FAFSA suddenly requesting 2022 tax forms after showing processed - what's going on?
I'm super confused about what's happening with our FAFSA applications. Both my twins' FAFSAs were marked as 'processed' about two weeks ago. I even double-checked with both universities they're attending (UC Davis and Clemson) who confirmed they received the applications. But yesterday, out of nowhere, I got these two separate emails from the Department of Education saying they're requesting our 2022 tax records from the IRS. Isn't this totally backwards? Why would they mark the applications as processed and THEN ask for tax documents? Has anyone dealt with this before? I'm worried this is going to delay their financial aid packages, and we really need to make decisions soon. The deadline for accepting admissions is coming up in a few weeks!
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Jessica Nguyen
This hapened to me last month! They marked my son's FAFSA as processed then suddenly wanted verification of tax stuff. So annoying. I think their system is just broken tbh
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Cameron Black
•Did it end up delaying his aid package? That's what I'm most worried about right now.
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Isaiah Thompson
What you're experiencing is called a 'post-processing verification' and it's become increasingly common in the 2025-2026 FAFSA cycle. The Department of Education implemented a new tiered verification approach where some applications initially process through the system but are flagged for secondary tax verification before final SAI calculation. This doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong with your application. About 35% of all FAFSA applications go through some form of verification, and with the new system, some of these occur after initial processing. The colleges can still see your application was received, but your final Student Aid Index (SAI) might be adjusted after they review the tax documents.
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Ruby Garcia
•this doesnt sound right to me... when my daughter's fafsa got verified they never said it was processed first. sounds like a glitch in their system tbh
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Isaiah Thompson
•While the traditional verification process typically occurs before an application shows as processed, this newer post-processing verification is different. It's specifically designed to verify certain elements while still allowing the application to be visible to schools in the interim. The Department of Education implemented this to reduce initial processing bottlenecks while maintaining verification integrity.
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Alexander Evans
The exact same thing happened to me!! Both my kids FAFSAs were supposedly processed and then THREE WEEKS LATER we got the tax verification request! I called Federal Student Aid like 6 times and kept getting disconnected after waiting FOREVER. So frustrating!!!
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Evelyn Martinez
•After dealing with similar connection issues trying to reach Federal Student Aid, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it was a game-changer. They connected me directly to an FSA agent without the endless holding and disconnections. There's even a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ I was able to get a clear explanation about the post-processing verification and confirm that my kids' aid wouldn't be delayed as long as the verification was completed promptly. The agent explained exactly what was happening with our application and gave me a timeline for resolution.
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Benjamin Carter
Financial aid counselor here. This is actually a known issue with the 2025-2026 FAFSA processing system. When the Department of Education migrated to their new verification protocols, they created a two-tier system: 1. Initial processing (what you've already completed) 2. Secondary verification (what you're experiencing now) The good news: Your applications ARE in the system and visible to schools. The concerning news: Your final Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation might change after the tax verification. Critical advice: Don't ignore these verification requests! If you don't respond, your processed application can be flagged as incomplete retroactively, which WILL delay aid packages. The tax information should transfer directly from the IRS, but I recommend logging into your studentaid.gov account and checking the verification section to make sure the transfer completes successfully. Also, email the financial aid offices at both schools explaining the situation. Many schools are aware of this issue and may be able to provide preliminary aid estimates while waiting for the final verification.
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Cameron Black
•Thank you so much for this detailed explanation! This makes a lot more sense now. I'll definitely check the verification section on studentaid.gov right away and email both financial aid offices. If the tax info is supposed to transfer directly from the IRS, do I need to do anything to authorize that transfer? Or does it happen automatically since we already used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when filling out the original application?
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Benjamin Carter
•Great question. If you used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool during your initial application, the system should already have your authorization. However, I still recommend logging into studentaid.gov and checking the verification section. Sometimes there's an additional confirmation button you need to click to approve the secondary transfer. The system should show you the status of the tax verification request and whether any action is required on your part. If the status shows "Pending" for more than 5-7 business days, that might indicate an issue with the transfer that requires manual intervention.
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Maya Lewis
This whole FAFSA system is COMPLETELY BROKEN!!! First they delay the entire application by MONTHS, then they roll out a glitchy website, and now they're marking applications as processed and THEN asking for verification?? My daughter's financial future depends on this broken system and I'm LIVID. We submitted in January and are STILL dealing with issues. This is ridiculous!!!!
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Ruby Garcia
•preach!! 🙌 the whole system is a disaster this year
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Alexander Evans
Has anyone gotten an estimate on how long this "post-processing verification" takes? We're trying to compare financial aid packages before making a decision but this is messing everything up!!
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Isaac Wright
•my sons took about 2 weeks after the tax request email. but i have a friend whose daughter's took over a month so seems to vary alot
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Isaiah Thompson
Important update for everyone in this thread: I just spoke with a Department of Education representative who confirmed that for applications currently undergoing post-processing verification, they've implemented an expedited review process for families with enrollment decision deadlines approaching. The official guidance is to: 1. Complete any verification requirements immediately 2. Contact your schools' financial aid offices and notify them of the verification status 3. Request a preliminary aid estimate based on your current application data 4. Ask for an extension on enrollment deposits if verification isn't completed before decision deadlines Many schools are granting extensions specifically because of these FAFSA delays. Don't assume you have to make a decision without complete information.
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Cameron Black
•This is super helpful, thank you! I just checked both my studentaid.gov account and my email - there doesn't seem to be any action items for me yet regarding the verification. I assume that means the IRS transfer is still in process? I'll definitely reach out to both schools' financial aid offices tomorrow morning to give them a heads up about our situation.
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Jessica Nguyen
When I was dealing with my son's verification last month I called the Federal Student Aid hotline and eventually got through to someone who told me the tax document requests are batched and sometimes go out after initial processing. She said as long as you used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool originally it should transfer automatically without you having to do anything. Took about 10 days for his verification to complete then everything was good. Super annoying but worked out fine in the end.
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Cameron Black
•That's reassuring to hear! We definitely used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when we first applied. I'll keep an eye on the status and hopefully it'll resolve itself within a couple weeks. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Ruby Garcia
my brother works in financial aid at a university and he says this is happening to TONS of people this year. the new fafsa system is just a mess tbh
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Isaac Wright
•Ugh exactly. My niece got selected for verification THREE TIMES somehow. Each time they asked for different documents. Financial aid office said they've never seen anything like it before.
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