FAFSA correction showing 'Started' but not 'Submitted' - am I missing something?

Yep - this definitely means your corrections weren't fully submitted. The status tracker is pretty reliable about showing where you are in the process. You need to log back in and complete the submission. Go through all the steps again and make sure you get to the actual confirmation page at the end where you sign electronically. This happens to a lot of people because the FAFSA correction process has multiple steps and it's easy to think you've finished when you haven't.

This happened to me too! I thought I submitted my correction but it was just sitting there for like 2 weeks before I realized nothing had actually been processed. The system should really make it more obvious when you haven't completed all the steps!!

To clarify what others have said: yes, this status means your corrections haven't been officially submitted yet. The good news is that your work should be saved in the system - you'll just need to pick up where you left off. The FAFSA correction process requires you to: 1. Make your corrections 2. Review all sections (even ones you didn't change) 3. Sign electronically with your FSA ID 4. Submit the final form Many people miss steps 3 or 4. When you log back in, you should be able to continue the correction process. Just keep clicking through until you reach the submission confirmation page. The system will then update to show 'FAFSA Correction Submitted' once properly completed.

I HATE THE STUPID FAFSA WEBSITE!!! Every year it's something different that goes wrong. Last year they lost my parent's tax info and this year the verification process took 3 MONTHS. Now I'm seeing this post and realizing maybe my corrections from last month never went through either?? Gonna check right now...

Had the exact same issue last month when updating my income information. What's happening is your corrections are SAVED but not SUBMITTED. When you log back in, you'll need to: 1. Go to the FAFSA correction option 2. It will show your in-progress correction 3. Click through ALL pages (even if you don't need to change anything else) 4. Get to the signature page 5. Electronically sign with your FSA ID 6. Hit submit on the final confirmation page Only then will your status update to "FAFSA Correction Submitted" and eventually "FAFSA Correction Processed" (which took about 3 days for me). If you're having trouble reaching someone at Federal Student Aid to confirm this (their phone lines are always jammed), I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent was able to confirm my correction had been properly submitted and gave me an estimate for processing time.

UPDATE: I logged back in and you all were right! My corrections were saved but I hadn't completed the final steps. I had to click through each section again, then sign electronically, and then hit the final submit button. Now my status shows "FAFSA Correction Submitted" so I'm just waiting for it to be processed. Thanks everyone for your help - would have missed my school's priority deadline without your advice!

this whole system is so stupid. why cant they just make it simple?? every year its something else smh

Did this affect your Student Aid Index? My daughter had to correct some tax info and her SAI went up by like $4,000 which is making me worried about her financial aid package...

Just wanted to add that this is such a common issue - I work at a college financial aid office and we see this ALL the time. Students think they've submitted their corrections but they're stuck in "Started" status. The FAFSA system really needs better user interface design to make it clearer when you haven't actually completed the submission process. For anyone else reading this, always look for that final confirmation page that gives you a confirmation number - that's your proof it actually went through. And definitely check your status a day or two after you think you submitted to make sure it shows "Submitted" not just "Started"!

I'm so glad you got this resolved! This is exactly why I always bookmark the FAFSA status page and check it obsessively after making any changes. The number of times I've seen friends miss deadlines because they thought something was submitted when it wasn't is honestly scary. For anyone else dealing with this - another tip is to print or screenshot that final confirmation page once you do get it submitted. Having that confirmation number saved somewhere gives you peace of mind and proof if there are ever any questions later. The FAFSA process is stressful enough without having to worry about whether your forms actually made it through the system!

As a newcomer who just went through this exact same panic last week, I can totally relate to your frustration! The FAFSA correction process is so confusing - I also thought I had submitted mine but it was stuck on "Started" for days. What helped me was going back to the main FAFSA page and looking for the "Continue FAFSA Correction" button rather than starting over. It took me right back to where I left off and I could see exactly which steps I still needed to complete. The electronic signature part is definitely the step most people miss! Also, pro tip: once you do get it properly submitted, you'll get an email confirmation within a few hours, so that's another way to double-check that it actually went through. Good luck with your priority deadline - you've got this!

As someone who just discovered this community while frantically googling FAFSA issues at 2am, THANK YOU ALL for this thread! I'm literally in the exact same boat - made corrections last week thinking I was done, only to realize today that my status is still stuck on "Started." Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a lifesaver. I was starting to panic thinking I'd have to redo everything from scratch, but now I know to look for that "Continue FAFSA Correction" option and make sure I actually complete all the steps including the electronic signature. It's honestly ridiculous how confusing they make this process, especially when so much is riding on getting it right. Definitely going to take everyone's advice about screenshotting the confirmation page once I finally get it submitted properly!

Welcome to the FAFSA correction nightmare club! 😅 I just went through this exact same thing a few months ago and it's SO frustrating. The interface really doesn't make it clear that there are multiple steps after you think you're "done." One thing that helped me was setting a phone reminder to check my FAFSA status 24-48 hours after I thought I submitted anything. That way I could catch these issues early instead of finding out weeks later. Also, if you're still having trouble getting through to Federal Student Aid, try calling right when they open (8am EST) - the wait times are usually shorter then. Really glad you got it figured out before your deadline! This thread is going to help so many other students who run into the same issue.

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm currently dealing with my first ever FAFSA correction and was completely lost when I saw my status stuck on "Started" for the past week. I had no idea there were so many hidden steps in the process - the electronic signature requirement especially wasn't obvious to me at all. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a relief because I was starting to think I had somehow broken the system or that my corrections had been lost entirely. The step-by-step breakdown that several people provided is exactly what I needed to understand where I went wrong. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about taking screenshots of confirmation pages and setting reminders to check my status after making any changes. It's honestly frustrating that something as critical as financial aid has such a confusing user interface, but I'm so grateful to have found this community where people actually help each other navigate these challenges. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - you're probably saving countless students from missing important deadlines!

As someone who just joined this community after running into the exact same FAFSA correction issue, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their experiences! I've been stressing out for the past three days thinking my corrections disappeared into the void, but now I understand that "Started" status just means I didn't complete all the final steps. The breakdown of the submission process that several people provided is incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the electronic signature requirement or that you have to review ALL sections even if you only changed one thing. It's pretty ridiculous that the FAFSA system doesn't make this clearer, but at least now I know what to look for. I'm definitely going to follow everyone's advice about screenshotting the confirmation page and checking my status within 24-48 hours. The tip about calling FSA early in the morning is also gold - I tried calling yesterday evening and gave up after an hour on hold. Really appreciate this community for helping newcomers navigate these confusing processes!