FAFSA 'Processed' vs 'In Review' status confusion - submitted 12/26 but still waiting

calm down lol...its always like this. every. single. year. the fafsa system is always a disaster for the first 2 months. i wouldn't stress about it til march tbh

I'm in the EXACT same boat! Submitted Dec 28 and still stuck in 'In Review' while my roommate who waited until Jan 7 is already processed!! I've called FAFSA twice and got different answers each time. First person said it was random, second person said they're prioritizing dependent students first (I'm independent). The whole system is a joke this year.

Current FA advisor here. First, don't panic about your school's priority deadline - most schools understand the FAFSA delays this year are unprecedented due to the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. The Department of Education announced last week they won't even start sending processed FAFSA data to schools until early February. If you're concerned, email your school's financial aid office with your FAFSA confirmation number as proof you submitted early. Most schools will honor your place in line as long as you can document your early submission date. As for why some January apps are processing before December ones - the new system is processing in batches based on multiple factors (not just date). Some simpler applications with fewer data verification needs move through faster. The good news is that once batches start moving, they tend to clear quickly.

I've been trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid for THREE DAYS to ask about this exact same issue!!! Kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that a friend recommended - they got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 20 minutes. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent told me they're processing applications in groups based on complexity, not strictly by date. If your application has any unusual circumstances (divorced parents, special income situations, etc.), it goes into a different processing queue. That might explain why later applications with simpler situations are moving faster.

For accurate context: The 2024-2025 FAFSA officially launched December 30th (not the 26th), but even that was a soft launch with limited availability. Many students couldn't access it until early January due to the rollout limitations. The Department of Education is handling this year's processing differently due to the complete rebuild of the form. Applications aren't necessarily being processed strictly chronologically. Some factors affecting processing time: 1. Completeness of parent/contributor information 2. Whether IRS data transfer worked correctly 3. If any manual verification flags were triggered 4. Complexity of household financial situation Regarding school deadlines - nearly every college nationwide has pushed back their priority aid deadlines in response to the FAFSA delays. Check your school's financial aid website for updates; many have moved February deadlines to March or even April this year.

this whole fafsa simplified garbage is anything BUT simplified...took me 3 tries just to create an account for my dad as a contributor and now we're stuck in "review" limbo too...meanwhile my cousin who messed up her first attempt and had to start over on jan 9 is already processed...make it make sense 🙃

I work in a college financial aid office, and I want to reassure everyone that we are VERY aware of the FAFSA processing delays. Most schools (including mine) are being flexible with priority deadlines this year. Here's what we're telling our students: 1. Document your FAFSA submission date (screenshot the confirmation page or email) 2. Contact your school's financial aid office proactively to alert them of your early submission 3. Don't panic about the SAI calculation - just because your FAFSA isn't processed doesn't mean you're losing your place in line 4. The Department of Education won't begin sending FAFSA data to schools until early February anyway This new FAFSA has been challenging for everyone - students, parents, AND financial aid administrators. We're all figuring it out together. Just keep documentation of when you submitted, and you should be fine for priority deadlines.

My daughter submitted January 1st and hers JUST changed to processed yesterday!!! But now I'm panicking because her SAI is way higher than we expected 😭 We make about $78,000 and her SAI is 12,354 which seems really high. Anyone know if that's normal or if something went wrong?