I'm new to this community and experiencing the exact same frustrating situation! Filed my FAFSA in early March, received my SAI confirmation about 2 weeks ago, but my NJFAMS portal is completely empty regarding my TAG grant status. I was really starting to worry that I had made some mistake in my application, but reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief! It's clear that these 4-6 week processing delays are unfortunately the new normal this year due to the FAFSA Simplification Act implementation. I really appreciate all the practical advice shared here - especially the tip about checking NJFAMS on weekends (thanks Jade!), waiting until the 30-day processed mark before calling HESAA, and using that Claimyr service to potentially get through phone queues faster. It's so helpful to have realistic timelines from people who've actually been through this process. Caleb's update about his data finally appearing after 34 days gives me hope that mine will show up soon too. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space - it makes this stressful waiting period so much more manageable knowing we're all in this together!

I'm a new member here and facing the exact same issue! Submitted my FAFSA in mid-February, got my SAI processed about 3.5 weeks ago, but my NJFAMS portal is still completely blank for TAG status. I was really starting to panic thinking I'd messed something up, but this entire thread has been so incredibly reassuring! It's amazing to see that these 4-6 week delays are apparently the norm this year due to the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. I had no idea that was even a factor. All the advice here is so practical - I'm definitely going to start checking NJFAMS on weekends (great tip, Jade!), wait until I hit that 30-day processed mark before calling HESAA, and I might even try that Claimyr service if I need to get through to them. Seeing Caleb's update about his data finally appearing after 34 days gives me real hope that mine will show up soon too. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive environment - it makes this stressful waiting game so much more bearable knowing we're all going through this together!

To summarize what others have said: 1. You need to submit applications first, then get acceptances, before receiving official aid packages 2. Check for college-specific financial aid deadlines 3. Look at net price calculators for estimates (imperfect but helpful) 4. Consider calling financial aid offices directly for preliminary guidance 5. Don't forget about CSS Profile for private schools 6. Remember that merit scholarships can significantly change the equation Hope your son gets some good options with affordable prices!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this process recently! While you're waiting for acceptances and official aid packages, don't overlook state schools if your son hasn't already included some. Even with a higher SAI that doesn't qualify for federal grants, many state universities offer significant in-state tuition discounts and have their own merit-based scholarships that can make them very affordable compared to private schools. My nephew was in a similar situation last year - no federal grants but ended up at our state flagship with a combination of merit aid and lower base tuition that made it cheaper than private schools even with their aid packages. Worth considering as safety options while you're building that college list!

I'm new to this community but currently dealing with this exact same SSA verification issue with my twin daughters' FAFSA applications! Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful and reassuring - I had no idea this was such a widespread problem. What's particularly interesting is seeing how many different root causes there can be. Based on everyone's shared experiences, I'm planning to be very systematic about this: first doing the detailed letter-by-letter comparison of all documents (birth certificates, SS cards, etc.), then calling FSA right at 8 AM, scheduling SSA office appointments for both girls, and reaching out proactively to the financial aid offices at their target schools. One thing I'm curious about - for those who had twins or multiple children go through this, did you find that if one child had an issue, the other was likely to have a similar problem? Or do these SSA verification issues tend to be completely individual even within the same family? I'm wondering if I should expect both girls to have the same type of discrepancy or if they could have completely different issues. Thanks to everyone who has shared their solutions and timelines - it's made what seemed like an insurmountable problem feel totally manageable!

I'm new here and currently facing this exact same SSA verification issue with my daughter's FAFSA! This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea this was such a common problem. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me so much hope and a clear action plan. What strikes me most is how many different root causes there can be - from hospital data entry errors to tiny spelling variations to database timing issues. It really shows why the generic troubleshooting advice online doesn't always work. Based on all the great advice shared here, I'm planning to take the comprehensive approach: calling FSA at 8 AM tomorrow, scheduling an appointment at our local SSA office, doing the letter-by-letter document comparison, and proactively contacting the financial aid offices at her target schools. I'm also going to reach out to our high school guidance counselor as suggested - that resource never would have occurred to me. One follow-up question for those who successfully resolved this - when you visited the SSA office, were you able to get same-day resolution, or did it require follow-up visits? I'm trying to plan our timeline accordingly. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions. It's amazing how this community has turned what felt like an impossible obstacle into a manageable problem with multiple solution paths!

glad u fixed it! reminds me of when my cousins grant got delayed for 3 months because his middle name was William on SS card but he put Bill on FAFSA lol

So glad you got it resolved! This is such a common issue that trips up so many families. For anyone else reading this thread who might face similar problems - the key takeaways are: 1) Make sure EVERY character of the name matches the SS card exactly (hyphens, spaces, middle names), 2) Double-check citizenship status selection, and 3) Verify the birthdate is correct down to the day. These seemingly minor details can completely block your FAFSA processing. It's definitely frustrating that the system doesn't give clearer error messages about what specifically is wrong!

New member here and this thread has been an absolute godsend! I'm currently dealing with this exact same situation with my daughter's FAFSA application. We submitted it four days ago and got that terrifying "no aid information" message that made me think we had completely ruined her financial aid eligibility. I literally called three different friends who have older kids asking if they remembered making some mistake we might have missed! Reading through all these experiences has been such a relief - it's incredible how that one poorly-worded message seems to send every first-time FAFSA family into complete panic mode. You're all so right that the system desperately needs better communication - even something simple like "Normal processing status for new applicants" would save countless families from unnecessary anxiety attacks. Thank you to everyone who shared their timelines and outcomes here. This community has completely transformed what felt like a potential disaster into just a standard part of the college prep process. Now I know to wait patiently for the SAI calculation instead of staying up all night worrying we somehow broke the system!

New member here and just went through this exact same heart-stopping experience! My daughter and I submitted her FAFSA three days ago and got that same terrifying "no aid information" message yesterday. I was absolutely convinced we had made some catastrophic error that would destroy her chances at financial aid! I actually spent most of last night googling "FAFSA application errors" and re-reading every single field we filled out. Finding this thread has been such an incredible relief - it's amazing how many families experience this identical panic moment with first-time applications. Reading everyone's timelines and success stories has completely calmed my nerves. You're all so right that the FAFSA system desperately needs clearer messaging - something as simple as "Normal status for first-time applicants during SAI processing" would save so many families from unnecessary sleepless nights! Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences here. This community has transformed what felt like a complete disaster into just another normal step in the college financial aid process. Now I know to patiently wait for the SAI calculation instead of panicking that we somehow broke the entire system!