How long does FAFSA review and processing really take after signing?

The review phase generally takes 3-7 days for most applicants, but processing time can vary quite a bit depending on your specific situation. If your information is straightforward (standard W-2 income, no unusual circumstances), your FAFSA will likely be processed within 2 weeks after review. However, if you were selected for verification or there are any discrepancies in your application, it could take 3-4 weeks or longer. You should receive your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation once processing is complete. I'd recommend checking your status every few days - it should change from "Under Review" to "Processing" and then finally to "Processed" when complete.

mine took like 2 MONTHS last year cuz they kept asking for more documents and stuff. super annoying

Congrats on getting through the ID verification! That new system is a nightmare - took me 4 attempts to get verified 🙄

It really depends on your specific situation. My daughter's FAFSA was reviewed in just 2 days, but then sat in processing for almost 3 weeks. Her boyfriend's went through the entire process in 5 days total. There's no consistent timeline unfortunately. If you're worried about missing your school's priority deadline, I'd suggest calling the financial aid office at your college and explaining that you've submitted but it's still processing. Most schools will make a note on your file if you've at least submitted by their deadline, even if the processing isn't complete yet. They understand the FAFSA delays this year with the new system.

From my experience working with students this year, the new FAFSA system has been extremely unpredictable with processing times. Here's what I can tell you: 1. Review phase: Typically 3-10 days 2. Processing phase: Anywhere from 1-4 weeks 3. SAI calculation and school notification: 1-3 days after processing If your application gets flagged for verification (about 30% do), add another 2-4 weeks. Critical point: Your FAFSA isn't considered "submitted" to your schools until it's fully processed. However, most financial aid offices understand the delays with the new system and will work with you if you can prove you submitted before their deadline, even if processing finishes after. I recommend taking screenshots of your submission confirmation and current status as documentation.

I've been stuck trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid for THREE DAYS to ask about my FAFSA processing time!!! Every time I call I'm on hold for 2+ hours and then get disconnected. This new system is GARBAGE and no one can give straight answers on processing times. Some people get processed in days while others wait months. It's completely unfair and disorganized!

Update: Just want to let everyone know that I called my school's financial aid office like some of you suggested, and they were super helpful! They said they can see that I've submitted my FAFSA even though it's still under review, and they made a note on my account that I submitted before their priority deadline. Such a relief! Still waiting for the processing to complete though - it's been 3 days and still says "Under Review" 😫

mine just went from "under review" to "processing" and its been stuck there for like 10 days now 😭

One final tip: After your FAFSA is processed, make sure to check your Student Aid Report (SAR) for any errors. If you find mistakes, you'll need to make corrections, which can take another 3-5 days to process. This year especially, there have been many reports of incorrect information appearing on the SAR due to glitches in the new system.

As someone who just went through this process last month, I can share my timeline: submitted March 2nd, moved to "Under Review" after 2 days, then "Processing" after 6 days, and finally got my SAR on March 15th - so about 13 days total. One thing that really helped my anxiety was setting up text notifications through studentaid.gov so I got alerts whenever my status changed. Also, even though the system says processing can take up to 3 weeks, I noticed most people in my situation (standard W-2 income, no complex circumstances) got processed within 2 weeks. The key thing is that you submitted before your school's deadline - that's what really matters! Most financial aid offices are being very understanding about processing delays this year.

I'm in a similar boat - just submitted my FAFSA 4 days ago and it's still showing "Under Review." Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and nerve-wracking! It sounds like there's such a wide range of processing times depending on your situation. @Raul Neal - I'm glad to hear your school was understanding about the deadline situation. I think I'll follow your lead and call my financial aid office tomorrow just to give them a heads up that I've submitted but am still waiting on processing. The new FAFSA system has definitely been a challenge this year. I had issues with the ID verification too - it took me three tries to get my photos accepted. But at least we're all in this together! Hopefully we'll all get processed soon 🤞

I just wanted to jump in as someone who works in financial aid - you're absolutely right to be proactive about calling your school! We've been dealing with so many FAFSA processing delays this year that most offices have updated their policies to accommodate students who submitted on time but are stuck waiting for federal processing. A few additional tips that might help ease your anxiety: - Keep checking your email regularly - if you get selected for verification, you'll get notified via email and that's when delays really start adding up - Make sure your phone number is updated in your FSA ID account so you can get those text notifications about status changes - If your FAFSA has been "Under Review" for more than 10 business days, that might indicate an issue and you should definitely call the Federal Student Aid line The good news is that since you submitted before your priority deadline and your school has noted it, you should be fine for aid consideration even if processing takes a few more weeks. Hang in there - this year has been rough for everyone but it will get sorted out! 💪

This thread has been so helpful! I'm a first-time FAFSA filer and honestly had no idea what to expect for processing times. My application has been "Under Review" for 6 days now and I was starting to panic, but reading everyone's experiences makes me feel so much better. @Jungleboo Soletrain - thanks for the insider tips! I just updated my phone number in my FSA ID account and signed up for text notifications. The 10 business day guideline is really helpful to know. @Raul Neal - I'm definitely going to follow your example and call my school's financial aid office tomorrow. It's such a smart move to get ahead of any potential deadline issues. Has anyone noticed if checking your status frequently actually helps or if it's better to just wait? I've been obsessively refreshing the page multiple times a day but wondering if I should just chill and check once daily instead 😅

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I submitted my FAFSA 5 days ago and have been in complete panic mode about processing times and deadlines. Reading through everyone's real experiences and timelines has honestly been more informative than anything I could find on the official websites. The advice about calling your school's financial aid office seems to be the golden tip here - I had no idea they could see submission status even while it's still under federal review. That's such a relief! I'm definitely calling my school first thing Monday morning. Also really appreciate the insider perspective from @Jungleboo Soletrain about the 10 business day benchmark and the verification process. And @Vanessa Figueroa, that Claimyr service sounds like a lifesaver for anyone who needs to actually reach someone at Federal Student Aid! This new FAFSA system has been such a nightmare with the ID verification issues and unpredictable processing times, but it's comforting to know we're all dealing with the same struggles. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and tips - you've probably saved my sanity and maybe my financial aid! 🙏

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same anxiety spiral a few weeks ago! My FAFSA took 8 days to move from "Under Review" to "Processing" and then another 6 days to get fully processed with my SAR available. Total time was 14 days, which felt like an eternity while I was waiting but was actually pretty reasonable. The biggest thing that helped my stress was realizing that the "Under Review" phase is usually the longest part - once it moves to "Processing" it typically goes much faster. And like others have said, definitely call your financial aid office! Mine told me they can see federal submission timestamps even before processing is complete, so you're covered for the priority deadline. One more tip: if you have any parent contributors on your FAFSA, make sure they're also checking their email regularly. Sometimes verification requests or other communications get sent to parent email addresses instead of the student's, which can cause delays if they miss it. Good luck - you'll get through this! 🍀

As someone who just completed this whole process recently, I wanted to share what helped me get through the waiting period! My FAFSA took about 12 days total - 7 days "Under Review" and 5 days "Processing" before I got my SAR. A few things that really saved my stress levels: - Set up those text notifications immediately if you haven't already - Call your financial aid office ASAP - they were so understanding about the delays - Keep screenshots of your submission confirmation and current status as backup - Try to check status just once or twice a day instead of constantly refreshing (I know it's hard!) The hardest part is definitely the uncertainty, but based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like most people with straightforward situations get processed within 2-3 weeks. Since you submitted before your priority deadline and the school can see that, you should be totally fine! The new system has been rough for everyone but we're all getting through it eventually. Hang in there! 💪