No SAI showing up on FAFSA despite complete submission - daughter can't get federal loans or aid!

I work in a financial aid office and we're seeing this issue with several students this cycle. When the paper application was processed, there might have been a verification flag triggered on your account. Can you check if there's a verification indicator anywhere on your daughter's account? Look for any notifications or messages requesting additional documentation. If there is, you need to complete verification before they'll calculate the SAI.

Thank you! I just went back and looked more carefully - you're right! There's a tiny notification about verification that I totally missed. It's asking for my 2023 tax transcript and something called a \

omg this same thing happened to my son!!!! we mailed paper form back in december cuz the website kept crashing and now HIS account shows everything but no SAI either. he got into 3 schools but they all keep saying they cant do financial aid packages without the SAI number. so frustrating!!!! did u try calling FSA directly? we tried 4 times but kept getting disconnected after waiting forever

I've tried calling FSA at least 6 times now. Either I get disconnected or I'm on hold for so long I have to hang up because of work. It's absolutely infuriating! I'm going to try sending in these verification documents they apparently need and see if that fixes it. I'll let you know if it works!

The verification issue is definitely what's causing this problem. When you submit a paper application, the system often flags it for verification at a higher rate than online submissions. Unfortunately, FSA won't calculate your SAI until all verification requirements are complete.\n\nFor the Verification of Non-Filing Letter, your ex-spouse needs to request this directly from the IRS using Form 4506-T. For your tax transcript, you can request it online at irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript.\n\nOnce you submit these documents to your daughter's schools, they should be able to complete verification and trigger the SAI calculation in the system. This typically takes 2-3 weeks during peak season.

Thank you so much for this detailed explanation! I requested my tax transcript online just now, but I'll have to contact my ex about the non-filing letter. Do all schools need separate copies of these documents, or can I just send them to one school and have the verification completion shared across all FAFSA recipients?

just went thru this with my niece. the verification thing is a PAIN IN THE ASS. took us almost 2 months to get everything processed because they kept asking for more documents. first tax transcripts then some random form about household size then something else. total bureaucratic BS if you ask me. the whole system is designed to make it impossible for kids to get aid

Two MONTHS?? We don't have that kind of time! My daughter's deposit is due in 3 weeks! This is absolutely ridiculous. I'm starting to think this whole system is designed to fail.

I had the exact same issue and found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to a FAFSA agent in about 8 minutes instead of being on hold for hours. The agent was able to manually flag my account for SAI calculation after confirming my verification documents were received. Saved me weeks of waiting! Here's their site: claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ\n\nDefinitely worth it since I was about to miss my son's enrollment deadline. The FSA agent was actually super helpful once I could actually talk to a human being.

omg thank u for sharing this!!! gonna try it tomorrow because ive wasted like 5 hours this week just sitting on hold

Thank you for this suggestion! At this point I'm willing to try anything. Did the agent actually have the power to trigger the SAI calculation? That would be amazing if they could expedite this whole process.

This verification stuff happens ALL THE TIME. My daughter got selected last year and here's what worked for us:\n\n1. Submit ALL verification docs to EVERY school (yes, each one needs their own copy)\n2. Email the financial aid office director at each school (not just the general office) with subject line \

This is EXACTLY the kind of strategic advice I needed! I'm going to try this approach tomorrow. I already have a good relationship with the financial aid counselor at her top choice school, so I'll start there. Thank you so much for these specific steps!

You mentioned you're a single parent with another child in college - did you make sure to indicate that correctly on the FAFSA? The number of family members in college significantly impacts your SAI calculation. Also, did you link your tax information directly through the IRS DRT (Data Retrieval Tool) or enter it manually? Manual entry often triggers verification.

We did indicate the other child in college, but since we did the paper form, we couldn't use the DRT. That must be why we got flagged for verification! I wish someone had told us this would happen with paper forms - we would have kept trying with the online version despite the glitches.

Quick update for anyone following this thread: I checked with our office today, and there's currently a known issue with paper FAFSA applications submitted between November 1-20, 2024, where the verification process isn't automatically triggering the SAI calculation even after verification is complete. FSA is aware and working on a fix, but in the meantime, you need an actual FSA agent to manually flag your account.\n\nIf your deposit deadline is approaching, ask the school if they can offer you a deposit extension based on the FAFSA processing issues. Most schools are being flexible this year because of all the system problems.

This is incredibly helpful information! I'll definitely ask about a deposit extension. It's frustrating that there's a known issue, but at least I know it's not something we did wrong. Thank you for the insider knowledge!

Just so you know, once your verification is complete and the SAI is calculated, your daughter will still be eligible for federal loans for this academic year, even if it happens after the school year starts. The Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan doesn't have a financial need requirement, so she'll qualify for that regardless of your SAI. The maximum for first-year dependent undergraduate students is $5,500.\n\nIf your SAI does qualify her for the Subsidized Federal Direct Loan (which doesn't accrue interest while she's in school), that can be processed retroactively as well. Same for Pell Grants if she qualifies. So even with these delays, she won't lose access to federal aid she's entitled to.

That's such a relief to hear! I was worried that if we missed some deadline, she'd lose access to the loans altogether. At least the unsubsidized loans will be available regardless of our SAI. Thank you for this clarification - it definitely reduces my stress level a bit.

update: i used that claimyr thing the other person suggested and actually got through to FSA!!! the agent confirmed we were stuck in verification limbo and did something on their end that fixed it. our SAI showed up in the account like 4 hours later!!! my son's schools can finally process his aid packages now. might be worth trying if ur in a hurry @desperate_parent

That's amazing news! I'm going to try this tomorrow morning. So the agent was actually able to fix it on the spot? That would be a game-changer for us. Thanks for letting me know it worked for you!

I'm a college financial aid counselor, and I want to add that if you're truly in a time crunch with deposits, many schools can create an estimated financial aid package even without an official SAI. They'll use the information you've provided on the FAFSA to calculate an unofficial EFC/SAI and make a preliminary aid offer.\n\nReach out to the financial aid director (not just a counselor) at your daughter's top choice school, explain the situation with the verification delay, and ask if they can provide an estimated aid package to help you make your decision. They might need you to complete their own institutional verification form, but many schools have processes for these situations.

I didn't know this was possible! Her first choice school has been really helpful throughout this process, so I'll definitely ask if they can provide an estimated package. That would at least give us some idea of what we're looking at financially while we wait for the official SAI. Thank you for this suggestion!

UPDATE: We got it resolved!!! First, I used Claimyr to get through to an FSA agent who confirmed we were stuck in verification and added a note to our account. Then I sent the verification documents to all three schools. Her first-choice school was amazing - they processed everything within 48 hours and somehow that triggered the SAI to appear in the system!\n\nHer SAI is $13,842, which qualifies her for some need-based aid plus the full federal loans. Not as much aid as I hoped for, but at least she can attend with a manageable loan amount. The financial aid director even offered us a special circumstances review since my income has decreased since 2023.\n\nTHANK YOU to everyone who helped with advice. This forum literally saved my daughter's college plans!