FAFSA system locked for corrections until mid-April - anyone else waiting?

Yep same here!! So frustrating. I made a mistake with my parents' retirement contributions and need to fix it ASAP. Called the helpline but got disconnected after waiting 45 mins 😩 Apparently everyone has to wait until mid-April according to the recording.

Ugh that's awful. Did they say WHY we have to wait so long? I don't understand why they'd close the system for corrections for such a long period...

This is actually normal for the FAFSA timeline. The Department of Education processes initial applications first, then opens the correction period. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, initial processing is taking longer because of the new FAFSA Simplification Act changes. Your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation has to be completed before you can make corrections, which is what's happening now. Most schools understand this federal timeline and will work with you.

Exactly right. While waiting, I recommend gathering all the correct documentation now so you're ready when the system opens. Also email your financial aid office to let them know corrections are coming - many schools have internal forms you can submit to note pending FAFSA changes.

Thank you! That makes me feel better. I'll email my schools today to let them know I'll be submitting corrections once the system allows it.

This is RIDICULOUS! Every year they change something and make it worse!! Last year I could make corrections immediately. Now they expect us to wait until MID-APRIL when deadlines are literally weeks later?? The whole system is broken. My daughter might miss out on thousands in aid because of this stupid delay. Who designed this process?!!

I know right?! Same boat here. My son's school has a May 1 deadline and we're cutting it WAY too close. I don't understand why they can't just let us fix obvious mistakes right away.

After dealing with the same issue, I finally got through to a FAFSA agent who explained that while we can't make corrections ourselves yet, they CAN make certain urgent corrections over the phone. I was getting disconnected constantly until I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it held my place in line and got me to an actual FSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent was able to correct my daughter's citizenship status while we wait for the self-correction feature to open.

Thanks for the tip! Did they tell you what types of corrections they can make by phone? I need to fix income information specifically.

They told me they can handle \

Im in the same boat!! so anoying, my moms tax info is wrong and now we gotta wait. ugh collegeboard and all these finance ppl just want to make evrything complicated

Just to clarify, FAFSA is run by Federal Student Aid (part of the Department of Education), not College Board. College Board handles the CSS Profile, which is a different financial aid form used by some private colleges. But I understand your frustration with the waiting period!

While you're waiting for the correction window to open, make sure to contact your school's financial aid office directly. I work in higher ed (not financial aid specifically), but I know many institutions have a process for noting pending FAFSA corrections. Some schools might accept provisional aid packages based on your intended corrections if you provide documentation directly to them. Every school handles this differently, but it's worth asking!

That's really helpful advice! I'll call my top choice school tomorrow and see if they have a process for this. At least that way they'll know I'm aware of the mistakes and planning to fix them.

Same here! Super frustrating. I messed up reporting my parents' retirement accounts and now I'm stuck waiting too. Called the FAFSA hotline yesterday but got disconnected after 30+ minutes on hold. The recorded message confirmed nobody can make corrections until mid-April. 😫

Did they explain why it's locked for so long? I don't remember this happening last year when my sister applied...

This is actually part of the normal FAFSA processing timeline for the 2025-2026 cycle. The Department of Education has to complete initial processing and calculate everyone's Student Aid Index (SAI) before opening the correction period. With the FAFSA Simplification Act changes this year, everything's taking longer than usual. Most schools are aware of these federal timelines and make accommodations.

That's somewhat reassuring. Do you think I should contact my schools directly to let them know I'll be submitting corrections once the system allows it?

Absolutely! Contact your school's financial aid office right away. Many have internal forms you can submit to document pending FAFSA changes. They may also be able to place a hold on your file so your aid package isn't finalized until your corrections are processed.

THIS IS COMPLETE BS!!! Every single year they find new ways to make this process MORE COMPLICATED!! Why would they lock corrections until MID-APRIL when many schools have May deadlines?? My daughter might lose thousands in aid because of their incompetence. I've been doing FAFSAs for 3 years with my older kids and it gets WORSE every time!!

ikr?? the whole system is broken. they expect us to be perfect first try but then don't let us fix mistakes? make it make sense lol

After facing the same issue, I finally managed to speak with an actual FSA agent who explained that while we can't make corrections ourselves yet, certain urgent corrections CAN be made over the phone by their agents. I was getting disconnected repeatedly until I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it held my place in line and connected me to a real person in about 25 minutes. They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent couldn't change my income info, but did add a missing college code for me.

Really? That sounds helpful! What types of corrections are they willing to make by phone? Will they fix income reporting errors?

From what the agent told me, they can handle certain 'critical corrections' by phone - mostly demographic info, school code additions/removals, and dependency status issues. For detailed financial corrections, they said we still need to wait for the online system to open in April. But each agent seems to have some discretion, so it might be worth trying.

While waiting for the correction window to open, I recommend gathering all your correct financial documentation now so you're ready to make changes immediately in April. Also, email your financial aid offices explaining the situation - most schools understand the FAFSA timeline constraints and have processes for handling pending corrections. Some might even allow you to submit the correct information directly to them while waiting for the federal system to open.

Thank you! I'll definitely prepare all my documents. I was planning to fix my parents' contribution to their retirement accounts and some income from a small business we have. I'll have everything ready to go as soon as the system opens.

just went thru this with my son's application. so annoying!! but honestly just wait it out, the corrections will open eventually. we're all in the same boat at least 🤷‍♀️