Mailed paper FAFSA twice - no response yet. Anyone else experiencing delays?

Paper FAFSAs are taking FOREVER this year! I submitted mine in December and didn't get confirmation for almost 9 weeks. The processing times are much longer for paper forms compared to electronic submissions. If your school deadline is only 3 weeks away, I strongly recommend trying the online version again, maybe using a different browser or clearing your cache first. You can also check your status by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243, though getting through to an actual person is nearly impossible these days.

my roommate did paper fafsa and she got notified after like 2 months lol. they're super backed up this year with all the FAFSA simplification changes. you should probably just do online

The Department of Education is DROWNING in paper forms right now!!! I work in a college financial aid office, and we're telling ALL students to avoid paper submissions if humanly possible. The backlog is insane because of the new FAFSA system rollout. Paper forms are taking 8-12 weeks minimum to process, while online forms are averaging 2-3 weeks. If your school deadline is in 3 weeks, IMMEDIATELY contact your school's financial aid office and explain the situation. Most schools have procedures for pending FAFSA submissions. They might be able to give you a deadline extension while you get the online submission completed. About the website crashing - try using Chrome in incognito mode or Firefox with cleared cache. The system tends to get stuck on tax information uploads when there's corrupted browser data.

I had this exact same problem but with my W-2 forms not uploading correctly!! The website kept freezing during submission. I eventually gave up and mailed my FAFSA in January. Still waiting for confirmation and it's almost April now. This is ridiculous!! My cousin works for the DOE and said they're horribly understaffed for processing paper forms since they expected everyone to use the new online system. We're basically at the bottom of the priority stack.

I was in almost the same situation last month. Tried paper FAFSA after website glitches, then waited forever with no confirmation. What FINALLY worked for me was using Claimyr to actually reach a live agent at Federal Student Aid (https://claimyr.com). They got me through to someone who could check the status of my paper application AND help me successfully complete an online submission. They have a video showing how the service works too: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with confirmed my paper application was received but sitting in a massive backlog. She helped me troubleshoot the website issues on the spot and I successfully submitted online that same day. My online submission was processed in 8 days.

As someone who processes financial aid applications at a university, I strongly recommend abandoning the paper route immediately and trying again online. Here's what you should do: 1) Contact all your schools' financial aid offices ASAP to explain the situation 2) Ask specifically for a FAFSA filing extension due to technical difficulties 3) Try submitting online using the tips others mentioned (incognito browsing, different browser) 4) Keep documentation of your attempts (screenshots of errors) 5) If you can't get through online, call FSA directly at 1-800-433-3243 Paper forms are severely delayed this year - we're seeing 10+ week processing times. Most schools will work with you as long as you're proactive in communicating with them.

Sent mine by mail in january still nuthin back yet. The whole fafsa thing is a JOKE this year!! My friend got his SAI and it was way higher than expected so now hes not eligible for the Pell Grant he was counting on. Maybe its better yours is taking forever lol atleast you can plan for worst case

UPDATE: I took everyone's advice and called my school's financial aid office this morning. They were super understanding and gave me a 2-week extension on my FAFSA deadline! I'm going to try submitting online tonight using Chrome in incognito mode like someone suggested. Thank you all SO MUCH for the help and sharing your experiences! I'll update again once I get something processed.