FAFSA data transfer to colleges - any schools actually receiving student information yet?

I work in financial aid at a public university in the Midwest. We just started receiving FAFSA data files last week, but the process is EXTREMELY slow compared to previous years. We've only received about 15% of what we'd normally have by this point in the cycle. The Department of Education is releasing batches of FAFSA data incrementally to avoid system overloads. My advice: Don't panic yet, but do call your schools directly to confirm if they've received your specific FAFSA. Most schools understand the delays this year and are adjusting their internal deadlines accordingly, even if they haven't updated their published deadlines.

Financial aid counselor at a private college here. We're seeing exactly what the previous poster mentioned - very limited data coming through. The FSA announced they're prioritizing Pell-eligible students first in the data transmission, so if your SAI indicates Pell eligibility, your info might arrive at schools sooner. For any school with a March 1 deadline, I strongly recommend you email them specifically mentioning you've completed the FAFSA and include your SAI score in that email. Most institutions have created workaround processes for this cycle specifically because of the FAFSA delays. Don't just assume they'll adjust automatically.

To answer your follow-up question - the backlog varies by region and institution type. Some schools report receiving nothing yet, while others (particularly large state systems) have started getting data. About institutional aid - this is where I'd DEFINITELY contact your schools. Many institutions are creating separate processes for their institutional funds knowing the FAFSA delays aren't students' fault. Regarding the comment below - yes, schools ARE receiving data, just very slowly. If you completed your FAFSA, I'd recommend contacting your financial aid office directly with your confirmation number and SAI (if you received it). The automated reminders are probably going out to everyone who hasn't been marked as complete in their system yet.

As someone who tried calling FSA multiple times about this exact issue, I FINALLY got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 12 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent confirmed they're releasing data to schools in batches based on several factors. She could tell me exactly which schools had received my data and which were still pending. Worth checking out their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ if you're struggling to get answers directly from FSA.

MY DAUGHTER IS HAVIN THE SAME PROBLEM!!!! She got her SAI number (which seems WAY too high btw, we're not rich!) but NONE of her schools have her FAFSA yet. Her first choice school said they haven't gotten ANY student FAFSA data yet and told her not to worry about the March 1 deadline. But what about scholarships??? Its so FRUSTRATING!!! The whole system is broken!!!!!

So I actually just heard from my first-choice school yesterday! They confirmed they received my FAFSA data on February 5th, but they also mentioned they're only getting about 50-100 student records per day from the Department of Education (they normally would have thousands by now). The financial aid officer said they're prioritizing processing Pell-eligible students first, then students with the earliest financial aid deadlines. One helpful thing - they said if I can provide my SAI calculation, they can start a preliminary aid package even if they don't have my complete FAFSA data yet. Maybe ask your schools if they're doing something similar?

my school just emailed me 2day saying they still dont have my fafsa but they extended all their deadlines by a month. they said there using a ISIR system to get the data? idk what that means but maybe other schools are doing the same thing

I work at a community college financial aid office, and we've received exactly ZERO FAFSA records so far for 2025-2026. The Department of Education told us larger universities are getting priority in the data distribution. We've been told to expect our first batch of ISIRs sometime next week. This is without question the worst FAFSA rollout I've experienced in my 14 years in financial aid. The entire system needs to be overhauled. Students are bearing the brunt of governmental incompetence.

Update: I finally reached one of my schools by phone today. They confirmed they've received some FAFSA data but are still waiting on most student records. The representative checked my specific status and said they don't have my information yet, but assured me they're adjusting all their internal deadlines. She advised me to email their office with my name, ID number, the date I submitted my FAFSA, and my SAI score. Apparently, they're creating a tracking list for students who have completed the FAFSA but whose data hasn't arrived yet. They'll use this to prioritize processing once they do receive the data. Thank you everyone for your helpful comments! This has been really stressful but at least I know I'm not alone in this situation.