FAFSA status shows 'processed' but received email saying it's incomplete - what's going on?

yep happened to me too! got the same email yesterday but our FAFSA was submitted in January. I think its just a system glitch tbh

This is a known issue with the new FAFSA system this year. Those reminder emails are being sent out erroneously to people who have already completed their applications. If your status shows "processed" on studentaid.gov AND the college confirmed receipt, you can disregard the email. It's just another technical glitch in the deeply flawed rollout of the 2024-25 FAFSA. To be absolutely certain, log into studentaid.gov and check if you received a Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation. If you have an SAI number, your application is definitely complete.

I got soemthing similar but turns out part of our form was incomplete!!! Even though it said processed! Make sure you actually go through EVERY tab of the application to check nothing got missed. For us it was the parent signature page that somehow didn't save properly.

The FAFSA system this year is a COMPLETE DISASTER. My daughter and I have been dealing with similar contradictory messages for WEEKS. The college financial aid office told us they can see our application but it's missing information that we DEFINITELY submitted. Then we get emails saying it's not submitted at all. Then other emails saying it's complete. NOTHING MAKES SENSE ANYMORE. I'm convinced nobody at Federal Student Aid has any idea what's happening. The right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. And students are going to lose aid opportunities because of their incompetence!!!!

I work in a university financial aid office, and I can tell you this is happening to MANY families this year. The Department of Education has acknowledged there are issues with the automated email system sending incorrect notifications. Here's what you should trust, in order of reliability: 1. Your SAI (Student Aid Index) - if you have one, your FAFSA is complete 2. The college's confirmation they received your FAFSA data 3. The status showing "processed" on studentaid.gov The emails are the LEAST reliable indicator right now. If you have all three of the above, you're fine and can disregard the email completely.

I had this exact same issue and spent days trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid. After being disconnected multiple times, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through. They have this service that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration and I got confirmation that my application was actually complete despite the emails. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent told me they're aware of the email glitch and are working on it, but no timeline for a fix. She documented in my file that my application is complete and told me to disregard any additional automated emails about submission.

my sister got the same email but when she logged in she realized she actually HADNT submitted all parts lol. there was a signature page she missed. so maybe double check all parts are really done?

One additional thing to check - log in and look at your FAFSA status. If it shows "Processed" with a date AND you have an SAI number AND the college confirmed receipt, then you're absolutely fine. The automated email system is sending out erroneous notifications. For peace of mind, take screenshots of the processed status and your SAI number, just in case you need them later. The Department of Education has acknowledged these system issues but hasn't provided a timeline for fixes.

has anyone else notice that sometimes the FAFSA website shows different info depending on if ur on mobile vs desktop? my bf's application looked incomplete on his phone but when he checked on laptop everything was there!

I just got off phone with FAFSA after 2 HOURS on hold and they said ignore the emails if u see processed status and SAI. Theyre sending emails by mistake to everyone. She said they know about it but no fix yet LOL typical government efficiency

I'm dealing with the exact same thing! Got that scary email this morning even though our FAFSA has been showing "processed" for weeks and my daughter's college confirmed they received it. After reading all these responses, I feel so much better knowing it's a widespread system glitch. For anyone still worried - I just logged in and confirmed we have our SAI number and everything shows complete with green checkmarks. I'm taking screenshots like Ava suggested and ignoring any more emails until they fix their automated system. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver when the official help lines are basically useless!

This is such a relief to read! I'm a first-time FAFSA parent and got that same terrifying email this morning. My heart dropped thinking we'd somehow messed up our daughter's financial aid. Our application shows "processed" from February 15th and we have an SAI number, but that email made me second-guess everything. I've been trying to call FSA all day with no luck - the wait times are absolutely ridiculous. It's honestly unacceptable that families are being put through this stress because of their broken email system. Thank you everyone for confirming this is a known glitch. I'm screenshotting everything and will ignore any more automated emails until they get their act together!

Just wanted to jump in as someone new to this community - I'm going through the exact same nightmare! Got that terrifying "you haven't submitted" email yesterday even though our FAFSA has been showing "processed" since early February. I've been losing sleep over this thinking we somehow screwed up our son's financial aid. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm so relieved to know this is a widespread system glitch and not something we did wrong. We have our SAI number and the college confirmed receipt, so based on what the financial aid office worker posted, it sounds like we're actually fine. This whole FAFSA rollout has been such a disaster - how are families supposed to navigate this when the system gives completely contradictory information? Thank goodness for communities like this where we can actually get real answers from people dealing with the same issues. Taking screenshots of everything now and ignoring any more panic-inducing emails until they fix their broken system!

As another newcomer to this community, I can't tell you how relieved I am to find this thread! I got the exact same "you haven't submitted" email two days ago and have been absolutely panicking. Our FAFSA shows "processed" from March 10th and we have our SAI number, but that email made me think something went horribly wrong. I've been trying to reach FSA for days with no luck - the hold times are insane and I keep getting disconnected. It's so frustrating that families are being put through this unnecessary stress because of their broken automated email system. Reading everyone's experiences here has been more helpful than anything I could get from the official channels. Taking screenshots of our processed status and SAI number now, and definitely ignoring any more of these erroneous emails. Thank you all for sharing - this community is a lifesaver when you're navigating this FAFSA disaster as a first-timer!

As someone completely new to the FAFSA process, I can't express how much relief this thread has given me! I received that same terrifying email yesterday morning and immediately went into full panic mode thinking we had somehow ruined our daughter's chances at financial aid. Our FAFSA has been showing "processed" since late February and we have our SAI number, but that automated email made me question everything. I've been frantically checking the portal every few hours and trying to call FSA with zero success - those wait times are absolutely brutal and then you just get disconnected anyway. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been more informative and reassuring than anything I could get from the official channels. It's both comforting and infuriating to know so many families are dealing with this exact same system failure. The fact that their automated email system is sending out false alarms while families are stressing about their children's education funding is just unacceptable. Thank you all for sharing your stories and especially to the financial aid office worker who broke down what to actually trust. Taking screenshots of our processed status and SAI right now and will definitely be ignoring any more of these panic-inducing automated emails!

As another newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I'm so grateful I found this thread! I received that exact same panic-inducing email this morning even though our FAFSA has been showing "processed" since mid-February with an SAI number. My first instinct was to assume we had somehow messed something up catastrophically. I've been trying to reach FSA all day but gave up after multiple 45+ minute waits that ended in disconnections. It's absolutely ridiculous that families are being subjected to this level of stress over what turns out to be a system glitch. The fact that their automated email system is sending false alarms while parents are worried sick about their kids' college funding is completely unacceptable. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been infinitely more helpful than anything from the official channels. Special thanks to the financial aid office worker who clarified what indicators to actually trust - that breakdown was incredibly reassuring. I'm taking screenshots of our processed status and SAI right now and will definitely be ignoring any more of these erroneous automated emails. This community is a lifesaver when you need real answers!