FAFSA stuck in 'in review' status after adding school - can't make parent corrections!

same thing happened to me last month. the system is super glitchy this year! had to wait 9 days before i could make corrections again after adding a school. its so stupid

Unfortunately, adding a school triggers a complete review cycle. The FAFSA system treats it as a new submission, which is why you're locked out from making additional corrections until that review completes. You have two options: 1. Wait for the current review to finish (typically 3-7 business days) 2. Contact Federal Student Aid directly to request an expedited review based on your upcoming deadline If you go with option 2, I recommend having your FAFSA ID, confirmation number, and your son's information ready when you call.

this is why i tell everyone to TRIPLE CHECK before hitting submit!!! the new fafsa system is a total disaster compared to the old one. my daughter's application got stuck for 2 weeks in february

Try calling the Federal Student Aid hotline at 1-800-433-3243. When I had a similar issue, I called this number and waited on hold for almost 2 hours before giving up. Then I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an actual FSA agent in under 20 minutes who unlocked my application so I could make corrections. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Saved me so much frustration and time!

You might want to contact the financial aid office at his top choice school directly. When my son had a similar issue, I explained the situation to the school's financial aid office, and they assured me they would work with us even if the corrected FAFSA came in slightly after their priority deadline. Most schools understand that FAFSA issues aren't your fault and will be flexible if you're proactive about communicating with them.

Based on my experience working with financial aid applications, here's what you need to know: 1. The review process after adding a school typically takes 3-5 business days, though in peak periods it can be longer. 2. Regarding your income correction: a $4,800 difference will likely change your son's SAI by approximately $700-1,000 depending on your tax filing status and other factors. 3. Most importantly, for a priority deadline 3 weeks away, you're still within a safe window. Even if you can't make corrections for a week, you'll have time to submit the corrected information before the deadline. 4. If you're really concerned, document your attempt to correct the FAFSA now (screenshot the "in review" status) and contact both the FSA helpline and the school's financial aid office. Having this documentation proves you attempted to correct the information before the deadline.

why is evryone acting like $4800 isnt a big deal?? that could mean the difference between getting a pell grant or not if ur near the cutoff! the whole system is broken i spent 3 weeks fighting with them last year over way less money!!

btw be careful when u finally do get to make corrections! sometimes the system will randomly reset other sections when u update one part. happened to me and i didnt notice until after i resubmitted. make sure u review EVERYTHING again before final submit

Update: I just checked the FSA website and they've posted about a known issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA review cycles. They're currently experiencing longer than normal processing times when schools are added to existing applications. The good news is they're prioritizing applications with upcoming deadlines, so make sure to call and mention your son's priority deadline when you speak with them.