FAFSA processed but no SAI calculation yet - single parent worried about Pell Grant eligibility

mine did this too! sat there for like 6 weeks then said processed but no sai. check if u got an email maybe? they sent me something saying i needed to verify my income even tho the fafsa itself didnt say anything about corrections

This is a fairly common issue this year with the new FAFSA system. When your application shows as "processed" but no SAI appears, it usually means one of three things: 1. There's a verification hold that wasn't properly communicated to you 2. There's a data mismatch between your information and IRS records 3. The system processed your application but had a technical error calculating the SAI Since you're a single parent with income below the poverty threshold, you should absolutely qualify for the full Pell Grant ($7,395 for the 2025-2026 year). The fact that no corrections are required is actually a good sign. I recommend taking two immediate steps: 1. Log in to studentaid.gov and check the "Messages" section, not just your email 2. Contact your community college's financial aid office - they may be able to see more details about your FAFSA status than you can see Don't panic yet - this is fixable!

As someone who works with financial aid applications, I'm seeing this exact issue more frequently with the new FAFSA system. Your schools should still be able to access your information and process your aid package even with this glitch. One thing to check: Did you file taxes for 2023? For the 2025-26 FAFSA, they're looking at your 2023 tax information. If you weren't required to file due to low income, the system sometimes has trouble calculating the SAI, but this doesn't mean you won't receive aid. Based on your income level, you should qualify for the maximum Pell Grant. I suggest contacting your school's financial aid office as soon as possible. They can often see information on their end that isn't visible to you and can help resolve this issue.

THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO ME!!!! I submitted in January too and it just now says processed but NO SAI NUMBER! This new FAFSA is a COMPLETE DISASTER and they expect us to somehow figure it out?? I've called the Federal Student Aid number SEVENTEEN TIMES and either get disconnected or sit on hold until I have to go to work. My situation is different (not a single parent) but I've been told by friends that if your income is below the threshold, you should automatically get the full Pell Grant. The fact that we can't see our SAI is just another example of this entire system being BROKEN. I'm so frustrated I could scream!

When I had a similar problem last month (processed but no SAI), I tried calling FSA for days with no luck - constant disconnects and endless hold times. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ When I finally talked to an agent, they confirmed my application was complete but explained there was a system lag in displaying the SAI. They manually confirmed my Pell Grant eligibility based on my income, which gave me peace of mind while waiting for the system to update. Might be worth trying if you can't get answers from your school.

my cousin had this happen but it was cuz she checked the wrong box for something. did you say you were a dependent when you should be independent since ur a single parent? that could mess it up. or maybe u entered your kid as a spouse by accident? just throwing ideas out there lol

Just as a follow-up - if your community college's financial aid office can't help, you should also check with your state's higher education agency. Some states have additional resources to help with FAFSA issues, especially for applicants likely to qualify for full Pell Grants. One more thing to check: Did you link your tax information directly using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, or did you enter tax information manually? Sometimes manual entry creates these issues, even if you entered everything correctly. Given your income level and status as a single parent, I'm confident you'll qualify for significant aid. It's just a matter of getting the system to properly process and display your information.

just wanted to say hang in there!! the financial aid system is SO hard to navigate especially for single parents. i was in your exact situation 2 years ago and eventually got it sorted out. you WILL get your pell grant!! sending positive vibes your way!

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with my community college's financial aid office and they were amazing! They could see my full FAFSA information on their end, including my SAI (which is 0)! The advisor said this means I qualify for the maximum Pell Grant amount. She explained that there's a known issue with the studentaid.gov website not displaying SAI values for some applicants, but the schools can still see it and process aid packages. She said I don't need to do anything else and they'll be sending my official aid package in about 2 weeks. Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions! Such a relief to know this was just a display issue and not something wrong with my application.