FAFSA application stuck in limbo for dependent - IRS verification for me but son's app halted?

This happened to me last year. Even though you used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, sometimes they still select people for random verification. The annoying part is your son's application won't move forward until YOUR verification is complete. It's not that his application is separately stalled - the whole thing is linked.

did u check if ur son has a separate todo item on his account? sometimes they need verification from both the parent AND student. my daughter had to submit her w2 separately from my tax info last yr

The FAFSA system has been having major delays this year with the new simplified FAFSA rollout. What you're experiencing is actually common - parent verification happens first, then student verification after. A few important points: 1. Even though you used the IRS DRT, about 30% of applications are still selected for manual verification 2. Your son's SAI calculation can't be completed until your verification is done 3. Schools can't create financial aid packages without the final SAI I recommend contacting your son's school's financial aid office directly. Many schools are making accommodations for deposit deadlines because of the FAFSA delays this year. They might offer an extension or a provisional aid estimate.

I HATE THE NEW FAFSA SO MUCH!!! This is the THIRD time I've had to verify information I already gave them. First it was my income, then my husband's, now they can't find my daughter's social security number that we've entered correctly 4 TIMES!!! And you can never get anyone on the phone - I've been calling the FSA hotline for TWO WEEKS straight and either get disconnected or told the wait time is over 3 hours. Sorry for the rant but this new process is a complete disaster.

I had the exact same problem with my twins' applications! What worked for us was using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a FAFSA agent on the phone. They have this service where they wait on hold for you and call when an agent is ready. Literally saved me like 3 hours of hold music, and the agent was able to explain exactly what was happening with our split application status. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Just to add some technical context about what's happening in your situation: The new FAFSA system processes applications in a specific order. First, they verify the parent's information (income, assets, household size) because that's the foundation for calculating the Student Aid Index (SAI). Only after the parent verification is complete will they move to finalizing the student's portion. What makes this confusing is that the system sends separate notifications for each step, making it seem like two separate applications when they're actually interdependent parts of the same process. Your son's application isn't actually "stuck" - it's waiting for your verification to complete before it can proceed to the next stage. This new sequential processing is why so many applications are delayed this year compared to previous years.

btw if ur kid got accepted to multiple schools, u should let ALL of them know ur having fafsa issues. my nephew almost lost his spot at his top choice bc we didnt kno we could ask for an extension on the deposit deadline!!

When I was filling out FAFSA for my daughter last month, I got so frustrated with the whole process!! I spent like 4 hours on their stupid website and then they had the nerve to ask for verification too. Does anyone know if all parents get selected for verification or just some? I'm wondering if I'll have to go through this again next year.

UPDATE: I submitted my verification documents yesterday (thank you all for the advice!) and got an email this morning saying my verification was complete. Just checked my son's status and you were all right - his application is now being processed! They're calculating his SAI now. I also called his top choice school and explained the situation. They were super understanding and gave him a 2-week extension on the deposit deadline since so many students are having FAFSA delays. Thank you all so much for helping me understand how this works!!