple FAFSA transactions happen and should be using the most recent one. If you're seeing an aid package, that means they're using the right info despite the conflicting emails.

Thanks for the tip! I might try that if we get any more confusing emails. The stress is unreal!

I went through this exact thing with my twins last month! Here's what I learned: some schools' email systems are sending out automated messages based on old FAFSA data flags. If your son already has an aid package visible in his portal, then THAT is the definitive answer - the emails are just system errors.\n\nFor peace of mind, have your son email his financial aid counselor (not the general office) with screenshots of:\n1. His completed FAFSA on studentaid.gov showing the school selected\n2. The aid package in his portal\n3. Both emails from the school\n\nAsk the counselor to confirm in writing that everything is set for the 2025-26 year. That way you'll have documentation if anything weird happens later with his aid disbursement.

That's really smart! I'll have him email his specific counselor with all those screenshots. Better to have everything documented clearly. Thanks for the detailed suggestion!

am I the only 1 wondering why the schools cant get there acts together??? like this is our kids futures!!! my daughter got accepted to 3 schools but none of them agree on what her FAFSA says lol. one says her SAI is $14,600 another says $13,900 and the third says its \

The SAI differences might actually be related to timing. If your FAFSA was processed and then later adjusted, schools that downloaded your data at different times might have different versions. The Department of Education has been making adjustments to certain calculations throughout the rollout, which causes these discrepancies. Your daughter should contact each school to make sure they're using the most current SAI calculation.

omg that makes so much sense! we did have to fix something with my husbands income info like a week after submitting. thx for explaining!

If you haven't already, make sure to take screenshots of everything - both parent and student portals showing the completed status, the aid package showing in his school portal, and both emails from the school. This way, if there are any issues later, you have documentation of what happened. This FAFSA rollout has been unusually problematic, and having documentation can save a lot of headaches later.

Already started taking screenshots after the first confusing email! It's sad that we have to document everything this way, but you're right - better safe than sorry.

i had something sorta similar happen but way worse... got told my fasfa was all good but then no financial aid package ever showed up. turned out my dad put the wrong ssn (off by 1 digit) on his contributor part. had to completely redo everything and almost missed the priority deadline. check ALL the details in both portals just to be super sure!!!

Yikes, that sounds stressful! I just double-checked all our info in both portals and everything looks correct. SSNs, DOB, income info all matches what we submitted on our taxes. Thanks for the reminder though - it's so easy for little errors to cause big problems!

This is definitely one of the recognized issues with the new FAFSA system. The good news is that you can verify the official status by looking at the

Thank you, this is incredibly helpful! I just checked and the processed date is indeed after our last correction (we had to fix a small issue with our W-2 reporting). I feel much better now knowing that the system is working as it should, even if the communication is confusing.