FAFSA still "in review" after 8+ weeks - is this normal for 2025-2026 applications?

ur not alone, mine has been "in review" since january 3rd. my sister submitted hers a month after me and already got processed last week. makes no sense!

There have been massive delays with the 2025-2026 FAFSA processing. The Department of Education implemented the new FAFSA Simplification Act which completely overhauled the system, and they're experiencing significant technical issues. According to the latest FSA updates, applications submitted in December and early January are taking 6-10 weeks for processing, compared to the normal 3-5 days from previous years. My recommendation is to check if there are any flags on your application. Log into studentaid.gov and look for any notifications or messages. Sometimes they need additional verification but the notification system isn't working properly. Also, check that your email address is correct in your profile so you don't miss communications.

my cousins FAFSA took 11 weeks to process!! and then they flagged her for verification after that which took another 3 weeks. the whole system is a mess this year

I work in a college financial aid office, and we're seeing unprecedented delays this cycle. The Department of Education announced that the new FAFSA processing system is experiencing significant backlogs. Here's what you should know: 1. The average processing time right now is 8-10 weeks (not the 3-4 weeks your counselor mentioned) 2. Applications with even minor discrepancies are taking longer 3. Many schools have extended their financial aid deadlines because of this If you need to make college decisions soon, I recommend: - Contact your prospective schools' financial aid offices directly - Ask if they have institutional forms you can complete while waiting - Check if they're offering estimated aid packages based on prior year information Many schools understand the situation and are creating workarounds for students caught in this delay.

CALL THEM!!!! I was stuck in "review" for 7 weeks and found out they needed additional info but NEVER SENT ME THE NOTIFICATION! Wasted so much time waiting when I could have resolved it weeks earlier. The whole new system is a DISASTER.

I tried calling for TWO WEEKS straight and could never get through. The phone system is completely overwhelmed. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Turns out my application had a flag for mismatched income information that was never communicated to me. The agent was able to clear it up right away and my application was processed 3 days later. Definitely worth trying if you're stuck in limbo.

Update: I finally got through to someone at Federal Student Aid! Turns out there was a flag on my application because my dad's birth date was entered incorrectly (I accidentally put 1968 instead of 1969). The crazy thing is they never notified me about this! The agent fixed it immediately and said my application should be processed within 3-5 business days. I'll update again when I get my SAI. Thanks everyone for your help!

omg I'm in the exact same situation!! submitted Dec 26 and still nothing!! my friend who applied in feb already got her SAI. the whole thing is so frustrating when you're trying to make college decisions. its like they dont understand we NEED this information NOW not in 3 more months!!!

Here's what I recommend for anyone else facing these delays: 1. First, check for any Data Field Flags (DFF) in your FAFSA portal - these indicate issues that need resolution 2. If you see no flags but are still waiting 6+ weeks, definitely contact FSA directly 3. Don't wait for email notifications - they're not working consistently this year 4. Ask your schools about provisional financial aid offers based on your financial information 5. Document all communications with FSA for your records The good news is that most schools are aware of these systemic issues and are being flexible with deadlines.

I'm a high school senior who just went through this exact same nightmare! My FAFSA was stuck "in review" for 10 weeks because of a tiny error in my SSN (I transposed two digits). The most frustrating part was that I had no idea there was even a problem - the system never sent me any notification about the issue. For anyone still waiting, here's what finally worked for me: I called the FSA help line at 7:30 AM EST on a Tuesday (apparently early morning weekdays have shorter wait times). When I got through, the representative found the error immediately and fixed it on the spot. My application was processed within 48 hours after that call. Don't make the same mistake I did by just waiting and hoping - be proactive and call them! Also, make sure to have your FSA ID login info ready when you call because they'll need to verify your identity before they can tell you what's wrong with your application.

Same boat here - submitted mine on December 30th and still showing "in review" after 8 weeks! Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like calling FSA is the key. I've been putting it off because I heard the wait times were terrible, but after seeing that multiple people found hidden flags/errors that were never communicated, I'm definitely going to try that 7:30 AM Tuesday strategy. It's ridiculous that we have to detective our own applications like this. Thanks for all the tips everyone - this thread has been more helpful than any official FSA communication I've received (which is zero lol).

I'm going through the exact same thing! Submitted my FAFSA on January 5th and it's been stuck "in review" for 7+ weeks now. This thread has been SO helpful - I had no idea about the Data Field Flags or that the notification system was broken. I've been checking my studentaid.gov account every day expecting some kind of update or request for more info, but there's literally nothing there. It's terrifying knowing that there could be a simple error holding everything up and I'd never know about it. I'm definitely going to try that early morning call strategy tomorrow. Has anyone had luck getting through on other days of the week, or is Tuesday really the sweet spot? Also wondering if anyone knows - once they fix whatever issue is there, how long does it actually take to get processed? I'm running out of time for scholarship applications and college decision deadlines!

I'm a newcomer to this community but going through the exact same nightmare! Just submitted my FAFSA on December 28th and it's been "in review" for over 8 weeks now. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both reassuring and terrifying - reassuring because I'm not alone, but terrifying because I had no idea about these hidden flags and notification system failures. I've been passively waiting this whole time thinking it was just normal processing delays. After reading all your stories, I'm realizing I need to be way more proactive. Planning to try that early morning Tuesday call strategy and check for Data Field Flags. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this thread has been more informative than anything I've gotten from official FSA sources! Hopefully I can get through and resolve whatever mystery issue is holding up my application.

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with this exact same situation! Submitted my FAFSA on January 2nd and it's been stuck "in review" for 8+ weeks now. This thread has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea about the Data Field Flags or that the notification system was basically broken this year. I've been checking my account religiously expecting some kind of update, but there's absolutely nothing there indicating any problems. Reading everyone's experiences here has made me realize I need to stop waiting passively and actually call FSA. The early morning Tuesday strategy sounds promising - I'm definitely going to try that this week. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to play detective with our own applications just to find out if there's a simple data entry error holding everything up. Thank you all for sharing your stories and tips - this community has provided more useful information than any official FSA communication I've received (which is basically zero). Fingers crossed I can finally get some answers about what's been delaying my application!

I'm a newcomer to this community and dealing with the exact same nightmare! I submitted my FAFSA on January 8th and it's been stuck "in review" for almost 8 weeks now with absolutely zero communication from FSA. Reading through all of your experiences has been both helpful and infuriating - helpful because I now know I'm not alone and there are actual steps I can take, but infuriating because I had no idea the notification system was this broken. I've been passively waiting this whole time thinking the delays were normal, checking my studentaid.gov account daily and seeing nothing. After reading about everyone's hidden flags and data errors that were never communicated, I'm kicking myself for not being more proactive sooner. I'm definitely going to try that early morning Tuesday call strategy - thank you all for sharing those specific timing tips! It's absolutely ridiculous that a community forum is providing better guidance than the actual federal student aid system. I'll report back after I try calling to let others know how it goes. Fingers crossed I can finally get some answers about what's been holding up my application all this time!