FAFSA delays causing financial aid package holdup - what are others experiencing?

You're definitely not alone. This FAFSA rollout has been a complete disaster. My son's in the same boat - accepted to 7 universities but only 2 have managed to provide aid packages. Here's what worked for us: 1. Email the financial aid offices directly explaining your situation and ask if they can provide a preliminary estimate based on last year's SAI formula or your 2022 tax info 2. Request deadline extensions - most schools are aware of the FAFSA issues and many are pushing back their decision deadlines 3. If you're comfortable, submit a small deposit to your top 1-2 choices to hold your spot while the aid packages come through The schools themselves are just as frustrated as we are. This isn't their fault - it's the Department of Education's botched rollout of the "simplified" FAFSA.

my kid got 1 aid packge out of 4 schools. the deadline extentions are helping but we stil dont know where to commit!! this is so stressful, were looking at loans just in case but how do we know how much we need?? terrible system this year!

As a financial aid counselor (though not speaking officially for my institution), I can tell you this situation is incredibly difficult for schools as well. We're getting thousands of calls from frustrated families but can't generate aid packages without complete FAFSA data. Some advice: 1. Most institutions are extending their deposit deadlines - if you haven't received official notice, ASK specifically for an extension 2. For schools using CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, they may be able to provide preliminary packages based on Profile data 3. If you're choosing between public universities in your state, their costs and aid structures are often similar - you might be able to make decisions based on that knowledge 4. Document EVERYTHING - save all emails, record dates of calls, keep track of submission confirmations This situation is unprecedented, and most schools are trying to be as accommodating as possible.

This rollout has been a complete DISASTER. I submitted in January too and my son's FAFSA has been "processed" for weeks but apparently there's some technical issue with how the info is being sent to schools. My son's first choice extended their deadline to May 15, but that's still not much time if we don't get packages soon. Someone should lose their job over this mess!

If you're having trouble getting through to FSA on the phone, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They basically hold your place in the phone queue and call you when an actual human agent is ready to talk. Saved me hours of waiting and disconnected calls. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ When I finally got through, I found out there was an issue with how my daughter's FAFSA data was being transmitted to colleges. The agent was able to fix it on their end, and schools started receiving her information within 48 hours. Might be worth trying if you're still stuck.

Has anyone tried reaching out to their congressional representative? I was at my wits' end last week and emailed my congressman's office explaining the situation. Their constituent services person called me back THE NEXT DAY and said they're hearing from hundreds of families in our district. They took our info and said they'd reach out to the Department of Education on our behalf. No resolution yet, but it felt good to at least have someone acknowledge the problem and try to help.

i heard some schools r giving aid packages based on the old formula if u send them ur tax returns directly. we tried with 2 schools but only 1 agreed to do it. better than nothing i guess

Update: The Department of Education just announced they're implementing emergency procedures to speed up FAFSA processing. Schools should start receiving backlogged data within the next week. They're also allowing schools to create aid packages with incomplete FAFSA data using professional judgment. Call your top choice schools and specifically ask if they're implementing these emergency procedures. Not all schools will, but many are trying to get aid packages out ASAP using these new flexibilities.

THIS IS WHY WE NEED ALTERNATIVES TO FAFSA! The CSS Profile schools seem to be handling things better. Government education bureaucracy at its finest - "simplify" the form and break the entire system. Meanwhile families are taking on extra debt or making uninformed decisions because of their incompetence.