No FAFSA SAI score yet for my son - should I be concerned?
I submitted my son's 2025-2026 FAFSA almost 3 weeks ago and there's still no Student Aid Index (SAI) score showing up in his account. The status just says "Processing" but nothing else. This is his first year applying and we need to make college decisions soon. I'm starting to freak out because his friend who applied the same weekend already got his results back. Is this normal? How long should this take? Should I be calling someone or is this just how it works now with the new system?
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Millie Long
this happens a lot, wait another week before u start worrying. my daughter's took 5 weeks last year.
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Santiago Diaz
•5 WEEKS?? That seems crazy long. His deposit deadline for his top choice is coming up in less than a month. How are families supposed to make decisions without knowing their aid package?
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KaiEsmeralda
Are you talking about the SAI or the actual financial aid package from the college? Those are two different things. The SAI is just a number, not the actual amount of money you'll get.
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Santiago Diaz
•I know they're different, but don't we need the SAI first before colleges can create their aid packages? My son's top choice said they can't finalize anything until the FAFSA is processed.
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KaiEsmeralda
•Yeah that's right, colleges need the SAI before they can put together packages. But some schools might have scholarship money they can offer without FAFSA, did you check if there's anything like that available?
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Debra Bai
There are a few reasons why your son's FAFSA might be taking longer to process: 1. Verification selection - about 30% of applications get randomly selected for income/information verification 2. Data discrepancies between what you entered and IRS records 3. System backlog (this year has been particularly challenging with the new FAFSA rollout) 4. Missing signatures or incomplete sections I'd recommend checking the studentaid.gov portal to see if there are any action items or messages about verification. Look for anything marked "Action Required" or similar language.
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Santiago Diaz
•Thank you, that's helpful. I just checked and don't see any action items, just the processing status. I'm worried because his top choice school has an enrollment decision deadline of May 1st, and without knowing what aid he'll receive, we can't make an informed decision.
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Gabriel Freeman
MY DAUGHTER'S TOOK FOREVER TOO!! The whole system is such garbage this year with all their stupid changes! We applied in DECEMBER and didn't get the SAI until mid-February! By then she almost missed scholarship deadlines at 2 schools!!!
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Laura Lopez
•same. the new FAFSA is a complete disaster. my nephew's got stuck in verification for 6 weeks. something about tax info not matching exactly.
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Victoria Brown
Try calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly at 1-800-433-3243. They can check on the status of your application and tell you if there are any issues that might be causing the delay. Based on your timeline of 3 weeks, I'd say it's reaching the point where a call is reasonable. I was in a similar situation last month trying to reach them about a verification issue for my daughter. After multiple attempts and long wait times, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com), which helped me connect with an agent quickly. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Don't wait too long to follow up, especially with your son's enrollment deadline approaching.
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Santiago Diaz
•Thank you for the suggestion! I'll try calling tomorrow morning. Is there a specific department I should ask for? I've never called them before and want to make sure I get to the right person.
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Victoria Brown
•When you call, just tell them you need to check on a FAFSA application status. The automated system will guide you through some options, and you'll want to select the one about "application status" or "processing status." Have your son's FSA ID information and SSN ready when you call. They'll likely ask for verification info.
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Samuel Robinson
Have you checked if there are any flags on the application? Sometimes they don't actually tell you there's a problem, it just sits there "processing" when actually they need more information. I'd definitely call. Also, just to clarify a common misunderstanding - FAFSA processing time (getting your SAI) is different from how long colleges take to create financial aid packages after they receive your FAFSA data. Even after your SAI is calculated, colleges might take another 2-4 weeks to prepare their offers, especially if they have a high volume of applicants.
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Santiago Diaz
•That's really concerning! So even after we get the SAI, we might have to wait ANOTHER month for the actual aid package? That could put us past the May 1st decision deadline at his top school. Do schools typically extend deadlines if FAFSA processing is delayed?
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Samuel Robinson
•Many schools are being flexible with deadlines this year due to the FAFSA delays. I would recommend proactively reaching out to the financial aid offices at your son's top choice schools, explain the situation, and ask if they can offer an extension on the enrollment deposit deadline. Most schools understand these issues are beyond your control and will work with you if you communicate early.
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Laura Lopez
ugh the new FAFSA is terrible!! took us 2 months to get SAI for my twins. have you tried emailing the school's financial aid office? sometimes they can see info in their system that you can't see yet
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KaiEsmeralda
•This is good advice. Financial aid officers often have access to more detailed status info than what shows on the student portal.
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Debra Bai
Since your son needs to make a decision soon, I'd recommend a multi-pronged approach: 1. Call the FSA Information Center as suggested (1-800-433-3243) 2. Contact the financial aid offices at each school where he's been accepted 3. Ask the schools about provisional aid estimates based on the information you provided on your application 4. Inquire about deadline extensions due to FAFSA processing delays Most schools are aware of the issues with the new FAFSA system and have contingency plans in place. Some are offering provisional aid packages or extending deposit deadlines to accommodate these delays.
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Santiago Diaz
•Thank you! I'll call his top 3 schools tomorrow as well to see if they can work with us. I appreciate everyone's help - I was starting to think we'd done something wrong with the application. Sounds like delays are just part of the process this year.
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Millie Long
my son had this same issue last month. turns out there was some verification thing but they never sent an email about it. definitely call them to check. don't just wait.
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