FAFSA shows processed but school has IRS retrieval consent form hold - are they connected?

processed just means they finished ur application. school stuff is separate. they need diff docs sometimes.

" Processed on FAFSA just means your application was completed at the federal level and your Student Aid (Index) SAI was calculated. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool consent form is a separate verification document that your specific school is requesting. Schools commonly select students for additional verification beyond what the FAFSA process requires. You need to submit whatever forms your school is requesting directly to their financial aid office - these'won t show as requirements in your FAFSA portal. I recommend checking your'school s financial aid portal or student account for the exact form theyneed.

I had the EXACT same problem last semester!! The school wants the consent form even though FAFSA already processed everything. It's because they need to verify your tax info matches what you entered on FAFSA. Super annoying bureaucratic BS if you ask me. The financial aid office kept sending me in circles between departments!!! Took me almost a month to get it cleared.

When I had this issue, I tried calling the financial aid office for days and kept hitting dead ends. Total nightmare. Finally used a service called Claimyr to reach someone at Federal Student Aid to confirm exactly what was processed and what wasn't. They got me through to a live agent in minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent confirmed my FAFSA was processed but explained exactly what verification documents my school needed. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much stress dealing with registration deadlines.

This is a common misunderstanding. Let me explain how the system works: 1) FAFSA processing = Federal calculation of your SAI complete 2) School verification = Additional step where schools can request proof of information The IRS Data Retrieval Tool consent form is specifically for your school to verify that the tax information you provided on your FAFSA is accurate. Each school has different verification requirements and selection criteria. Some select random students, others verify everyone. Contact your financial aid office immediately, submit the required form, and ask if they can issue a temporary hold exemption for registration purposes while they process your verification. Be polite but persistent - most schools have procedures for exactly this situation.

My daughter went thru this last month. The school and FAFSA systems dont talk to each other AT ALL!!! You have to do everything twice. Its ridiculous. She had to physically go to the financial aid office and sit there until someone helped her. Bring ALL your tax documents with you. They will probably want you to fill out another form while your there too. The whole system is designed to make you give up on getting aid!!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I called my financial aid office this morning and explained about my registration deadline. They confirmed what you all said - the IRS retrieval consent form is something they need separately from the FAFSA processed status. They're sending me the form by email today, and they said they can expedite the review since registration is coming up. Really appreciate all the explanations - the whole financial aid system is so confusing!

I'm glad you got it sorted out! Just went through something similar myself last year. One tip that really helped me - when you submit that IRS retrieval consent form, ask the financial aid office for a confirmation email or receipt number. That way if there are any delays or mix-ups, you have proof you submitted it on time. Also, some schools have online portals where you can track the status of your verification documents, so definitely ask about that when you turn in the form. Good luck with registration!