FAFSA application disconnected mid-process - wait or restart?

You don't need to start over! This happened to me last fall. Log back into studentaid.gov and look for the "Resume FAFSA Form" option rather than trying to start a new application. If it's showing as waiting for verification but incomplete, the system has saved your progress but needs you to formally submit. You should be able to review each section, complete any missing info (like your school selections), and then submit properly.

this happens alllll the time with fafsa site. try clearing ur browser cookies and cache then log in again. sometimes the site gets stuck in a weird state and thinks ur done when ur not

If your FAFSA is truly in 'verification' status, that means it was successfully submitted but selected for verification (random process where about 30% of applications get flagged for additional documentation). However, based on what you're describing, it sounds like you might be looking at different status terminology. Here's what you should do: 1. Log in again and click on 'View/Print Student Aid Report (SAR)' - this will show your complete application 2. Check if you received a Confirmation Page and an official SAR 3. Look at your SAI score - if it's calculated, your FAFSA was fully submitted 4. Verify if your schools are listed in the 'Schools to Receive Results' section If your schools aren't listed or the SAR isn't complete, you'll need to make a correction to your FAFSA (not start over). Look for the 'Make FAFSA Correction' button.

sounds like a classic case of FAFSA glitching. its been even worse this year with all the changes and the new SAI system. i had to restart mine 3 times!! honestly might be faster to just start over rather than try to fix it at this point lol

The FAFSA website is SO frustrating to deal with when these things happen. I tried calling their helpline when I had a similar issue last month but spent over 2 hours on hold before getting disconnected. I eventually discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to a FAFSA agent in about 10 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent was able to see exactly what was happening with my application and guided me through the correction process. Much easier than trying to figure it out yourself or waiting in that endless phone queue.

Based on what you're describing, your FAFSA is not actually in verification yet - it's in a partially completed state. Here's what's happening: 1. The 2025-2026 FAFSA now autosaves progress more aggressively than previous versions 2. When you accidentally navigated away, the system saved your current progress 3. The "waiting for verification" message is actually a misleading status indicator - it's not in official verification 4. What you need to do is make a FAFSA correction, not start a new application Log in to studentaid.gov, go to the FAFSA form section, and look for "Make FAFSA Correction" rather than "Start New FAFSA". This will allow you to review all sections, complete the school selection, and properly submit. If you can't find this option, try using a different browser or device, as sometimes the site has display issues with certain browser configurations.

I work in our campus financial aid office and we've been seeing this exact issue A LOT this year! The new FAFSA system has weird status messages that confuse everyone. If you submitted without adding schools, no worries at all - just do a correction like others have suggested. But make sure you get it done before your school's priority deadline for financial aid!!! Many are coming up in March/April and missing those can cost you thousands in institutional aid.

can i ask a related question? does adding schools later through a correction put u at a disadvantage for aid compared to including them in the original submission? heard this from a friend but sounds like a myth to me

UPDATE: I got it figured out! For anyone with a similar issue: 1. I had to use a different device to see the "Make FAFSA Correction" option 2. Went through all sections (they were saved!) and completed the missing school selection 3. Properly submitted the form 4. Got my confirmation page and now it shows an actual SAI score Thanks everyone for your help! The studentaid.gov interface is definitely confusing this year with all the changes they made to the form.