FAFSA processing time after adding schools - will it be faster the second time?

yep this happened to me last year, i added georgia tech after initial submission. it did process faster the 2nd time, like 3-4 days vs the original 2 weeks. but that was for the 24-25 cycle so who knows now with all the FAFSA changes

It should process more quickly since your information has already been verified. The system only needs to authorize the new school to access your existing FAFSA data, not recalculate your entire SAI. In most cases, I've seen the second processing complete in 4-7 days versus the 2-3 weeks for initial submissions. Just make sure you didn't accidentally change any financial information when adding the school, as that would trigger a full reprocessing.

I've been through this EXACT situation THREE TIMES this cycle!!! My daughter kept changing her mind about schools after we submitted. First FAFSA took almost a month to process (thanks new system 🙄), but the updates were much faster. First update took 5 days, second took 4 days, third took 6 days. Not consistent but WAY faster than initial. Just keep checking your email because they don't always update the status on the website right away.

If you're worried about missing Northeastern's priority deadline, you should call them directly and explain the situation. Financial aid offices typically have protocols for handling these cases, especially with the FAFSA delays this year. They may grant you an extension or place a note in your file indicating that your updated FAFSA is in process. I recommend documenting the date you added the school and taking a screenshot of your current processing status as evidence.

I've been trying to reach the Federal Student Aid helpline for days about this exact issue and kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours. Finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual FSA agent in under 10 minutes. They confirmed that adding schools typically processes within 3-5 business days as it's not a full recalculation. The agent also put a priority note on my son's application. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

You know the whole system is so CRAZY right now with the new FAFSA. My daughter submitted in January and we still don't have the right SAI calculation! First they calculated it wrong, then they fixed it, then they changed it AGAIN. And schools are telling us different things about what aid she'll get based on which SAI they're looking at! The dept of education is a complete mess. Good luck getting anything done on time!!!

btw make sure u actually get confirmation that northeastern received the fafsa! my brother's school said they never got his even tho we added them and it said processing completed. had to call fsa and have them manually send it again