FAFSA perpetual review status - how long is normal for 2025-2026 applications?

The 2025-2026 FAFSA has had significant processing delays compared to previous years. What you're experiencing isn't unusual - many applications are taking 6-8 weeks for the initial review. The Department of Education announced expanded verification requirements that are slowing things down. You can check if there are any specific issues by going to the "Messages" section of your son's studentaid.gov account. If there's a problem requiring additional documentation, they would notify you there. Also make sure all schools have been properly added to his application. For your daughter's future application, I'd recommend submitting as close to October 1st as possible to allow for these extended processing times.

my sons was in review for almost 2 months!! the system is totally broken this year. keep checking every few days but dont expect anything soon

6 weeks is nothing lol. My daughter's has been in review since September 29th. Almost 10 weeks now! Called FSA 3 times but get disconnected after waiting for hours. This whole process is ridiculous. What are our kids supposed to do if they don't know their aid packages until after decision deadlines?? The colleges wont even look at the applications until the SAI score comes through.

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to a FAFSA agent? I was in the same situation with my application stuck in review for 7 weeks. I used claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. The agent was able to tell me there was a flag on our application that needed to be addressed. You can see how it works in their video demo here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Really saved us a ton of time and stress since we were approaching deadlines too.

Don't panic yet! Here's some practical advice from someone who works with financial aid: 1. For your son's current application: Contact each college's financial aid office directly and explain the FAFSA is processing. Most schools have procedures for this situation and may offer provisional financial aid packages or deadline extensions. 2. Document everything: Take screenshots of the submission confirmation and review status. 3. For your daughter: The Better FAFSA Act should be fully implemented by then, which should streamline the process considerably. The 2025-2026 FAFSA has been particularly problematic because they overhauled the entire system, switching from EFC to SAI calculations. This affects how parent contributions and multiple-student households are calculated.

I experienced these same delays with my twins' FAFSAs. After 7 weeks, I discovered their applications were flagged for verification (about 35% of applications get selected). The issue is that the verification request notification was sent to THEIR student aid accounts, not to me as the parent contributor, so I had no idea! Make sure your son checks his studentaid.gov account messages, not just yours. The Department of Education is prioritizing applications based on financial need indicators and verification requirements. If your income is in the middle range, you might experience longer waits than very high or very low-income families.

wait im confused...the 2025-2026 FAFSA isnt even open for applications yet?? its still only 2024 lol

THIS IS THE WORST FAFSA CYCLE EVER!!! My daughter's application has been "in review" for 9 weeks - we're way past all the early action deadlines and heading into regular decision with NO FINANCIAL AID INFO! How are families supposed to make decisions? The schools won't even tell us if she'll get institutional aid without the SAI score. I've called FSA literally 23 times and either get disconnected or told "it's processing, just wait" WHAT A JOKE!!!!!

When I logged into the student portal last week, there was actually a banner saying average processing times are currently 6-8 weeks. They're supposedly prioritizing applications for students with earlier college deadlines, but I'm not seeing evidence of that. One thing to note: if your son has stepsiblings or half-siblings who are also in college, or if you have more complicated tax situations (business income, rental properties, etc.), those applications typically take longer to process because of the new contribution calculation formulas under the SAI system.

To address your follow-up question about contacting FSA: Yes, at 6+ weeks it's reasonable to try reaching out. The rental income could indeed trigger additional review time under the new Student Aid Index methodology. If you decide to call FSA, be prepared for long wait times (1-2 hours is common) or repeated disconnections. Their call volume is extremely high right now. When you do get through, ask specifically if there are any flags or issues with the application rather than just asking about status. Alternatively, many colleges will work with families whose FAFSAs are still processing. Contact your son's financial aid offices directly with proof of FAFSA submission (screenshot the confirmation) and they may be able to extend their internal deadlines or provide provisional aid packages.

I'm going through the exact same thing! My FAFSA has been in review for 5 weeks now and I'm getting really anxious about my college deadlines. Reading through all these responses is both reassuring and terrifying - it sounds like this is just the new normal with the updated FAFSA system. I had no idea about checking the student account messages separately from the parent account, so I'm definitely going to do that tonight. Has anyone had success with the college financial aid offices being flexible about deadlines when you show them proof of FAFSA submission? I'm worried about missing out on merit aid opportunities while we wait for this to process.