FAFSA shows 'processed' with SAI number - are we really done or could hidden errors exist?

if its processed and u got the SAI ur good to go! thats what matters for the colleges

Getting both the "processed" status and an SAI number are definitely good signs, but it doesn't guarantee you're 100% in the clear. The Department of Education can still select applications for verification after initial processing. About 25% of FAFSA applications get selected for verification, where you'll need to provide additional documentation to prove the information you submitted is accurate. Each college also reviews the FAFSA data and may request their own verification documents. However, having that SAI number means your application has successfully made it through the initial processing stage and the information has been sent to your daughter's selected schools. Watch for a Student Aid Report (SAR) which will explicitly tell you if you've been selected for verification.

PROCESSED DOESN'T MEAN FINISHED!!!! My son's FAFSA said processed with an SAI number last year and then THREE MONTHS LATER we got hit with verification. It was a NIGHTMARE and we almost lost his financial aid package because we missed the school's deadline by 2 days (even though we submitted verification docs to FSA on time). The whole system is designed to trip people up I swear.

The "processed" status with an SAI (Student Aid Index) number means your FAFSA has completed initial processing, but there are still a few things to be aware of: 1. Check your Student Aid Report (SAR) carefully for any comments or flags. Look for a section called "FAFSA Data" or something similar, where you might see verification codes like V1, V4, or V5 if you've been selected for verification. 2. Keep an eye on both your daughter's studentaid.gov account and her college portals/emails. Verification requests can come weeks or even months after initial processing. 3. Schools have different financial aid deadlines and verification processes. Some may request verification even if the Department of Education didn't select you. 4. Make sure your daughter's selected colleges actually received her FAFSA data - you can confirm this by checking the "My FAFSA" section to see which schools have been sent the information. While having that SAI number is definitely a good sign, I'd recommend checking in with each school's financial aid office directly to confirm they've received everything they need.

I really hate how uncertain this whole process is! It's not just you - I've been going through this with my twins and even when one school says everything is complete, another wants more forms. It's exhausting.

Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline to confirm everything's good? I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to them last month when I had a similar question about my son's application status. The website wasn't clear at all whether he needed to submit additional documents.

One other important detail: if the "processed" status appeared within the last few days, the information might not have been sent to all schools yet. There's typically a 3-5 business day delay between processing and transmission to colleges. And yes, once schools receive the FAFSA data, many will also require the CSS Profile for institutional aid, which is separate from FAFSA. Also, check if any data elements on your SAR have an asterisk (*) next to them - this indicates conflicting or potentially erroneous information that might trigger verification later.

btw if ur daughters SAI is 14328 thats really good! she'll probably get decent financial aid at most schools. my brothers was like 38000 and he got almost nothing lol

Just to provide some clarity on what happens next: once colleges receive the FAFSA data, they'll create financial aid packages based on your daughter's SAI and their own institutional methodology. You should start receiving these packages starting in March/April for most colleges. If you don't see financial aid information appearing in her student portals by late March, that would be the time to start making calls to confirm everything is on track. And a quick tip - take screenshots of the "processed" status and save copies of the SAR. If there are any disputes later, having documentation of what the system showed you can be very helpful.

Anyone else notice how they changed from EFC to SAI this year and it's COMPLETELY DIFFERENT calculations? My son's number went up by like 8000 even though our income actually dropped! Makes no sense and the financial aid offices just shrug and say "that's the new formula" 🙄