FAFSA and SAP status showing 'satisfactory but under review' - what does this mean for freshman aid?

This is actually normal for incoming freshmen! The 'satisfactory' SAP status is basically a default setting for new students who haven't yet established an academic record at the college. The 'under review' part means your daughter's FAFSA information has been received by the school and they're now processing her financial aid package. With the FAFSA simplification for 2025-2026, most schools now handle all award communications through their portals instead of students receiving direct notifications from Federal Student Aid. Your daughter should receive an award letter through the portal (or email) once they complete their review, likely within 2-3 weeks.

my son had the same thing last yr. it just means the fafsa went thru fine and now the school is deciding how much $ to give her. they do this sap thing for everyone even freshmen its weird.

You should DEFINITELY still call them on Monday!! My daughter's FAFSA got stuck in this 'under review' status for TWO MONTHS last year because there was a tiny discrepancy in her social security number that no one bothered to tell us about. The portal showed exactly what you're describing but it wasn't actually being processed. Don't trust the system to work correctly!

Financial aid counselor here - I can clarify what's happening. SAP status for incoming freshmen is automatically set to 'satisfactory' since they don't have a college GPA yet. The 'under review' status means your FAFSA data has successfully transferred to the school and they're now calculating your daughter's financial aid package based on her SAI (Student Aid Index) from the FAFSA. The 2025-2026 FAFSA simplification changed a lot of things, including how awards are communicated. Now schools handle most of the communication rather than the Department of Education. Each school sets their own timeline, but most freshmen receive their financial aid packages by early April for the fall semester. It's not a bad idea to call on Monday just to confirm everything is in order, but what you're seeing is standard procedure. Ask them for an estimated timeline for when award letters will be sent out.

Anybody else notice how impossible it is to get through to financial aid offices these days?? I spent literally 45 minutes on hold last week trying to ask a simple question about my son's FAFSA. Ended up getting disconnected. And their email response time is like 5-7 business days. So frustrating!

dont even stress about sap for a freshman lol. its just bureaucratic bs they have to do because of federal regulations. as long as your fafsa went through and your daughter has a student aid index you should be good. the whole under review thing is just their system processing it.

Wait, I'm confused. My daughter's college uses the term "SAP" only AFTER you've completed a semester, to determine if you're making enough progress to keep your financial aid. Are we talking about the same thing? Maybe different schools use different terminology?

Based on my experience working with students, this is a positive sign that things are moving forward normally. The FAFSA simplification for 2025-2026 has changed a lot of the processes, but what you're seeing is standard. Your daughter's financial aid package is being calculated, and you should receive notification through the school's portal when it's complete. One thing to note: many schools are experiencing delays this year due to the FAFSA changes. Award notifications that previously went out in March may not be available until late April or even early May. But the "under review" status is confirmation that they have the FAFSA data and are working on it.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! My son is also an incoming freshman for Fall 2025, and his portal shows the exact same "satisfactory but under review" status. I was panicking thinking something was wrong, but after reading through these responses, it sounds like this is totally normal for new students. What's really helpful is learning that the FAFSA simplification changed how everything works - I had no idea schools now handle all the communications instead of getting direct notifications from Federal Student Aid like we used to. That explains why the process feels so different this time around. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about calling to ask for a timeline and using the Net Price Calculator while we wait. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating all these changes!

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter last year, I can confirm that what you're seeing is completely normal! The "satisfactory but under review" status for incoming freshmen is basically the system's way of saying "we received your FAFSA and you're eligible for aid, now we're calculating your package." One thing I learned is that with the new FAFSA system, schools have different processing timelines than before. Some are faster, some slower. When you call on Monday, I'd also suggest asking if they need any additional documentation - sometimes they're waiting on tax transcripts or other verification documents that can hold things up. Also, don't be surprised if the award letter comes later than you expect. My daughter's school didn't release theirs until mid-April last year, which was nerve-wracking for decision deadlines. But everything worked out fine in the end. The "under review" status is actually a good sign that things are moving forward!

I'm going through the exact same thing with my daughter right now! She's also an incoming freshman for Fall 2025 and her portal shows that identical "satisfactory but under review" status. I was so confused because like you said, what academic progress could they possibly be measuring for someone who hasn't even started college yet? Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring. I had no idea that the FAFSA simplification changed so much about how the process works - especially that schools now handle all the communication instead of us getting direct notifications. That explains why everything feels so different compared to what I expected. The advice about calling to get a timeline and asking about missing documentation is really helpful. I think I'll also use their Net Price Calculator while we wait to get a rough idea of what to expect. It's such a relief to know this is completely normal and that "under review" actually means things are progressing! Thanks for asking this question - you've helped so many of us parents who are dealing with the same confusion.

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly helpful discussion! My son is also an incoming freshman for Fall 2025, and I was panicking when I saw that exact same "satisfactory but under review" status on his portal yesterday. Like so many others here, I was completely confused about what academic progress they could possibly be reviewing for someone who hasn't even started college yet. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief - especially learning that this is just how the new FAFSA system works and that schools now handle all the communications instead of students getting direct notifications from Federal Student Aid. I had no idea the process had changed so much! The advice about calling to get a timeline, asking about missing documentation, and using the Net Price Calculator while we wait is incredibly practical. It's reassuring to know that "under review" is actually a positive sign that our FAFSA data was successfully received and they're working on the aid package. I'll definitely be calling our school's financial aid office this week to confirm everything is progressing normally. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these changes!

As someone new to this community, I want to echo what everyone else has been saying - this discussion has been incredibly valuable! My daughter is also an incoming freshman for Fall 2025, and I had the exact same panic when I saw that "satisfactory but under review" status on her portal last week. Like many of you, I was completely baffled about what academic progress they could possibly be reviewing for a high school senior who hasn't even stepped foot on campus yet. What's been most eye-opening is learning how much the FAFSA simplification has changed the entire process. I was expecting to receive direct communications like we did years ago, so when everything seemed to be happening through the school's portal instead, I thought something had gone wrong. Now I understand this is just the new normal. The practical advice shared here has been fantastic - especially the specific questions to ask when calling (timeline, missing documentation, notification preferences) and the suggestion to use the Net Price Calculator for a preliminary estimate. I'm planning to call our financial aid office tomorrow morning, and I feel so much better prepared now. Thank you all for turning what felt like a scary situation into a manageable part of the process!