Does FAFSA show as \

same happened with mine last yr. student account updated like 3 days after mine did. probly just a system lag

That's reassuring! Did you have to do anything to make it update, or did it just eventually sync up on its own?

The FAFSA processing statuses can definitely update at different times between the student and parent accounts. This usually resolves itself within 3-5 business days. The student's status is actually the more important one to watch, as that's the account that will receive the official Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation and any notifications about verification requirements.\n\nIf both accounts don't show the same status after a week, I'd recommend:\n\n1. Have both you and your daughter clear your browser cache and cookies, then try logging in again\n2. Check if there are any action items in either account that need addressing\n3. Verify that all signatures (electronic or otherwise) were properly submitted

this is good to know!!!! i was freaking out cuz my sons showed processed but mine still says needs signatures even tho i KNOW i signed it electronically!!!

That's actually a common issue! Sometimes the electronic signature doesn't register properly in the system. If it persists for more than a week, you may need to go back in and re-sign the FAFSA. The system should prompt you if any signatures are missing.

I've had this EXACT problem for the past month with my twins' FAFSAs!! I called the Federal Student Aid Information Center ELEVEN TIMES and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. This system is completely broken and nobody seems to care that parents are losing their minds trying to navigate it! One of my kids' applications shows processed in my account but still shows

Oh wow, that sounds frustrating especially with twins! Have you tried logging in during off-hours? Sometimes the system updates overnight.

YES! I've tried at 5am, midnight, weekends - nothing works! And the helpline is USELESS when you actually get through. They just tell you to \

I was stuck in the same situation with my daughter's FAFSA. After weeks of trying to call and getting nowhere, I found a service called Claimyr that helped me actually reach a FAFSA agent. They basically wait on hold for you and call when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ\n\nWhen I finally got through, the agent was able to see that there was a data mismatch between accounts that was causing the status discrepancy. They fixed it on their end and everything updated correctly within 48 hours.

THANK YOU!! Going to try this right now. I'm desperate at this point and willing to try anything that might actually get me to a real person who can help!

This happens because the FAFSA processing system handles the student and parent portions separately, even though they're part of the same application. From my experience working in a college financial aid office, I can tell you this is completely normal and not something to worry about.\n\nThe technical explanation: When a FAFSA is submitted, the system runs different verification checks on the student and parent information. Sometimes one portion gets verified faster than the other. Since you're seeing \

Thank you for explaining this so clearly! I had no idea the system processed the different portions separately. That makes much more sense now. We'll give it another week before getting concerned.

My daughter and I had this same issue last month and we were super worried but then I realized we were actually looking at different FAFSA years! I was looking at the 2024-2025 application (which was already processed) and she was looking at the 2025-2026 application. Might be worth double-checking you're both looking at the same application year when you log in.

That's a good point! I just double-checked and we're definitely both looking at the 2025-2026 application. Wish it was that simple of a fix!

My student account showed processed before my parent account did so it can go either way. sometimes it takes 2-3 weeks for everything to sync up! the whole systems jst slow

wait im confused, does this mean we need to make parent accounts too?? i thought only the student needed to apply for fafsa?? my son is doing his now and i never made an account, am i supposed to??

Yes, for dependent students, parents need to create their own FSA ID to electronically sign the FAFSA. Both the student and at least one contributing parent need separate FSA IDs. The parent FSA ID is used to provide financial information and sign the application. Without a parent signature, the FAFSA cannot be fully processed for dependent students.

omg thank u!!! i had no idea, no wonder its been stuck for 2 weeks!! im going to make my account now!!!

Update: Just wanted to let everyone know that the issue resolved itself! My daughter's account finally shows \

That's great news! It's always helpful to hear when these things resolve themselves. Now that you have the SAI score, make sure to check if any schools are requesting additional verification documents. Those requests often come shortly after processing completes.