FAFSA submission showing $0 in Direct Loans and missing SAI calculation - help!

omg same!! mine has been like that for 2 weeks now. so frustrating!

This is actually pretty common with the new FAFSA system. Your SAI won't appear until your application is fully processed, which can take 3-5 business days under normal circumstances. However, with the current volume of applications for 2025-2026, many people are experiencing delays of 1-2 weeks. The $0 in Federal Direct Loans doesn't mean you won't receive loans - it just means they haven't been calculated/awarded yet since your SAI is pending. One thing to check: did you receive an email confirmation that your FAFSA was successfully submitted? If yes, you're probably fine and just need to wait. If not, you might want to log back in and make sure it wasn't saved as a draft.

thats not normal, when i submitted mine last month the SAI showed up right away!! you probly skipped something important or didn't sign the form electronically. i would resubmit the whole thing asap before the deadline

I had EXACTLY this issue with my son's FAFSA three weeks ago! The $0 loans and missing SAI had me completely stressed out. I spent TWO DAYS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid, constantly getting disconnected or facing 3+ hour wait times. Finally, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an FSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent explained that this is happening to lots of people right now because of high volume and some technical issues on their end. For us, the SAI suddenly appeared 4 days after I called, and everything started moving forward with his financial aid package. Definitely worth getting an answer directly from them rather than stressing for weeks.

so sick of this garbage FAFSA system!!!! been dealing with glitches for 3 years straight now. they completely redesigned the system and STILL can't get it right. my daughter's SAI was missing for almost a month and we almost missed scholarship deadlines because of it. CALL THEM AND DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!

The missing SAI calculation issue has been particularly common this year due to the transition to the new FAFSA Simplification Act implementation. Here's what you need to know: 1. If your FAFSA shows as "submitted" but doesn't have an SAI, it means your application is still in the processing queue 2. Typical processing time used to be 3-5 days, but many students are experiencing 7-14 day waits currently 3. The $0 in Federal Direct Loans is normal and doesn't reflect your actual eligibility 4. Your school can't prepare your financial aid package until the SAI is calculated While waiting is frustrating, calling can sometimes identify specific issues delaying your application. Look for an "Application Status" section on the FAFSA dashboard - if it shows any alerts or action items, address those immediately.

When I was helping my daughter with her FAFSA last month, we had this exact problem! Her submission showed all zeros and no SAI for almost two weeks. I was about to call when suddenly one morning everything updated correctly. Based on her experience and what I've heard from other parents, I'd suggest waiting about 10-14 days from submission before taking any action. The system is just overwhelmed right now with 2025-2026 applications. If you're worried about meeting school financial aid deadlines, you can reach out to your school's financial aid office directly and explain the situation. Many schools are aware of the FAFSA processing delays and will work with you as long as you've submitted by their priority deadlines.

i just checked mine again after reading this thread and my SAI magically appeared today!!! maybe check yours again?

UPDATE: My SAI finally showed up this morning! Looks like I just needed to be patient after all. Thanks everyone for the advice and reassurance. For anyone else with this issue - mine took exactly 8 days to process.