FAFSA correction showing 'Started' but not 'Submitted' - am I missing something?
I made some changes to my FAFSA form two days ago (on April 14th), but when I check the status tracker, it only shows 'FAFSA Correction Started' with a checkmark. Steps 2 and 3 ('FAFSA Correction Submitted' and 'FAFSA Correction Processed') are still incomplete. Does this mean my corrections weren't actually submitted? I thought I clicked the submit button, but maybe I missed something? I'm worried because my school's priority deadline for financial aid is coming up next week and I need to make sure my updated SAI gets to them in time. Has anyone had this happen before?
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Dmitry Smirnov
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.
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Sofia Perez
AuthorUgh, seriously?? I spent like an hour making those corrections! So frustrating. I'll log back in today and try to figure out where I left off. Do you know if my previous work should still be saved or will I have to start over completely?
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ElectricDreamer
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!!
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Sofia Perez
Author2 weeks?! That's terrifying. At least I caught it relatively quickly. Did you have to redo everything or were your changes saved?
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ElectricDreamer
Your stuff should still be saved! I didn't have to redo everything, just had to go through each section again (quickly) to get to the end where you actually submit. Make sure you do the signature part too!
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Ava Johnson
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.
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Sofia Perez
AuthorThank you for breaking this down! I'll definitely make sure to complete all steps this time. I think I must have missed the signature part at the end. Really appreciate the help!
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Miguel Diaz
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...
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Zainab Ahmed
same. their website is the WORST. crashed 4 times when i was trying to submit my original app
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Ava Johnson
The website can definitely be frustrating. Make sure you're using a supported browser (Chrome and Firefox work best) and try clearing your cache if you experience technical issues. For verification issues, reaching out directly to Federal Student Aid can help expedite the process.
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Connor Byrne
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.
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Sofia Perez
AuthorThis is super helpful, thank you! I'm logging in now to finish the process. I'll check out that service too if I have any more issues - the FSA phone lines are always a nightmare to deal with.
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Yara Abboud
does that claimyr thing actually work? ive literally never gotten through to a real person at fafsa no matter how long i wait
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Connor Byrne
Yeah, it actually does. I was skeptical too but I was desperate after waiting on hold for 2+ hours across multiple days. Got through to someone in like 7 minutes. Definitely worth it when you're dealing with urgent FAFSA deadlines.
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Sofia Perez
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!
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Dmitry Smirnov
Awesome! Glad you got it sorted out. The processing usually takes 3-5 business days, so you should be all set before your deadline.
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Miguel Diaz
this is why i always take screenshots of confirmation pages now!!! burned too many times by thinking i submitted something when i didnt
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Zainab Ahmed
this whole system is so stupid. why cant they just make it simple?? every year its something else smh
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PixelPioneer
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...
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Ava Johnson
Tax information corrections can definitely impact the SAI calculation. If her income or asset information was updated significantly, this could explain the change. You might want to contact your daughter's school's financial aid office to discuss how this might affect her aid package. Some schools have appeal processes if there are special circumstances.
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Caden Nguyen
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"!
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