FAFSA stuck at 'Awaiting Federal Approval' for 3 weeks - can't proceed

That 'Federal Approval' stage is new in the 2025-2026 FAFSA and it's causing a lot of confusion. It typically means they're verifying contributor information (yours as a parent) against IRS records. It normally shouldn't take more than 5-7 business days though. Have you checked if all contributors have completed their sections? Sometimes one contributor needs to verify something and the system doesn't make it clear.

My nephew had the same issue last month and it turned out his dad hadn't actually finished his part even though it LOOKED complete. There was some checkbox at the bottom of the tax section that was easy to miss. Check that maybe?

ur supposed to get an email when federal approval happens. did u check ur spam folder? my sons fafsa got stuck for 2 weeks becuz the email went to spam and we didnt click the link they sent

This is unfortunately becoming a common issue with the redesigned FAFSA. The Federal Approval step involves the IRS verification of contributor tax information, but many applications are getting stuck in a verification loop. Here's what you should do: 1. First, check that all contributors have fully completed their sections AND digitally signed them 2. Verify that the SSNs entered for each contributor exactly match what's on their Social Security cards 3. Make sure the names match exactly how they appear on tax returns 4. Log out completely, clear your browser cache, and try logging back in If none of that works, you unfortunately need to call FSA directly. Since this is time-sensitive with your daughter's deadline approaching, I suggest reaching out to the financial aid office at her college to ask if they can offer an extension based on these FAFSA processing delays - many schools are being flexible this year because of the widespread issues.

This happened to me too!!! The form is BROKEN! I waited for 5 weeks in this stupid federal approval stage then suddenly got an email saying I needed to correct information. When I logged in NOTHING showed as needing correction. Had to start the whole thing over. The redesigned FAFSA is a DISASTER!!!

I went through this exact situation and spent hours trying to get through to someone at FSA. After countless disconnects and wait times, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a live agent. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I finally spoke with explained that my application was stuck in verification because my name on the FAFSA had my middle initial but my tax return didn't. Such a small thing! They were able to push it through manually and I got the approval email within 48 hours after that call.

your supposed to contact the school financial aid office and tell them about the delay. they can still process aid packages even if fafsa isn't done yet, they just make estimated offers. my daughter got a full package even though her fafsa was still processing

Just to follow up - make sure you take screenshots of your current status showing "Awaiting Federal Approval" with timestamps. This will help if you need to prove to schools that you've been trying to complete the form in a timely manner. Also, if any contributor has had a legal name change, address change, or filed tax extensions in the last year, these can all trigger extended verification periods. Keep documenting your attempts to resolve this and all communication with FSA. Schools are generally being understanding about these delays, but having evidence of your diligence will help your case.

after u get thru to fsa ask them to check if ur application is in error status. sometimes it gets stuck but doesnt show that to u. they have to reset something on there end to fix it

Good news - I just spoke with an FSA representative about a similar issue today. They said they're aware of a system-wide delay in the federal approval process affecting applications submitted in the last month. They're working on a fix that should process all backlogged applications by the end of this week. In the meantime, definitely contact your daughter's schools. Most financial aid offices are well aware of these FAFSA delays and have processes in place to work with students affected by them. Some are offering provisional financial aid packages based on previous year information while waiting for the official SAI calculation.