FAFSA status changed from 'processed' to 'in review' after a week - should I be worried?
I'm freaking out a little bit right now. My FAFSA showed 'processed' for an entire week, and I thought everything was good to go. Then today I logged into StudentAid.gov and suddenly it says 'in review' instead?? Has anyone else experienced this? My SAI calculation was already showing before, but now I'm worried they found a problem with my application. I really need my financial aid package to come through because I can't afford tuition without it. I've triple-checked all my income info from my W-2s and tax return before submitting. Could this be a system glitch or am I about to get flagged for verification? Help please!
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Olivia Martinez
This happened to me last month! It's probably just part of their random verification process. About 30% of applications get selected for verification, and it doesn't necessarily mean you did anything wrong. Mine went from processed to in review for about 10 days, then went back to processed. Just hang tight.
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Lucas Kowalski
•10 DAYS??? I can't wait that long! My school's priority deadline is next week and I'm worried my aid package will be delayed. Did anything change with your SAI after it went back to processed?
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Charlie Yang
dont worry bout it lol. fafsa system glitches ALL THE TIME! my roomates went back and forth like 3 times between statuses and he got his aid package fine
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Lucas Kowalski
•Really? That's actually kind of reassuring. Did his SAI number change at all during those status changes?
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Charlie Yang
•nah same number the whole time
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Grace Patel
This is a normal part of the FAFSA processing cycle. The Federal Student Aid office conducts periodic reviews of applications, especially during high-volume periods. The status change doesn't necessarily indicate a problem with your application. Your application could be selected for one of these reasons: 1. Random selection (about 30% of all applications) 2. Discrepancies between reported information 3. Missing information that needs verification 4. Regular quality control procedures Most importantly, your school can still see your FAFSA information even while it's in review status. If your school's priority deadline is approaching, I recommend contacting your financial aid office directly to confirm they have your information.
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Lucas Kowalski
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! That makes me feel a bit better. Do you know if the 'in review' status typically affects when schools receive the FAFSA data? I'm really worried about missing my priority deadline.
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Grace Patel
•Schools can still access your FAFSA information while it's in the review status. The review process doesn't prevent them from seeing your application or your SAI. However, if your application ultimately gets selected for verification, you may need to provide additional documentation to your school before they can finalize your aid package.
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ApolloJackson
The same thing is happening to me right now!!!! I'm PANICKING because I already got accepted to my dream school but now I'm afraid my financial aid will get messed up. Has anyone had their SAI number actually CHANGE after the review? That's what I'm most scared about.
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Isabella Russo
•It's totally normal, happened to both my kids. The first one went back to processed after like 5 days, the second took almost 2 weeks but the SAI didn't change for either of them. The financial aid office told me they could still see all the FAFSA info during the review.
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Rajiv Kumar
I work in a college financial aid office, and I can assure you this is completely normal. The Department of Education has implemented additional review processes for the 2025-2026 FAFSA cycle due to the new FAFSA simplification changes. Here's what you should know: - Schools can still access your FAFSA data during the review - Your SAI calculation rarely changes unless there's an actual error - Most reviews are completed within 3-14 days - This won't negatively impact your priority deadline as long as you submitted before the deadline If you're concerned, I'd suggest calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 to check your specific status. Unfortunately, wait times can be extremely long this time of year.
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Aria Washington
•I've been trying to call that FSA number for days and can't get through! Constantly disconnected or on hold for hours. Has anyone found a better way to reach them? I'm in a similar situation and really need to speak with someone.
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Liam O'Reilly
•I was in the same boat last week - stuck on hold forever. I ended up using Claimyr.com to get through to an FSA agent in about 15 minutes. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when an agent picks up. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ
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Lucas Kowalski
•Thanks for the expert insight! I'll try not to panic then. I did submit well before the priority deadline, so hopefully everything will work out. I just get so anxious because my entire college plan depends on financial aid coming through.
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Grace Patel
UPDATE: My status just changed back to 'processed' this morning! It was in review for exactly 9 days. My SAI didn't change at all, so it looks like it was just a routine check like others mentioned. Just wanted to let everyone know in case you're experiencing the same thing.
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Lucas Kowalski
•Oh thank you SO MUCH for updating us! That's such a relief to hear. I'm on day 4 of the 'in review' status now, so hopefully mine will switch back soon too. Did you receive any kind of notification when it changed back?
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Grace Patel
•No notification at all - I just happened to check this morning and saw it had changed back. The system doesn't seem to send alerts for these status changes, so you might want to check your account daily.
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Paolo Romano
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My FAFSA has been "in review" for 6 days after being "processed" for about a week. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helping calm my nerves. It sounds like this is just part of the normal process this year. I've been checking StudentAid.gov obsessively every morning hoping to see it switch back to processed. At least now I know I'm not alone in this! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so reassuring to know that most people's SAI numbers don't change and schools can still see our information during the review.
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A Man D Mortal
•I'm so glad I found this thread too! I've been in the same boat - my status changed to "in review" 3 days ago and I've been checking StudentAid.gov like every hour. It's such a relief to see that so many people have gone through this and had their status return to processed without any issues. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, especially when you're depending on financial aid. Thanks for sharing your experience Paolo - it really does help to know we're all in this together!
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Sean O'Brien
I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now! My FAFSA went from "processed" to "in review" yesterday and I immediately started panicking. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief - it sounds like this is actually pretty common this year. I had no idea that 30% of applications get selected for review! I've been refreshing StudentAid.gov constantly but I'm going to try to be more patient now. It's so helpful to see that most people's SAI numbers stayed the same and that schools can still access the information during review. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver during stressful times like this!
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