FAFSA processed 2 months ago but no financial aid offers from any schools yet - normal?
My daughter's FAFSA was processed on February 10th and we've heard absolutely nothing from any schools. She applied to 8 colleges and committed to one already because May 1st deadline was approaching, but still no financial aid package! My son (currently in college) got his aid package within 3 weeks of FAFSA processing. We did submit a correction about 18 days ago because we realized we entered my retirement contribution incorrectly. Could this be why we're still waiting? Is it normal to wait this long without hearing ANYTHING from ANY schools? She can't make a final decision without knowing what aid she'll receive. Getting really anxious as tuition deposits are due soon!
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Oscar Murphy
same thing happening to my kid. submitted jan 15, nothing from 5 of 6 schools. only got 1 offer last week. something is def wrong with fafsa this year!!!
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Jasmine Quinn
•It's so frustrating! Did you call any of the schools? I'm wondering if I should start calling all 8 financial aid offices or if that would annoy them.
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Nora Bennett
The 2025-2026 FAFSA rollout has been exceptionally delayed this year. Schools are receiving data much later than normal, and the correction you submitted would have reset your place in the processing queue. Schools typically need 2-4 weeks after receiving complete FAFSA data to generate aid packages. I'd recommend contacting the school she committed to directly - they can often give you a timeline and may be able to expedite her package since she's committed. The other schools may not prioritize her file if she hasn't committed to them.
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Jasmine Quinn
•Thank you! I didn't realize the correction would put us at the back of the line. I'll call her top choice tomorrow morning.
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Ryan Andre
This hapened with my nephew to. He sent FASFA in Decemeber and didnt here anything till like two days before he had to decide. Its dumb they expect kids to commit without knowing what they can afford!!
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Lauren Zeb
•That's why I tell EVERYONE to apply for outside scholarships early! FAFSA is always a mess, but this year is next-level chaos. My daughter applied to 47 local scholarships last fall and has already secured $12,500 regardless of what FAFSA eventually decides. Don't put all your eggs in the federal aid basket!
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Daniel Washington
Financial aid counselor here. This year has seen unprecedented delays in FAFSA processing. The SAI (Student Aid Index) calculations are taking longer, and schools are receiving student information much later than normal. Some important points: 1. Your correction definitely reset your place in line. Corrections are currently taking 15-21 days to process. 2. Most schools won't generate a financial aid package until they have your complete, corrected FAFSA data. 3. If your daughter has committed to a school, call their financial aid office directly. Explain the situation and ask for a preliminary aid estimate while you wait for the official package. 4. You can request an extension on the tuition deposit if financial aid is still pending - many schools are granting these this year due to the FAFSA delays. 5. Check your studentaid.gov account to verify the correction is complete and that there are no flags requiring verification.
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Jasmine Quinn
•This is so helpful, thank you! I just checked studentaid.gov and it says "processing" for the correction. I'll definitely call the school she committed to tomorrow and ask about an extension on the deposit. I'm worried they'll say no since she already committed, but it's worth asking.
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Aurora Lacasse
Not to be THE pessimist here, but this FAFSA rollout has been an absolute disaster. The Department of Education keeps claiming things are "fixed" but clearly they're not. My son's application was "processed" 10 weeks ago and we STILL had to provide verification documents last week! The system is completely broken and there's zero accountability. I've spent HOURS on hold trying to speak to someone at Federal Student Aid. Complete waste of time.
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Anthony Young
•I was in the same boat last month trying to reach FSA about verification issues. After getting disconnected 4 times, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through. They held my place in line and had an agent call me back instead of waiting on hold. Saved me so much frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Finally got my verification issues sorted out and our aid package came through a week later.
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Lauren Zeb
Having worked through FAFSA issues with all three of my kids, here's what you need to do: 1. Call the school where she submitted her deposit FIRST - they have the most incentive to help you 2. Ask specifically for an "estimated aid package" based on your SAI if it's available 3. Request a deposit extension in writing, citing FAFSA delays 4. Check if there are any supplemental forms you missed - some schools require the CSS Profile or institutional forms in addition to FAFSA 5. The correction you submitted means your application is essentially new from the system's perspective Most importantly - be persistent but polite with financial aid offices. They're overwhelmed this year too.
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Jasmine Quinn
•Thank you for the detailed steps! I didn't even think about checking for supplemental forms. I'll make sure to ask about the CSS Profile when I call tomorrow. Do you know if I can see my daughter's SAI score somewhere in the studentaid.gov portal before the schools do? That would help me estimate what to expect.
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Lauren Zeb
•Yes! Once processing is complete, the SAI appears on the confirmation page when you log into studentaid.gov. Click on "View Student Aid Report (SAR)" and look for a number labeled SAI. Remember, lower numbers mean more aid eligibility. If you can't find it, ask the school - they can usually see it before you can in the system.
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Ryan Andre
my dauhgter got all her aid letters within 2 weeks of submitting fasfa so idk why yours is taking so long maybe theres a problem with ur application?
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Nora Bennett
•When did your daughter submit her FAFSA? Applications processed in January-February were handled much more quickly than later submissions. Additionally, the system is prioritizing first-time applicants over renewals in some cases. The correction the poster submitted would have also significantly delayed processing.
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Oscar Murphy
Just an update- we finally got financial aid from 2 more schools today!! Took almost 3 months total. Hang in there!!
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Jasmine Quinn
•That gives me hope! Did they give you any explanation for the delay when the offers finally came through?
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Oscar Murphy
•nope just finally showed up in her student portals. no explanation or anything. the amounts are way less than we expected too 😫
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Daniel Washington
Quick follow-up advice: if you need to make decisions soon, you can request a professional judgment review from the financial aid office at your daughter's chosen school. Explain that you need to make enrollment decisions but FAFSA delays are preventing this. In many cases, they can provide a preliminary package based on last year's data while waiting for the official FAFSA to process. Make sure to document all communications with financial aid offices in case you need to appeal later.
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Jasmine Quinn
•Thank you! I'll specifically ask about a professional judgment review. I appreciate everyone's help - I feel much more prepared to call the financial aid office tomorrow.
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AstroAdventurer
I'm going through the exact same situation! My FAFSA was processed in mid-February and I've only heard from 2 out of 7 schools. The waiting is so stressful, especially with deposit deadlines looming. I called one school last week and they said they're backed up due to the FAFSA issues this year and to expect another 2-3 weeks. It's crazy that we're expected to make such huge financial decisions without knowing what aid we'll actually receive. Definitely going to try calling the school I'm most interested in and ask about a preliminary estimate like others have suggested here.
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Logan Chiang
•I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one dealing with this! It really is stressful trying to make such a big decision without knowing the financial picture. That's a good idea to ask for a preliminary estimate - I'm planning to do the same tomorrow morning. Have you considered asking for a deposit extension too? Some people mentioned that schools are being more flexible this year because of all the FAFSA delays. Fingers crossed we both get some answers soon!
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