FAFSA suddenly changed to 'in review' after getting SAI - should I be worried?

same thing happened to my son last week!!! been worried sick about it

This is actually becoming pretty common this year with the new FAFSA rollout. Several status changes are happening that weren't properly explained to families. The 'in review' status usually means one of three things: 1. Random verification selection (about 15% of applications) 2. Information discrepancy they found when matching with IRS data 3. System-wide reviews they're doing in batches The good news is that having received an SAI initially means your basic application was processed correctly. The bad news is that reviews can take 3-6 weeks to complete.

Don't panic yet! My daughter's FAFSA went into "review" twice - once in February and again in March. The first time cleared itself after about 10 days, the second time took almost 3 weeks. No explanation either time, but her aid packages from colleges came through just fine. The system is super glitchy this year.

You should call Federal Student Aid directly to ask what's happening. The problem is the phone wait times are absolutely ridiculous right now - I waited 2.5 hours last week and then got disconnected. I ended up using Claimyr.com to get through to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent explained that my son's application was flagged for review because of a discrepancy between reported household size and tax return information. You might have something similar happening.

Reviews usually happen for one of these reasons: 1. System verification - completely random selection 2. Data mismatch - something doesn't match between FAFSA and tax info 3. Unusual circumstances - large assets, income changes, etc. 4. Multiple applications - corrections or updates can trigger reviews Since you already received an SAI, your application was initially processed correctly. The colleges your daughter applied to should still be able to see her original SAI while the review is happening. I recommend contacting each financial aid office and letting them know about the situation.

my sons fafsa has been "in review" since february 18 and we still havent heard anything back. The whole systems a joke this year IMO

have you checked if ur daughter got an email? my daughters went to review and she got an email saying they needed proof of citizenship even tho shes been a citizen her entire life lol. the email went to her spam folder so we almost missed it

Quick update based on some of the other comments - I should clarify that while the review is ongoing, colleges can still see the initial SAI that was calculated, but they might hold on finalizing aid packages until the review is complete. If the May 1 deadline is approaching, definitely contact the financial aid offices at each school. They can often work with preliminary information while waiting for the final FAFSA review to complete. Many schools are being more flexible with deposit deadlines this year specifically because of FAFSA delays.

just an update - my sons finally cleared review yesterday! took 18 days total and no explanation of what they were even reviewing lol

I wanted to add that if this drags on for more than 2 weeks, you should definitely consider reaching out directly to Federal Student Aid. My second experience with the review lasted almost 3 weeks, and I regret not being more proactive about it. When I finally did get through to someone, they were able to expedite the process.

UPDATE: I finally got through to FSA this morning (used that Claimyr service someone recommended - worked great). They told me the review was triggered because my daughter's Social Security number had a one-digit mismatch with Social Security Administration records. Apparently this is happening to lots of people. They're correcting it on their end and said the review should be completed within 7-10 business days. Just wanted to update in case anyone else runs into this issue.

This is such a relief to hear that you got answers! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my daughter's FAFSA went into review last week after we had already received her SAI. The lack of communication from FSA is incredibly frustrating, especially when college decision deadlines are looming. Thanks for sharing the Claimyr recommendation too - I've been dreading trying to call FSA directly because of the horror stories about wait times. It's reassuring to know that simple data mismatches seem to be causing a lot of these reviews rather than actual problems with our applications.

This thread is so helpful! My son's FAFSA just went into review yesterday and I've been panicking about it affecting his aid packages. Reading everyone's experiences makes me feel much better - it sounds like these reviews are happening to a lot of families this year and most are resolving without major issues. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service if I need to call FSA, because waiting 2+ hours on hold sounds like torture. Thanks for sharing your update about the SSN mismatch too - it's crazy that such a small technical issue can cause so much stress for families!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who went through this exact same thing last month! My daughter's FAFSA went into review right after we got her SAI too, and I was absolutely freaking out about the timing with college deadlines approaching. After reading through all these comments, I'm realizing how common this has become this year - it's both frustrating and somewhat comforting to know we're not alone in dealing with these system issues. I ended up calling FSA using that Claimyr service (thanks to whoever mentioned it!) and found out it was also a Social Security number mismatch on their end. The whole thing resolved in about 10 days once I got through to someone who could actually explain what was happening. The lack of transparency from FSA about these reviews is really doing a disservice to families who are already stressed about college finances and deadlines.

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! My daughter's FAFSA went into review 3 days ago after we'd already gotten her SAI in February. The timing couldn't be worse with college decision deadlines coming up. Reading through all these comments is actually making me feel so much better - it sounds like this is happening to tons of families this year and most are getting resolved without major problems. I had no idea about the SSN mismatch issue being so common! I've been hesitant to call FSA because of the horror stories about wait times, but after seeing multiple people recommend Claimyr, I think I'm going to give it a try tomorrow. It's so frustrating that we have to jump through hoops just to find out what's going on with our own applications, but at least there seems to be a way to actually get answers. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really helping reduce my stress level!

I'm so glad I found this thread! My daughter's FAFSA just went into review yesterday after we received her SAI three weeks ago, and I've been in full panic mode thinking we did something wrong. Reading everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like these random reviews are unfortunately just part of the broken FAFSA system this year. The SSN mismatch issue that keeps coming up is fascinating and terrifying at the same time - who would have thought a simple data entry error on their end could cause so much family stress? I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service based on all the recommendations here. It's absolutely ridiculous that FSA provides zero communication about why applications go into review, especially when families are dealing with tight college decision deadlines. Thank you all for sharing your stories and solutions - this community is a lifesaver during such a stressful time!