FAFSA shows 'submitted' online but got 'incomplete' emails - what's happening?

This actually happens more than you'd think with the new FAFSA system. Don't panic! First, check if you received any confirmation emails when you originally submitted (check spam folders too). Next, verify which section shows as 'submitted' - sometimes the parent portion is complete but the student portion isn't, or vice versa. If everything truly shows as submitted when you log in, take screenshots as documentation and then call FSA directly to verify. They can tell you exactly what's in their system.

Same happened 2 me last week!! So annoying. The emails are prob automated and just delayed. As long as ur actual account says submitted ur fine.

This is a known issue with the new FAFSA system. What's happening is that the system sometimes sends automated emails that were queued before your submission went through. The most reliable indicator is what you see when logged into studentaid.gov. If it shows as submitted there, you should be fine. However, I strongly recommend you take the following steps to be absolutely certain: 1. Take screenshots of the submission confirmation page showing the date 2. Look for your calculated SAI (Student Aid Index) - if this appears, your application was definitely processed 3. Check if your FAFSA was selected for verification (this would also confirm it was submitted) 4. Contact your school's financial aid office to confirm they received your FAFSA data If you need definitive confirmation directly from FSA, calling them is your best option, but be prepared for long wait times.

OMG the FAFSA this year is such a nightmare!!! i submitted mine in January and still don't have my SAI yet. the whole system is broken. my friend got the same weird emails you did and her FAFSA ended up being fine. I wouldn't trust anything about this process lol

To answer your question about processing time - it's taking anywhere from 2-6 weeks for SAIs to be calculated this cycle. The 'Processing' status confirms your application is in the system and being worked on, so that's actually a good sign. The contradictory emails are definitely confusing, but the online status is more current and accurate than the automated emails.

I had a similar issue last month - system said submitted but no SAI and confusing emails. I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid only to get disconnected every time. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they have this system that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. The agent confirmed my application was indeed submitted and just waiting in the processing queue.

@casual_replier Yes! That's why I ended up using that service - I was on hold for almost 2 hours before getting disconnected the first time. With Claimyr I got a call back when an agent was actually available. The agent confirmed everything was fine with my application despite the weird email notifications.

Everyone needs to CALM DOWN about these emails. The Department of Education has completely botched this FAFSA rollout!!! They're sending automated emails that contradict what's in their own system. Classic government inefficiency. I've heard from multiple parents who got these scary "incomplete" emails only to call and confirm everything was fine. Don't trust the emails, trust what you see online. And definitely don't submit again - that will only create duplicate applications and MORE delays!!!

Just want to share my experience - I got those same contradictory emails back in January. When I finally reached someone at FSA after many attempts, they explained there was a system glitch where confirmation emails weren't being sent properly, but warning emails were still going out automatically. The agent verified my FAFSA was indeed submitted and processing. Got my SAI about 3 weeks after submission despite the confusing emails.

Regarding your question about school deadlines - most financial aid offices are very aware of the FAFSA delays this year. Many schools have adjusted their internal deadlines or have processes in place for students waiting on FAFSA processing. I would recommend: 1. Email your son's financial aid office immediately explaining the situation 2. Provide the screenshots showing you submitted on time 3. Ask if they need any additional documentation while waiting for the SAI As for your other question - yes, once your SAI is calculated, it automatically gets sent to all the schools you listed on the FAFSA. No additional action needed on your part.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! My daughter and I submitted our FAFSA about 3 weeks ago, and we keep getting these confusing "reminder" emails even though our status shows submitted online. It's so nerve-wracking when you're already stressed about college finances. From reading everyone's responses here, it sounds like this is unfortunately pretty common with the new system. I'm glad to hear that schools are being understanding about the delays - I think I'll reach out to her schools proactively like you did. Thanks for sharing your experience and all the helpful advice from everyone!

Welcome to the community! I'm also a newcomer here and just went through this exact same nightmare last month. What really helped me was creating a simple tracking document with dates - when we submitted, when we got the confusing emails, when we took screenshots, etc. It made me feel more in control of the situation. Also, I found that checking the status at different times of day sometimes showed different information (probably server updates), so don't panic if you see slight variations. The key thing everyone here has mentioned is absolutely right - if it shows "Submitted" when you log in, you're good. I ended up getting my SAI about 4 weeks after submission despite getting those scary emails for weeks. Hang in there!