FAFSA shows processed but schools haven't received it - what's going on?

This happened to my daughter too! It said processed but took almost 3 weeks to actually show up at her schools. I think the whole system is backed up or something. Just keep checking with the schools.

This is a common issue with the new FAFSA system for 2025-2026. Even when the studentaid.gov portal shows 'processed,' there's often a delay in the actual transmission to schools. A few things to check: 1. Verify your son actually selected 'submit' after making corrections (not just 'save') 2. Double-check that the school codes are entered correctly 3. Make sure all signatures (both student and parent) were properly submitted 4. Check if any schools require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA If all that looks good, you're probably just caught in the processing backlog. The Department of Education has acknowledged transmission delays this year.

My nephew had the exact same problem but it was because he didn't actually list all the schools. He thought he did but when we checked one was missing. Maybe double check that?

I work in a college financial aid office, and we're seeing this a lot this year. The new FAFSA system has significant transmission delays even after showing as 'processed.' Here's what I recommend: 1. Take screenshots of your processed FAFSA showing the date and the list of schools 2. Email these screenshots to each school's financial aid office 3. Request that they note your file as having submitted the FAFSA by their deadline 4. Ask for written confirmation that you won't lose aid eligibility due to these processing delays Most schools are accommodating these delays since they're system-wide, but you should be proactive in documenting everything.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! The entire FAFSA system is a complete disaster this year!!! My daughter's application has been "processing" for nearly 2 MONTHS!!! We can't get ANY answers from anyone!!! We've called DOZENS of times and either get disconnected or wait on hold for HOURS only to be told they "don't know" what's happening!!! Meanwhile her college is threatening to drop her from fall classes if they don't get her FAFSA info by June 15!!! WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MESS?!?

After dealing with similar issues, I found using Claimyr to actually get through to a FAFSA agent was super helpful. It got me past the hold times and disconnections. The agent was able to confirm my application was actually processed and gave me documentation to send to schools. I just went to claimyr.com and they connected me to an agent in about 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Way better than waiting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

When I encountered this problem, I asked the college financial aid offices to manually look up my student's information using their SSN. Apparently they can sometimes pull the data manually even when the automatic transmission hasn't come through. Two out of three schools were able to do this for us. Might be worth asking!

has anyone tried making ANOTHER correction to the fafsa? i've heard sometimes that can trigger the system to actually send the info to schools

UPDATE: Just wanted to share what worked for us. I called the Federal Student Aid Info Center (after using the Claimyr service someone mentioned - it really did help bypass the hold times). The agent confirmed our FAFSA was fully processed but noted there was a "transmission error" that was preventing it from being sent to schools. She submitted what she called a "manual retransmission request" and said this should resolve it within 5-7 business days. She also provided an official email confirmation that our FAFSA was completed and processed on May 15th, which I forwarded to all the schools. The good news is that all the financial aid offices accepted this documentation as proof we met their deadlines! They're holding our place for aid consideration while waiting for the official transmission. So if anyone else is having this problem, request that "manual retransmission" and get the email confirmation to send to your schools!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with the exact same issue - my FAFSA shows processed but schools haven't received it yet. Reading through everyone's experiences gives me hope that this will eventually get resolved. I'm definitely going to try the manual retransmission request that Sophia mentioned, and I'll also reach out to my schools proactively with screenshots like Justin suggested. It's frustrating that this is such a widespread problem with the new system, but at least we're not alone in dealing with it. Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My daughter's FAFSA has shown "processed" for almost 3 weeks, but two of her schools are saying they still haven't received anything. It's so stressful when aid deadlines are approaching. Based on what everyone has shared here, I'm going to call the Federal Student Aid Info Center tomorrow to request that "manual retransmission" that Sophia mentioned. I'll also take screenshots of our processed FAFSA and send them to the schools preemptively. It's really reassuring to see that the financial aid offices have been understanding about these system-wide delays. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - this thread is incredibly valuable for those of us dealing with this mess!

I'm a college financial aid administrator and want to add some additional context that might help families in this situation. The transmission delays this year are largely due to the Department of Education's complete overhaul of the FAFSA processing system. While frustrating, there are a few additional steps you can take: 1. Check if your state has a separate financial aid application that might not be affected by federal delays 2. Ask schools about provisional aid packages - many can estimate aid based on your SAI even without the full transmission 3. Consider applying for private scholarships as a backup while waiting for federal aid to process The manual retransmission request that Sophia mentioned is definitely the best solution, but it's also worth knowing that the Department of Education has committed to resolving most transmission issues by mid-June. Hang in there - this too shall pass!