FAFSA status stuck 'In Progress' - Is there a processing deadline for 2025-26 application?

My status was stuck for almost 2 months!! Like literally just changed from "In Progress" to "Processed" yesterday. From what I heard, they're having major delays with the new FAFSA system. I don't think theres a actual deadline when they HAVE to process it by...which is stupid af

There's no official final deadline for when the Department of Education must complete processing your FAFSA. However, they generally try to process applications within 3-5 weeks. With the new system implementation for the 2025-26 cycle, they're experiencing significant delays. If your college has an April 15th deadline, I'd recommend: 1. Contact your financial aid office immediately and explain the situation 2. Provide them your FAFSA confirmation number as proof of timely submission 3. Ask if they're making accommodations for students affected by the processing delays Most schools are aware of the nationwide delays and may have adjusted their internal processes accordingly.

Mine was in progress for like 3 weeks then randomly went to processed. Then my SAI was way higher than expected so now im dealing with that mess 🙃 this new system is such a disaster

I've worked with many students facing this exact issue this cycle. The technical delays with the 2025-26 FAFSA have been unprecedented. Here are some important points: 1. There is no mandated processing deadline for the Department of Education 2. The current average processing time is 5-7 weeks (much longer than previous years) 3. Most colleges are aware of these delays and are being flexible with their internal deadlines I strongly recommend calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly at 1-800-433-3243. However, wait times are extremely long (2+ hours). I've had students use Claimyr (claimyr.com) to avoid the wait - they'll call and wait on hold for you, then connect you when an agent is available. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. When you do reach an agent, ask them to check if there are any specific issues with your application that might be causing the delay.

Is anyone else noticing that this new FAFSA seems to be processing in batches? My application sat at "In Progress" for 5 weeks, then suddenly changed to "Processed" the same day as two of my friends who submitted around the same time. Wondering if they're doing some kind of group processing?

CONTACT YOUR SCHOOL FINANCIAL AID OFFICE!!! They can sometimes see more info than what shows on your studentaid.gov account. My status was stuck for weeks but when I called my school, they told me they actually had received my information even though the website still showed "In Progress". Don't trust the website!

did u use the IRS data retrieval tool or did u manually input tax info? i heard manual entry takes way longer to process

Just want to follow up - did you contact your financial aid office? Many schools are creating exceptions for the FAFSA processing delays this year since it's affecting so many students nationwide. Keep us posted!

MY FAFSA JUST GOT PROCESSED AFTER 7 WEEKS!! There's hope!! Check your account - maybe yours went through too!