FAFSA processed for one child but not the other - submitted at same time?

My kids had similar situation last year. Daughter processed in 2 weeks, son took 7 weeks even tho submitted same day. No idea why but both got packages eventually

That's actually reassuring to hear! Did they both get similar packages despite the different processing times?

This is actually pretty common right now. FAFSA is processing applications in batches that don't necessarily follow submission order. Factors that can affect processing time include:\n\n- Whether verification is required (random selection)\n- If there are data inconsistencies that need manual review\n- System prioritization of incoming freshmen (this is real)\n- Different institutional reporting requirements\n\nYour son likely received no email because many notification systems are still experiencing delays with the new FAFSA rollout. I recommend checking both portals every 2-3 days rather than waiting for emails.

Thank you for explaining! I had no idea they were prioritizing freshmen applications - that makes sense now. Is there any way to check if my daughter's application needs verification or has inconsistencies?

OMG the exact SAME THING happened with my twins!!!! One got processed in like 3 weeks and the other is STILL waiting after 6 weeks. Called studentaid.gov like 10 times and nobody can tell me why. So frustrating!! Starting to worry the unprocessed one won't get as much aid because of it. The system is broken.

The processing time doesn't affect aid amounts - schools can't finalize packages until May anyway. But I understand your frustration with the lack of communication. If it's been over 6 weeks, you might want to check if there's an issue by requesting a status update directly through your school's financial aid office.

After dozens of failed attempts calling FSA, I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connected me to an actual agent in under 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent explained that my kids' applications were in different processing batches despite being submitted a day apart. There's a video demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - definitely worth it when you need answers about weird processing situations like this.

Does this actually work? Im on hold with fafsa for 3hrs yesterday and got disconnected AGAIN

Yes! That's exactly what happened to me - 2+ hour holds ending in disconnects. Claimyr had me talking to someone in 15 minutes. They use some kind of system that navigates the phone tree and holds your place in line.

This is the new normal with FAFSA. your supposed to get emails but half the time they dont send them lol. check both portal accounts every few days. processing has nothing to do with aid amounts anyway so dont worry. my brothers app took 9 weeks last year and he still got full pell grant

Thanks for the reassurance! I'll keep checking both portals regularly.

To specifically answer your questions:\n\n1. Yes, he should have received an email notification, but the notification system has been unreliable this cycle. This is a known issue.\n\n2. There are several legitimate reasons for different processing times:\n - First-time applications often go through faster than renewals right now\n - Your daughter's application might require additional verification (randomly selected)\n - They might be processing by institution, and your son's selected colleges might be in an earlier batch\n - Different data elements can trigger different review processes\n\nI suggest waiting another week, then contact your daughter's financial aid office (not FAFSA directly) to check if there are any flags on her application. They can often see more details about pending status than what appears on the studentaid.gov portal.

Thank you - this is really helpful! I'll contact her financial aid office next week if we don't see any status change. It's strange that renewal applications might take longer than new ones.

It does seem counterintuitive! The renewal delay issue appears to be related to how the new FAFSA system is comparing prior year data with current submissions. New applicants don't have that comparison happening in the background.

My daughter's application sat \

Two months?! That's so stressful. Glad to hear the aid amounts aren't impacted by processing order though.

Update: I checked with a colleague who works in financial aid processing. They confirmed freshmen applications are indeed being prioritized in many processing queues this year because of the FAFSA simplification delays. The good news is nearly all applications submitted before March 1st should be processed by April 15th, so your daughter's should be completed very soon.

That's a huge relief! Thank you so much for checking on this. I'll try to be patient for another couple weeks.

I'm dealing with this exact situation too! My son's FAFSA was processed in early March but my daughter's has been sitting "In Progress" since mid-February. Reading through these comments has been so helpful - I had no idea about the batching system or that renewals might take longer. The lack of communication from FSA is definitely frustrating, but it's reassuring to know this seems to be a widespread issue rather than something specific to our applications. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!