FAFSA delays preventing college decision - May 1st deposit deadline looming

Unfortunately, this is happening to a lot of families this year. The FAFSA redesign has caused massive delays in processing applications. The FSA phone line (1-800-433-3243) is overwhelmed, which is why you were on hold so long. Have you contacted the financial aid offices at each school directly? Many colleges are aware of the delays and have their own contingency plans. Some are extending deposit deadlines or allowing provisional deposits that can be refunded later once aid packages are finalized.

we r in the same boat!!! submitted in january still nothing. my daughter might have to skip fall semester bcuz we cant make any decision w/out knowing aid amounts. this new fafsa is the WORST

I was in the same position last week and I was absolutely going CRAZY trying to get through on the Federal Student Aid phone lines. After trying for days and getting disconnected multiple times, I tried this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that someone in my son's college Facebook group recommended. It held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me from hours of waiting on hold and I finally got our application status updated. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ When I finally spoke with the FSA rep, they found a verification flag on our application that wasn't showing up in the online portal. They were able to clear it and our SAI was processed within 48 hours.

I work in a college financial aid office, and I can tell you this is unfortunately widespread. The FAFSA redesign has created significant processing delays. A few recommendations for your situation: 1. Request a deposit deadline extension from each school, specifically mentioning the FAFSA delays. Many institutions are making accommodations. 2. Ask about institutional methodology aid options. Some schools can provide preliminary aid estimates using CSS Profile or their own forms while waiting for the official SAI from FAFSA. 3. Contact the subscription college directly about extending the refund deadline due to these extraordinary circumstances. Document all communications. 4. If you do reach FSA, ask specifically about any 'hold codes' on your application. Sometimes there are verification requirements that weren't clearly communicated.

My nephew had this exact problem!! His application was stuck for over a month. Make sure there's no verification required! Sometimes the system needs additional documents but doesn't notify you properly. Also check if all contributors completed their sections if you have multiple parents/guardians.

The entire system is broken. Period. This FAFSA "simplification" is a disaster and no one in government wants to admit it. My daughter is a first-gen college student and we've been waiting since JANUARY with no end in sight. Schools don't care either - they just want their money by May 1 regardless of whether the federal government got their act together. It's criminal forcing families to make blind financial decisions!!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at Federal Student Aid this morning! It turns out there was a discrepancy between the tax information we entered and what the IRS had on file. The representative helped us correct it right on the call. She said we should see our SAI score within 3-5 business days. I've already contacted the school with the subscription service, and amazingly, they agreed to extend our refund deadline by two weeks due to the FAFSA issues! I'm so relieved we'll be able to make an informed decision now. Thank you all for your advice and support!

@user7 - Seriously, try the Claimyr service I mentioned. It's the only reason I got through after weeks of trying. The FAFSA situation this year is unprecedented, and normal methods of contact just aren't working.