Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who works in college admissions! The electronic transmission system between Federal Student Aid and colleges is actually very robust and reliable. We receive hundreds of FAFSA records daily during peak season through secure data transfers. One thing that might help ease your anxiety: schools have dedicated staff whose job is specifically to monitor and process incoming FAFSA data. We have systems in place to catch any missing records and follow up if needed. If you're still worried after a week or two, don't hesitate to reach out to each school's financial aid office directly. We're used to these questions and happy to confirm receipt! Most offices also have online portals where you can check your financial aid document status 24/7. The fact that you submitted early shows you're on top of things - that's exactly what we like to see from prospective students. The system will work as designed, and your schools will receive your information!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can definitely relate to your anxiety! The electronic transmission system really does work automatically - once your FAFSA is processed and shows your SAI on studentaid.gov, schools receive your data within 3-5 business days through the federal database. What helped me manage my stress was setting a reminder in my phone to check each school's financial aid portal exactly one week after my FAFSA showed as "processed." Most schools had already received and logged my information by then. For the couple that hadn't updated their systems yet, I sent brief emails to their financial aid offices asking for confirmation, and they all responded within 24-48 hours. One thing that really put my mind at ease was learning that this system successfully processes over 17 million FAFSA applications every year - it's designed to handle high volume reliably. The schools are expecting this data and have systems in place to receive it automatically. Since your application deadlines are separate from FAFSA priority deadlines (which are usually much later), you have plenty of time. Just keep that confirmation email/screenshot of your submission, and you'll be all set! The system will do its job behind the scenes.

As a newcomer to this whole process, I'm finding this discussion incredibly helpful but also a bit overwhelming! My daughter is just starting her junior year and I'm trying to get ahead of understanding all this. From what I'm reading, it sounds like the key is to ask each school directly about their specific policies rather than making assumptions. Can anyone recommend the best timing for these conversations? Should we wait until she actually receives merit offers, or is it worth asking about displacement policies during campus visits now? Also, are there any resources or websites that track which schools typically stack vs. displace? It seems like this information isn't always easy to find on school websites. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's helping me feel more prepared for what's coming!

As a parent who just went through this process last year, I want to emphasize something that hasn't been mentioned yet - TIMING matters when calling financial aid offices! I found the best time to reach someone knowledgeable was mid-morning on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Mondays they're swamped with weekend calls, and Fridays many staff leave early. Also, don't just accept the first answer you get if it's not detailed enough. I had to call my daughter's school three times before I got someone who could walk through their displacement policy step-by-step with actual numbers. The first two reps just gave me generic responses about "evaluating each case individually." One more tip: if the school uses work-study as part of their need-based package, ask specifically if merit scholarships will reduce the work-study portion first. Some schools will replace work-study with merit money, which is actually beneficial since your daughter won't have to work those hours and can focus more on academics. That $18,500 merit award is fantastic - don't let the displacement concern overshadow celebrating your daughter's achievement!

I'm new to this community and currently dealing with a very similar dependency override situation. This entire thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences! I'm particularly interested in the timeline aspects that several people have mentioned. My school's financial aid office has been pretty vague about how long this process actually takes, so hearing real experiences of 4-8 weeks total (with 2-4 weeks for the override decision itself) helps me plan better. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who successfully got overrides, did you submit your application during a particular time of year? I'm concerned that submitting right now might put me at a disadvantage since we're getting into busy season for financial aid offices. Should I rush to get everything together, or is it better to take time to gather really strong documentation even if it means waiting a bit longer? Also, has anyone had experience with their school's emergency aid funds while waiting for the override to process? I'm worried about making tuition payments in the meantime and wondering if there are short-term options to bridge the gap. The advice about getting letters from therapists, employers, and academic advisors has been especially helpful. I'm planning to reach out to my counselor and my supervisor at work, plus potentially my academic advisor who has seen me struggle through some difficult semesters related to family issues. This community has been such a lifesaver for navigating what feels like an overwhelming bureaucratic process!

I'm new to this community and currently facing the exact same dependency override situation. This thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you to everyone who has shared such detailed and helpful advice! Based on everything I've read here, I'm putting together my documentation package with letters from my therapist, my employer, and my academic advisor. I'm also going to include the detailed timeline document that someone mentioned, along with bank statements and utility bills showing my financial independence. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone had success with getting letters from extended family members (like aunts, uncles, or grandparents) who can verify the family breakdown situation? My grandmother has been aware of my situation with my parents and has offered to write a letter, but I'm not sure if family members carry less weight than professional third parties. Also, I wanted to mention that I called my school's Dean of Students office after seeing that suggestion here, and they were incredibly helpful! They actually have a checklist specifically for dependency override applications that breaks down exactly what documentation works best at my particular school. They also mentioned they can provide advocacy support if my case gets complicated. This process definitely feels overwhelming, but reading about everyone's successful outcomes gives me so much hope. The advice about using that Claimyr service for following up with phone calls is genius - I'm definitely going to try that once I submit everything. Thank you again to this amazing community for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive space for navigating this challenging process!

Don't stress too much about it! I just finished my FAFSA last week after having the same "in progress but not submitted" status for over a month. Like everyone else said, it's basically just saved in the system but not actually being processed yet. When you log back in tonight, there should be a clear indicator of what sections still need to be completed - usually they'll be highlighted or missing checkmarks. The most important thing is making sure you AND your parent (if you're dependent) both sign with your FSA IDs before hitting that final submit button. I thought I was done but realized I forgot to get my dad's signature! Once you actually submit, you'll get a confirmation email within a few days and can finally breathe easy. You've already done most of the hard work, so you're almost there!

I'm in the exact same situation right now! Started my FAFSA a few weeks ago and have been seeing that "in progress but not submitted" status. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful - I had no idea that nothing gets processed until you actually hit that final submit button. I thought "in progress" meant they were at least looking at what I'd completed so far. It's such a relief to know that all my work is saved and I just need to finish the remaining sections. Thanks to everyone who explained the process so clearly - definitely going to power through and get mine submitted this week!

I'm a financial aid administrator and I see this confusion literally every day! Your numbers are spot on - SAI of 3561 resulting in $4,400 Pell Grant is exactly what we'd expect to see. Think of SAI as your "financial need thermometer" - it measures how much help you need, but it's not a dollar amount. The Pell Grant is the actual "prescription" of free money based on that measurement. They're designed to be different numbers! For 2025-26, Pell eligibility extends up to an SAI of around 6656, so your 3561 puts you solidly in the "significant need" category. The fact that you're getting $4,400 out of the maximum $7,395 shows you're receiving substantial aid. Pro tip: Keep that SAI handy because it also determines your eligibility for subsidized loans, work-study, and state grants. Your cousin was definitely misinformed - these numbers are never supposed to match. You're doing everything right!

As a new member here, I just wanted to say thank you all for this incredibly helpful thread! I'm also a first-time FAFSA applicant and was having the exact same confusion about SAI vs Pell Grant amounts. Reading through everyone's explanations has been so reassuring - especially hearing from actual financial aid professionals and students who've been through this process. The analogies everyone shared really helped it click for me (the "financial need thermometer," credit score comparison, height vs weight example). I was definitely one of those people expecting the numbers to match somehow! It's amazing how many of us go through this same confusion initially. For any other newcomers reading this thread: your SAI is basically your "need level" that determines what aid you qualify for, and your Pell Grant is the actual free money you receive based on that level. They're connected but will never be the same number, and that's totally normal! Benjamin's SAI of 3561 getting $4,400 in Pell is exactly right according to the federal schedules. This community is awesome for helping confused students like us figure out this complicated system!