FAFSA processed but college claims no 'concerns list' - financial aid package delayed until May?

Same boat. Submitted Jan 12, processed March 18. Called my daughter's school yesterday and they said they ARE working from some kind of list but it's not complete. They're prioritizing current students first, then incoming freshmen. Still no package for us.

The Federal Student Aid office did distribute what they're calling a "processing status list" to all participating institutions on March 24th. This list identifies which student FAFSAs have been fully processed with correct SAI calculations and which ones might still have issues. If your school claims they didn't receive it, they should contact their FSA administrator immediately. The Department of Education has been clear that schools should be able to start generating aid packages for students on the "clear" list right away. The timeline your son's school gave isn't unusual though. Many financial aid offices are extremely backed up due to all the FAFSA delays this year. Some schools are prioritizing by enrollment status or deposit status.

The whole system is a JOKE this year!!! My daughter's FAFSA was processed in February but her college STILL says they don't have access to it!!! I've called FSA 18 TIMES and either get disconnected or wait for 2+ hours!!! How are families supposed to make LIFE DECISIONS when no one can tell us anything????

I work in financial aid at a community college. Here's what's actually happening: Yes, FSA did send institutions a list on March 24th with the status of processed applications. However, many schools are having technical difficulties accessing and interpreting this list due to integration issues with their institutional software. Some schools may also be waiting for the next list update which should include more processed applications. Regarding timelines - there's significant variation between institutions. Some colleges (typically private ones with more financial aid staff) are processing packages now. Many public universities and community colleges are indeed looking at late April/early May timelines due to the extreme delays with this year's FAFSA rollout. If your student has competing offers and May deadlines, I recommend specifically requesting an expedited review based on competing offers. Many institutions will prioritize cases where students have documented deadline issues.

When I called my daughter's financial aid office about the same issue, they told me that the "list" everyone is talking about isn't actually a simple list - it's a data file that has to be imported into their systems. They said some schools are still working on the technical side of accessing that data, especially smaller colleges with limited IT resources. They also mentioned that they're prioritizing packages for students who have already paid deposits, which seems a bit backwards to me since how can we decide where to put deposits without knowing aid packages??? Have you paid a deposit at your son's primary choice yet? That might actually speed things up based on what I've learned.

my cousin works in financial aid and she said there buried under like a thousand applications bc of all the delays. she said some schools r just now getting the systems updated to even view the fafsa data correctly. its a mess everywhere

Update for everyone: I just received an email from our institution's FSA technical liaison confirming that ALL schools should now have access to the processing status list. If your school is claiming they don't have it, they need to check with their designated FSA administrator immediately. The key information schools need from this list is your student's correct SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation. Without that number, they cannot generate an accurate aid package. If your FAFSA shows as fully processed on studentaid.gov and displays an SAI, ask your financial aid office specifically if they can see your student's SAI in their system. For those with May 1 deposit deadlines who are still waiting for packages, many institutions are now extending deposit deadlines to June 1 because of the FAFSA delays. Check your school's admissions website or call the admissions office directly to ask about deadline extensions.

I'd like to clarify something important: The "processing status list" from FSA contains data for students with BOTH correct and potentially incorrect calculations. Schools are supposed to be able to identify which is which from the list. If your FAFSA shows as processed with an SAI on studentaid.gov, AND the school confirms they can see your SAI, there shouldn't be any technical barriers to generating your aid package. At this point, any further delays are likely due to the institution's internal processing capabilities and priorities, not FSA data access issues. For families facing deadlines, I recommend: 1. Email the financial aid director (not just calling the main office) 2. Include your student's ID number and SAI from studentaid.gov 3. Clearly state any competing offers and deadlines 4. Copy (cc) the admissions office on the email Documenting your communications this way creates accountability and often gets faster results.

i just called my brothers school again and they finally admited they have the list but said there understaffed and processing in alphabetical order... his last name starts with W so were probably screwed lolol