FAFSA status stuck on 'processed' for weeks - no SAI or aid package yet
I submitted our FAFSA application exactly 3 weeks ago (December 11th) and studentaid.gov shows it as 'processed' but we haven't received any SAI score or aid package details yet. Is this normal? My daughter is freaking out because she needs to make decisions about which college to attend by early February, and without knowing what aid she'll qualify for, we're completely stuck. The application status shows no errors or additional info needed. No emails either. Anyone know how long it typically takes to get from 'processed' to actually receiving your aid eligibility info? Should I be calling someone about this?
14 comments
Join the conversation
Marcus Williams
totally normal especially this time of year. took us like 6 weeks last year to get everything processed. they get slammed with applications in December
0 coins
Jessica Suarez
•Six weeks?! That's insane. The college decision deadline won't wait that long. Do you know if there's a way to expedite it?
0 coins
Lily Young
Your SAI doesn't come from Federal Student Aid - it comes from each college your daughter applied to. They take the processed FAFSA info and calculate your aid package. Each school will send their own financial aid offer separately. Are you sure you listed all her schools on the FAFSA?
0 coins
Jessica Suarez
•Wait, seriously? I thought we'd get one SAI score from the government and then share that with all the schools. We did list 6 colleges on the application. So now we just... wait for each school to contact us?
0 coins
Kennedy Morrison
I HATE this system!!!! We submitted in November and still nothing! Called FSA like 20 times and never got through. The whole thing is designed to make us fail. They have ONE JOB and can't even process applications in a reasonable time.
0 coins
Wesley Hallow
•Same experience calling FSA. I finally got through after trying Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they connect you directly to a FAFSA agent without the wait. Saved me hours of frustration. There's a video demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent confirmed my application was processed correctly and explained that schools would be receiving my info within the next few days.
0 coins
Justin Chang
Here's what's actually happening: Once your FAFSA shows as 'processed,' it means FSA has calculated your SAI and sent your information to the schools you listed. You can actually see your own SAI by downloading your SAR (Student Aid Report) from studentaid.gov. Go to your dashboard and look for the option to view or print your SAR. Your SAI will be listed there. Each school will then use that SAI to create a personalized financial aid package based on their costs and available aid. Those packages typically start arriving 2-3 weeks after your FAFSA is processed, but timelines vary by school.
0 coins
Jessica Suarez
•Thank you so much for this clear explanation! I just checked and found the SAR with our SAI score (which is higher than I was hoping, unfortunately). I'll contact each school's financial aid office directly to check on their timeline for sending out packages.
0 coins
Grace Thomas
omg same boat here!! filed on the 14th, says processed but NOTHING else! im so stressed bc my son got early acceptance to his dream school but we cant commit without knowing aid. has anyone actually received their aid packages yet for 2025-2026??
0 coins
Lily Young
•Congrats on the early acceptance! You should call that specific school's financial aid office directly. They might be able to give you a preliminary estimate or at least tell you when to expect the official package. Most schools have ways to help students with early acceptance.
0 coins
Hunter Brighton
Just to add some perspective from someone who works in college admissions - this is an especially complicated year for FAFSA processing. The rollout of the new FAFSA Simplification Act means everything is taking longer. Even after your application shows as processed, there are additional steps happening behind the scenes before schools can fully access your data. Most institutions are running 3-4 weeks behind their normal financial aid timelines. This doesn't help your immediate situation, but hopefully provides some context for why this is happening. If your daughter received early acceptance, definitely contact that school's financial aid office directly - they may be able to prioritize her aid package.
0 coins
Jessica Suarez
•That makes sense, though it's frustrating they don't communicate these delays clearly on the website. My daughter actually has until February 15th for her top choice school, so hopefully we'll have the information by then. I appreciate the insider perspective!
0 coins
Jessica Suarez
UPDATE: Just wanted to share what happened in case it helps anyone else. I downloaded our SAR as suggested and found our SAI score. Then I called each school's financial aid office directly. Two of them already had our information and said aid packages would be sent out mid-January. One hadn't received our FAFSA data yet and suggested we check if there were any issues with our application. I logged back into studentaid.gov and realized that school's code had a typo! Fixed it and resubmitted that portion. The other three schools said they're processing in order received and we should expect packages by late January. So definitely be proactive and contact schools directly!
0 coins
Justin Chang
•Great follow-up! This is exactly the right approach. For anyone else reading this thread, always check your Student Aid Report carefully for errors, and don't hesitate to contact schools directly about your financial aid timeline. Each school handles their processing differently.
0 coins