FAFSA processing delay preventing corrections - will we miss submission deadline?

Processing usually takes 3-5 business days in my experience. Once it's done processing, your son should be able to log in and make his correction. You didn't mess anything up - this is normal. FAFSA allows corrections until the deadline or until the school processes your aid, whichever comes first. Just keep checking daily and make the correction as soon as the system allows it.

the same thing happened 2 me last year with my daughters fafsa. it was 'processing' for like a week after I fixed some tax info. eventually it let her back in. super annoying system tbh

This is why I HATE the FAFSA system. They make these stupid processing delays and expect everyone to just deal with it. My son's application was "processing" for TWO WEEKS last year, and then we couldn't make corrections because by then the school had already pulled his FAFSA data. Had to do a whole appeal process with the financial aid office. RIDICULOUS!

Financial aid advisor here - a few tips to help with your situation: 1. The processing state is normal after any contributor makes corrections and signs. The system is recalculating your SAI (Student Aid Index). 2. Processing typically takes 3-5 business days, but I've seen it complete in as little as 24 hours during non-peak times. 3. Once processing completes, your son can log in and make his correction. 4. If you're approaching your school's priority deadline and processing hasn't completed, I recommend contacting your school's financial aid office directly. Explain the situation - most schools will accommodate this common issue if you've documented when you originally submitted. 5. You can also call Federal Student Aid directly at 1-800-433-3243 to ask about your application status, though wait times can be very long this time of year.

I had to call FSA last month to check on my daughter's FAFSA processing and spent 2.5 hours on hold before getting disconnected. Used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that someone recommended to me. They held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me hours of waiting. They have a video of how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Might be worth it if you need to check on the status and don't want to wait on hold forever.

Your best bet is to wait for processing to complete, then immediately have your son make his correction. Then reach out to your school's financial aid office to confirm they received the updated FAFSA. They can often pull updated FAFSA data even after their 'priority deadline' if you explain the situation. Most schools build in some flexibility because these FAFSA processing delays happen to lots of families.

what correction does ur son need 2 make? if its something small maybe they can just note it in their system when u call. thats what we did when we couldnt fix something in time

I waited through processing last month and it took exactly 4 days. Most schools understand these FAFSA system issues - they deal with them constantly! Just document everything: take screenshots of the processing status and note the dates. Email your financial aid office now to let them know you're waiting on processing so you can make a final correction. They'll usually make a note in your file.

Quick update on your income correction question - a $1,800 difference in student income might not change your SAI significantly, but it's still best to correct it. The student income protection allowance for the 2025-2026 FAFSA is $9,410, and only 50% of income above that is counted. So the impact on your SAI would be approximately $450 (($18,600-$16,800)/2). If processing doesn't complete in time, this is exactly the type of situation where the financial aid office can help with a professional judgment adjustment.