FAFSA parent signature completed but application stuck in review - can't add schools yet

same thing happened to my son last month! took about 3 days for the review to finish after parent sig was done. then he could add schools. the whole system is messed up this year

Yes, this is completely normal for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The signature verification is a separate process from the overall application review. The parent signature must be fully verified before your student can add any schools - this is part of the new security protocols. Typically, the signature verification takes 2-5 business days, after which the status will change from "review" to "processed" and the SAI (Student Aid Index) will be calculated. Only after this is complete can schools be added. Unfortunately, there's no way to expedite this specific part of the process.

my kids fasfa was stuck for like 2 weeks after i signed it. something about verification?? ended up having to upload my tax forms even though i did the irs data transfer thing. check your email/message center maybe theres something they need

This is actually by design in the new FAFSA system. When a parent signature is added or corrected, the system will: 1. First verify the parent's identity and FSA ID connection 2. Then authenticate the signature against the application 3. Run a preliminary verification check on the tax information 4. Generate the SAI calculation Only after ALL these steps can schools be added to receive the processed FAFSA data. The system prevents school selection during this review to ensure only finalized data is transmitted. For schools with upcoming deadlines, I recommend contacting their financial aid offices directly. Most schools are aware of the FAFSA delays this year and have procedures for conditional consideration while waiting for FAFSA processing to complete. You can ask for a deadline extension or conditional review based on your pending FAFSA status. Be prepared to provide proof that you've submitted and are simply waiting for processing.

I was stuck in this exact situation last month with my son's FAFSA. After waiting 4 days with no progress, I tried calling the Federal Student Aid hotline but couldn't get through after sitting on hold for over an hour. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get a callback from an FSA agent instead of waiting on hold. They were able to check our application status and confirm it was just in the normal review queue with no issues flagged. The agent told me that parent signature verification takes 3-7 business days on average, but she noted our application for priority processing. The next day it moved to processed status and we could add schools. You can see how the service works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Might be worth trying if you're really worried about those deadlines.

The FAFSA system this year is COMPLETE GARBAGE. My daughter's application has been "under review" for TWO WEEKS after I corrected my signature issue. Meanwhile her priority scholarship deadline passed and they wouldn't extend it!!! $7000 down the drain because this stupid broken system can't process a signature in a reasonable timeframe. I've called FSA six times and get different answers every time. One agent told me there's a huge backlog, another said there was an "issue" but wouldn't tell me what it was, a third said everything looked fine and to just keep waiting. I HATE THIS SYSTEM.

Update: Just wanted to share that our application moved from "review" to "processed" this morning! It took exactly 3 business days after my dad's signature was added. My daughter was able to add all her schools. We also followed the advice to contact the financial aid offices at the schools with close deadlines, and they were very understanding. Both granted us extensions since we could prove we had submitted the FAFSA and were just waiting for processing. Thanks everyone for your help!