FAFSA processing delay + Excelsior Scholarship timing question - 30+ days with no SAI

yep the new system is a MESS. my parent part was done jan 10th and we got the SAI on feb 18th...so like 5 weeks? and that was WITH calling them 3x a week. my roomate still hasnt gotten hers and its been 7 weeks!!! idk about excelsior tho

For the FAFSA delay, this is unfortunately normal for the 2025-2026 application cycle. FSA announced processing times of 4-6 weeks back in December due to the implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. Regarding the Excelsior Scholarship, typically the determination takes 3-4 weeks after your FAFSA SAI is processed, as HESC needs to verify your information. Make sure when you do receive your SAI, you immediately notify the Excelsior program, as they won't automatically know your FAFSA is complete.

i got excelsior last year and the whole process took FOREVERRRR. almost missed my housing deadline bc of it. they approved my excelsior like 2 weeks before classes started even tho i applied in january!! try emailing HESC directly they sometimes respond faster than calling.

I applied for Excelsior for 2024-2025 and it took about 5 weeks after my FAFSA was processed to get the determination. But that was BEFORE all these FAFSA delays. I'd recommend calling HESC directly about the Excelsior timeline, as they can sometimes put a priority flag on your application if you explain your situation. For the FAFSA delays, I had luck getting through to a real person by calling exactly when they open in the morning (8am Eastern).

The FAFSA delays are CRIMINAL this year! My daughter's application has been "processing" for 7 WEEKS now!! We're missing scholarship deadlines left and right because of this government incompetence. And don't even get me started on the Excelsior Scholarship - that's a whole other bureaucratic nightmare. They make you jump through so many hoops and then take forever to tell you if you qualify. The whole system is DESIGNED to make students miss deadlines so they don't have to give out as much money!!

has anyone gotten excelsior AND tap? my counselor said we cant get both but my friend says her sister got both last year so now im confused

For those experiencing FAFSA delays, I'd recommend taking these steps: 1. Document all your contact attempts with FSA 2. Email your school's financial aid office explaining the situation 3. Ask if they have a FAFSA delay exception process 4. Contact your state representatives (they can sometimes expedite cases) For Excelsior specifically, HESC has a separate phone line (888-697-4372) which tends to have shorter wait times than the main financial aid line. Let them know about your FAFSA delays and they may be able to place a note on your file to expedite once your SAI is received.

Quick update on my earlier comment - I just checked with my younger sister who applied this cycle, and her Excelsior determination took about 3 weeks after her SAI was processed. But she submitted her FAFSA in early December, before the big rush. The timing seems to depend heavily on when in the cycle you apply. Earlier = faster processing.

hey just wanted to update you - i tried that claimyr thing from above and actually got through to someone at FSA! they said my application had an "identity verification flag" that was never communicated to me 🙄 but they cleared it and said my SAI should process within 48hrs. maybe worth a try for you too?

I'm dealing with similar FAFSA delays - 28 days and counting here! What's really frustrating is that my school's priority deadline for aid is coming up fast and they haven't extended it yet. I've been following this thread and wanted to share that I just tried calling the HESC Excelsior line that @Sofia Morales mentioned (888-697-4372) and actually got through after only 15 minutes on hold! The rep told me they're seeing a lot of delays this year but said once my SAI comes through, I should email them directly with my FAFSA confirmation number to expedite the Excelsior review. They also mentioned that many schools are being flexible with deadlines due to the widespread FAFSA issues, so it might be worth reaching out to your financial aid office proactively. Hang in there - sounds like we're all in the same boat this year!

Wow, reading through all these experiences makes me feel less alone in this mess! I'm at 24 days waiting for my SAI and getting increasingly anxious about missing deadlines. @Taylor Chen, thank you for sharing that HESC contact info - I'm definitely calling them tomorrow. For everyone dealing with these delays, I found that creating a detailed timeline of when you submitted everything and tracking all your contact attempts has been helpful when speaking with representatives. They seem to take you more seriously when you have specific dates and reference numbers ready. Also, I've been checking my FAFSA status obsessively (like multiple times a day) and noticed that sometimes the "processing" message changes slightly - has anyone else noticed this or am I just going crazy from the stress? Really hoping we all get our SAIs soon so we can move forward with our financial aid applications!