FAFSA stuck at 'Information being verified by SSA' for our whole family - normal wait time?

This happened to our family too. The SSA verification took about 10 days for us. Apparently it's a normal part of the FAFSA process where they match your name/DOB/SSN with Social Security records. As long as all the info you entered matches your social security cards exactly, you should be fine. But if there's even a tiny discrepancy (like a hyphenated last name or middle initial issue), it can cause problems.

is anyone else annoyed that they made all these changes to FAFSA and now everything takes 10x longer?? last year my daughters application took like 3 days to process but now were at 2 weeks and still waiting on this SSA verification thing!!

The SSA verification is standard for the 2024-2025 FAFSA. With the new changes to the application, processing times have increased significantly. The primary things to verify: 1. Names match EXACTLY how they appear on Social Security cards (including hyphens, suffixes like Jr/Sr) 2. DOB matches SSA records 3. SSN correctly entered If any of these don't match, you'll need to contact Federal Student Aid. Though be prepared - phone wait times are extremely long right now. Regarding your priority deadline - if you're concerned, contact the financial aid office at your son's top choice school and explain the situation. Most schools are aware of the FAFSA delays this year and may make accommodations.

I went through this SSA verification thing last month and it took 17 days to clear! Nobody told us it would take that long. I almost missed my school's priority deadline because of it. Definitely contact your school's financial aid office ASAP and let them know what's happening. Most schools are being flexible with FAFSA deadlines this year because the whole system is a mess.

The SSA verification process is indeed normal and required for all FAFSA applications. Average processing times this year are ranging from 7-21 days, significantly longer than previous years due to the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. Important things to know: 1. Name discrepancies are the #1 reason for extended verification periods. This includes hyphens, spaces, and suffixes. 2. If you believe there's a mismatch between your FAFSA entries and SSA records, you should contact Federal Student Aid directly to request a correction. 3. For your priority deadline concerns: Most institutions have implemented flexibility this year specifically because of these known FAFSA processing delays. Contact your financial aid office directly with your FAFSA confirmation number to document that you've submitted before their deadline. I recommend calling FSA directly if you're approaching week 2 of waiting. However, the phone lines are extremely backed up right now.

One more thing I forgot to mention - make sure to check your FAFSA account every day. They don't always send email notifications when the status changes. Our verification cleared but we didn't get any notification.

tbh this whole new FAFSA system is a DISASTER!! my daughter's information has been "being verified" for almost a MONTH now!! i've called like 20 times and either get disconnected or wait for 3+ hours!! meanwhile deadlines are passing and no one seems to care!

Pro tip: I took screenshots of our FAFSA submission confirmation page and sent it to our school's financial aid office when we got stuck in this SSA verification thing. They noted in our file that we had submitted before the deadline, so we wouldn't be penalized for the processing delay. Most schools understand this is happening to everyone this year.

does anyone know if this SSA verification thing happens every year or is it just because of the new FAFSA changes? never had to deal with this before

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My family's FAFSA has been stuck at SSA verification for 8 days now. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and terrifying at the same time. It sounds like the hyphen issue is really common - I just realized my daughter has a hyphenated middle name on her birth certificate but her SS card just has the first part. Based on what everyone is saying, I think I need to: 1) Call FSA about the name discrepancy (though good luck getting through!), 2) Contact the schools directly with our submission confirmation, and 3) just keep checking the portal daily since they don't always send notifications. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least we know we're not alone in this mess!