FAFSA application stuck on 'In Process' for weeks - browser trick that actually worked
I've been pulling my hair out over my 2025-2026 FAFSA application stuck in limbo for over three weeks. The status just kept showing 'In Process' with absolutely no movement. I called the Federal Student Aid helpline FOUR times and used the chat feature twice. Every single representative gave me the same useless response: 'Just be patient, it will change to In Review eventually.' No timeline, no explanation, nothing! I was getting desperate since my college's priority deadline is coming up soon. Then last night my daughter (who works in IT) suggested something so simple I feel stupid for not trying it earlier. She told me to try opening my FAFSA in a different browser! I'd been using Firefox this whole time, so I switched to Edge, logged into studentaid.gov, and BOOM - suddenly there was a bright blue 'Complete' button that had NEVER shown up before. Clicked it, and within minutes my status changed from 'In Process' to 'In Review'! Has anyone else experienced this weird browser glitch? I'm relieved but also annoyed that none of the FAFSA reps suggested this simple fix. Just posting this in case it helps someone else stuck in FAFSA purgatory.
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Lucy Taylor
WOW this is actually a brilliant tip!! I've been dealing with the same exact issue for my son's FAFSA - stuck on 'In Process' for about 18 days now. Going to try switching from Chrome to Safari right now and see if it works. The whole system is SO glitchy this year with all the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. I'll report back!
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Isaac Wright
•Please let me know if it works for you too! I was shocked that something so simple fixed it after weeks of stress.
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Connor Murphy
Financial aid advisor here - this is definitely a known issue with the new digital FAFSA format, though it's not getting much official acknowledgment. We've seen several cases where form elements don't render properly in certain browsers. A few technical notes that might help others: 1. Firefox specifically seems to have the most rendering issues with the new FAFSA portal 2. Chrome and Edge tend to work best with the redesigned interface 3. If switching browsers doesn't work, try clearing your cache and cookies first 4. Make sure your browser is fully updated to the latest version The system is supposed to be compatible across all major browsers, but clearly there are still bugs to work out. Thanks for sharing this workaround!
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KhalilStar
•of course the govt cant even make a stupid website work right in all browsers lol. same people who want us to trust them with our tax money 🙄
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Lucy Taylor
IT WORKED!!!! Switched from Chrome to Microsoft Edge and the complete button appeared! My application now shows 'In Review' status. I'm literally crying right now. We've been so stressed about meeting our priority deadline for his university. THANK YOU!!
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Isaac Wright
•I'm so happy it worked for you too! It's crazy that such a simple fix isn't being shared by the official channels. Pass it along to anyone else you know having issues!
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Amelia Dietrich
my daughters fafsa been stuck for 5 weeks now said 'in process' and she needs it done for her nursing program... gonna try this browser thing tonight when i get home from work thx for posting
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Kaiya Rivera
I've been dealing with FAFSA issues for weeks and this browser tip didn't work for me unfortunately. Still showing 'In Process' whether I use Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. I've spent HOURS trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid who can actually help. Has anyone had success using Claimyr to get through to an actual FAFSA agent? I saw it mentioned in another thread - apparently it helps you skip the hold times when calling FSA. There's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ and the site is claimyr.com. I'm desperate to get this resolved before I miss out on aid eligibility.
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Katherine Ziminski
•I used Claimyr last week when my SAI calculation seemed completely wrong and I needed to talk to an actual human. Got through to an agent in about 5 minutes instead of being on hold for an hour+ like my previous attempts. The agent was able to see that there was an error in how my dad's retirement contributions were being counted. Worth it in my situation, but try the browser trick first!
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Noah Irving
•Before you spend money on a service, have you tried accessing the site in Incognito/Private browsing mode? Sometimes that works too for clearing out browser issues without having to try different browsers entirely.
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KhalilStar
another thing to try is checking if ur adblockers r causing issues!! i couldnt see certain buttons until i turned off my adblock extension! the fafsa site is poorly coded
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Amelia Dietrich
•browser trick didnt work for me but i turned off adblock like you said and the complete button showed up!!!! form is now in review thx so much
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Noah Irving
I work in IT support at a university financial aid office, and we've been keeping track of these technical issues. The FAFSA modernization rollout has been plagued with technical glitches. Beyond the browser issues mentioned here (which are very real), we've also seen: - Mobile vs. desktop display inconsistencies - Session timeout issues that don't properly save progress - Problems with certain form elements not registering as complete - PDF generation errors when trying to save completed forms If the browser switch doesn't work, try these additional troubleshooting steps: 1. Use a computer rather than a mobile device if possible 2. Disable all browser extensions completely 3. Clear cache AND cookies specifically for studentaid.gov 4. Try a private/incognito browsing window 5. Make sure your browser is updated to the latest version If all else fails, you may need to create a new FSA ID and start over, though that should be a last resort.
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Isaac Wright
•This is incredibly helpful information, thank you! It's really telling that university financial aid offices are having to maintain their own lists of technical issues rather than FSA providing clear documentation about known problems and workarounds.
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Katherine Ziminski
I had this same problem but with a different twist - my application was stuck on the parent contribution section even though my dad had already completed it. Kept saying "waiting for contributor" even though he got the confirmation email. Tried your browser trick and suddenly it showed his section was actually complete and let me move forward! The entire 2025-2026 FAFSA system seems super buggy. Thanks for sharing this tip!
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Kaiya Rivera
Update on my situation - the adblock suggestion worked for me! Turned off all extensions and suddenly I could see the Complete button. My application is finally in review status after being stuck for almost a month. This is ridiculous that we have to troubleshoot a government website like this.
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KhalilStar
•glad it worked!! so messed up that nobody at fafsa support even knows about these problems. like how many students r missing out on financial aid bc of stupid tech issues??
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Lucy Taylor
Has anyone received their actual SAI score yet after getting past the 'In Process' stage? I'm wondering how long that typically takes after the application moves to 'In Review' status. Our university needs the official SAI for scholarship consideration.
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Connor Murphy
•The typical processing time after reaching 'In Review' status is 3-5 business days for the SAI calculation to be completed. However, with the system issues this year, we're seeing many taking 7-10 business days. If it's been longer than two weeks in 'In Review' status, that would warrant a call to FSA.
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