FAFSA status changed from 'processed' to 'under review' after editing unusual circumstances section - what's next?
My daughter just went through the weirdest FAFSA status change and we're totally confused about what happens next. She submitted her FAFSA on Monday night and got the "Congratulations" message with her estimated SAI. The status showed as "processed" which we thought meant we were done. But when she logged in today, there was a notification saying she needed to edit the "personal circumstances" section. She has special circumstances (she doesn't live with or receive support from her father) and we already documented this. When she clicked into that section, all her previous answers were still there, but there was just this vague message about contacting the financial aid office. She went ahead and clicked through everything, had to e-sign again, and now her status changed to "under review" instead of "processed." Does anyone know what this means? Is her application going to be delayed? She already emailed her school's financial aid office last week about what documentation they'll need for her unusual circumstances. I'm worried this will mess up her aid package for fall 2025. Has anyone experienced this status change before?
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Chloe Anderson
This is actually a normal part of the process for students with unusual circumstances. The "under review" status means the system flagged her application for manual review because of the special circumstances related to her father. Here's what happens next: 1. FSA will review her application - this can take 2-3 weeks 2. They may request additional documentation directly through the messaging system 3. Her school's financial aid office will also get notified about her circumstances 4. She'll need to provide documentation to BOTH the FSA and her school The good news is she did everything right by already contacting her financial aid office. Make sure she checks her StudentAid.gov account messages regularly and responds quickly to any requests for documentation.
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Omar Fawaz
•Thank you so much for explaining this! So it sounds like the system initially showed "processed" but then when it got to the unusual circumstances verification part, it changed to "under review"? That makes more sense now. Do you know if this will delay her getting her final aid package? Her roommate already got hers for next year.
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Diego Vargas
the same thing happened to my son last yr. the under review thing is bcuz of the unusual circumstance flag. took almost a MONTH to get thru review and then another 2 wks for school to make aid package. its annoying but normal for special cases
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Omar Fawaz
•A month?! Oh no, that's going to push us way past when she needs to decide on housing plans. Did your son have to submit additional documents during the review period or did it just take time for them to process?
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Diego Vargas
•yea they asked for like a letter explaining situation, some bills showing she pays her own stuff, and tax things. have all that ready to upload FAST when they ask for it
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Anastasia Fedorov
I think it's crazy that they tell you it's processed and then suddenly change it to under review. The whole FAFSA system is so broken this year with the new SAI calculations. My daughter's application has changed status 3 different times and we haven't heard anything in WEEKS.
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Omar Fawaz
•That's exactly how I feel! I thought we were done and then suddenly we weren't. Has your daughter's aid been delayed because of all these status changes?
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Anastasia Fedorov
•YES! Her friends all got their aid packages already but we're still waiting because of this stupid review process. The worst part is you can't get anyone on the phone to explain what's happening.
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StarStrider
After spending 4 hours trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid about a similar situation with my son's FAFSA under review status, I finally tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an agent in under 5 minutes. They actually explained that the "under review" status after initial processing is completely normal for unusual circumstances applications. They'll review and then send specific document requests through your daughter's StudentAid.gov account messaging center. If you're struggling to get answers from FSA by phone, I'd highly recommend checking out their service - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration and the agent was able to tell me exactly what documents we needed to prepare.
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Omar Fawaz
•Thank you for this tip! I was just about to try calling them today. Did the agent give you any timeline for how long the "under review" status typically lasts for unusual circumstances cases?
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StarStrider
•The agent told me it typically takes 2-3 weeks for manual review of special circumstances, but if you submit all requested documents quickly, it can sometimes go faster. The key is responding to any document requests the same day they come in.
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Sean Doyle
I work in financial aid at a university, and I can clarify this process a bit more. The "under review" status is completely normal for students with unusual circumstances. Here's what happens: 1. When you initially submit FAFSA, the system provides a preliminary SAI and shows "processed" 2. The system then flags applications with special circumstances for manual review 3. This changes the status to "under review" 4. This review can take 3-4 weeks during peak periods (which we're in now) Your daughter should: - Continue checking her StudentAid.gov messages daily - Prepare documentation of her unusual circumstances (court documents, letters from professionals familiar with situation, proof of separate residence, etc.) - Follow up with her school's financial aid office weekly - Be ready to submit documentation both to FSA and to her school The good news is that while this does add time to the process, it won't negatively impact her aid eligibility. Schools are very familiar with this process for students with special circumstances.
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Omar Fawaz
•This is SO helpful, thank you! I didn't realize schools are used to this happening. Do you have any tips for what specific documentation works best for proving she doesn't have contact with her father? We don't have any court documents.
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Sean Doyle
•Without court documents, the most effective documentation typically includes: 1. A detailed personal statement from your daughter explaining the situation 2. Letters from professionals who are aware of the situation (high school counselors, therapists, clergy members, social workers, etc.) 3. Statements from family members who can verify the situation 4. Any documentation showing your daughter is self-supporting or supported by only one parent 5. Proof of separate residences Most schools have a specific unusual circumstances form - make sure she completes that as well. And be very thorough in the documentation - it's better to provide too much than too little.
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Zara Rashid
has anyone had their fafsa stuck on "under review" for more than a month?? mine's been like that for 6 WEEKS and my school says they can't do anything until fsa finishes reviewing it!!! i've tried calling but can never get through and i'm freaking out about my fall tuition deadline
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Luca Romano
•Omg 6 weeks?? That's insane! Have you tried emailing them through your student account?
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Zara Rashid
•yeah i sent like 3 messages through the studentaid.gov message center and got the same automated response every time saying they're experiencing high volume and to be patient 🙄
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StarStrider
•Try using Claimyr to get through to a live agent by phone - that's the only way I broke through after weeks of waiting. They can see exactly what's holding up your review and what you need to do to move it forward.
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Omar Fawaz
Update: My daughter got a request for documentation through her StudentAid.gov message center this morning! They're asking for: 1. A detailed statement explaining why she has no contact with her father 2. A letter from a third party who knows about the situation (we're asking her therapist) 3. Any legal documents (which we don't have) 4. Proof she lives separately from her father The message says we have 14 days to submit these documents or her application will be processed without considering the unusual circumstances. Thank you everyone for your help understanding this process! I'll let you know what happens next.
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Sean Doyle
•This is great news - it means your application is moving forward normally. The 14-day deadline is standard, but if you need more time, you can request an extension through the message center. Make sure the documents are clear, detailed, and directly address the unusual circumstances. If you're missing any category of document (like the legal documents), include a brief explanation of why those aren't available in your daughter's personal statement.
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Paolo Conti
Great to see you got the documentation request! That's exactly what should happen next in the process. Just a heads up - when you submit the documents, make sure to scan them clearly and keep copies of everything you send. Also, once you submit them, the status might stay "under review" for another 1-2 weeks while they actually review the documents, so don't panic if it doesn't change immediately. The fact that they're asking for specific documentation means your daughter's case is progressing normally through their system. Good luck!
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Ali Anderson
•Thank you for the reassurance! I was wondering about that - whether the status would change right away after submitting documents. It's helpful to know it might take another week or two for them to actually review everything. We're definitely going to scan everything clearly and keep copies. This whole process has been such a learning experience, but at least now I understand it's normal for unusual circumstances cases. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly from here!
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