What does 'in progress but not submitted' mean on FAFSA application status?

In progress but not' submitted simply means you started your FAFSA application but'haven t completed all required sections and submitted it for processing yet. Your application is saved on the system, but the Department of Education'isn t reviewing it and'won t process any financial aid based on an incomplete application. You need to finish all sections, sign with your FSA ID, and submit it before the status will change 'to' submitted 'or' processing. Nothing happens until you complete that final submissionstep.

I ran into this exact same issue last year! 'In progress' just means you saved information in the system but haven't formally submitted anything. You MUST click the submit button at the very end after completing all sections and signing with your FSA ID for it to actually go through. Nothing is being reviewed until that happens. Don't panic, but definitely finish it asap since aid is often first-come, first-served, especially for work-study funds and some grants.

mine said in proggress for like 3 months bcuz i forgot to actually hit submit after filling everything out! almost missed the deadline lol

The FAFSA site is so confusing! 'In progress' does NOT mean submitted. I thought the same thing last year and missed priority deadline because I didn't realize I needed to sign with my FSA ID and hit the final submit button. When the status changes to 'Processed Successfully' and you get a confirmation email + SAI score, THEN you know it's actually done. Don't make my mistake!!!

Try calling the Federal Student Aid hotline to check on your exact status. I had to call them about my FAFSA last month and spent TWO DAYS trying to get through... so frustrating! Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to skip the wait and get connected directly. Their video demo (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ) shows how it works. Saved me hours of waiting and the agent confirmed my application status right away. Worth it when you're stressing about aid deadlines.

am i the only 1 who thinks its ridiculous we have to jump thru all these hoops just to get financial aid? like why make the process so complicated?? my friend dropped out bc her fafsa got messed up and they wanted like 30 different documents for verification

To summarize what everyone's said: your application is saved but NOT submitted. You need to: 1. Log back in to studentaid.gov 2. Complete any remaining sections (look for sections without checkmarks) 3. Sign with your FSA ID 4. Click the final submit button 5. Wait for confirmation email (3-5 days) 6. Check your account for your SAI score Only after completing these steps will your FAFSA actually be processed for financial aid consideration.

Just wanted to add that you should also double-check your school's FAFSA deadline! Even though the federal deadline is later, many schools have their own priority deadlines that are much earlier. I almost missed out on need-based grants because I didn't realize my school's priority deadline was February 15th while the federal deadline wasn't until June. Once you get that confirmation email and see your SAI, make sure to also check if your school needs any additional forms like CSS Profile or their own financial aid application.

I just went through this exact situation last month! The "in progress but not submitted" status had me panicking too. What really helped me was logging into my studentaid.gov account and looking at the FAFSA summary page - it shows you exactly which sections are complete (with green checkmarks) and which ones still need work. Don't forget that even after you think you've finished everything, you still need to digitally sign with your FSA ID AND make sure your parent signs too if you're a dependent. I thought I was done but realized I never actually hit the final "Submit My FAFSA" button at the very end. Once you do submit it properly, you should get an email confirmation within a few days and your application status will change. You're almost there - just power through those last sections!