FAFSA submitted 1/16 still under review while later applications processed - should I be worried?
I submitted my FAFSA on January 16th and it's STILL showing as 'under review' in the studentaid.gov portal. What's driving me crazy is that my roommate submitted hers on January 22nd and already got her SAI score last week! And I've seen posts from people who submitted in early February who are already processed. Is anyone else from the mid-January submission batch still waiting? Did something go wrong with my application? Should I be calling FSA to figure out what's happening or is this normal for some applications to take longer than others submitted later? Starting to stress since my school's priority deadline is coming up...
18 comments
Join the conversation
Josef Tearle
Yep, I'm in the same boat. Submitted Jan 15th and still nothing while my sister who submitted on the 28th already got her SAI. I called FSA three times but kept getting disconnected after waiting 2+ hours each time. This rollout has been a complete disaster and I'm running out of time to make college decisions. So frustrating!
0 coins
Charity Cohan
•That's so annoying! Did you ever get through to anyone? I'm wondering if there's something about mid-January applications specifically that got stuck in some kind of processing backlog.
0 coins
Shelby Bauman
mine was submitted 1/14 and just got processed yesterday!! hang in there, i think theyre just going through them randomly tbh
0 coins
Charity Cohan
•That gives me some hope! Did you get any kind of notification when it finally processed or did you just have to keep checking the portal?
0 coins
Quinn Herbert
The FAFSA processing this year isn't strictly chronological. Applications are being batched based on various factors including verification flags, complexity of household situations, and even which schools you've listed. If you have a complicated dependent status or multiple household members in college, you might get flagged for additional review. If your school's priority deadline is approaching, I'd recommend: 1) Contact your school's financial aid office to let them know your FAFSA is still processing, 2) Ask if they'll accept a screenshot of your submission confirmation as a placeholder, and 3) Try to reach FSA directly to check if there are any issues requiring your attention.
0 coins
Charity Cohan
•Thank you for this explanation! I do have a somewhat complicated situation with divorced parents and step-parents' income. I'll definitely contact my school's financial aid office tomorrow to explain the situation.
0 coins
Salim Nasir
LOL, this new "simplified" FAFSA is anything BUT simple! Submitted mine in Dec and took 5 weeks to process while my cousin submitted in Feb and got results in 10 days. Make it make sense!
0 coins
Josef Tearle
•Right?? They completely botched this rollout. What happened to "simpler and faster"? Now we're all stressing about missing deadlines because of THEIR problems!
0 coins
Hazel Garcia
Has anyone actually managed to get through to a real person at FSA? I've tried calling multiple times and just get an automated message saying high call volume, then get disconnected. Starting to feel like it's impossible to reach them for help.
0 coins
Laila Fury
•I was having the same problem until I tried Claimyr.com - it held my place in line with FSA and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me from having to redial constantly or sit on hold forever. There's a video demo of how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ if you want to check it out. The agent told me they're working through a backlog and that applications with potential data conflicts get flagged for manual review, which is why some later ones are processing faster than earlier ones.
0 coins
Geoff Richards
am i the only one who thinks its kinda sus that they're processing february apps before january ones?? like what are they hiding??
0 coins
Quinn Herbert
•There's actually a logical explanation for this. The Department of Education confirmed they're processing FAFSA applications in batches rather than strictly by date. Applications with certain characteristics (complex household situations, selected for verification, etc.) take longer to process. It's not ideal, but it's not a conspiracy - just an unfortunate side effect of the new processing system rollout combined with their staffing limitations.
0 coins
Shelby Bauman
update - mine just finished processing!!! check ur portal maybe urs went thru 2?
0 coins
Charity Cohan
•Just checked - still under review 😠But I'm glad yours went through! At least the system is still working through the backlog. Fingers crossed mine is next!
0 coins
Quinn Herbert
For those still waiting, here's what you can do: 1. Download and save your FAFSA confirmation page with submission date as documentation 2. Email your school's financial aid office with this confirmation and explain the processing delay 3. Ask your school about provisional financial aid packages based on estimated information 4. If you need to speak with FSA directly about your specific application status, be prepared with your FSA ID, confirmation number, and any reference numbers from previous communications Most schools are aware of the widespread processing delays and many have adjusted their internal deadlines accordingly. Don't panic - just keep documentation of your timely submission.
0 coins
Josef Tearle
•Thank you for this! I just emailed my top two schools with my confirmation page. One already responded saying they're extending their internal deadline by two weeks because of all the FAFSA delays. Huge relief!
0 coins
Charity Cohan
UPDATE: My application was JUST processed this morning! Literally just got the email. For anyone still waiting - hang in there, they are still working through the backlog. Thanks everyone for your help and advice through this stressful situation!
0 coins
Shelby Bauman
•yay!!! congrats!! how does ur SAI look? better or worse than u expected??
0 coins