I'm in a very similar situation! My son's FAFSA was processed on March 20th and we're still waiting to hear from all 5 schools he applied to. Reading everyone's responses here has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea the new FAFSA system was causing such widespread delays this year. It sounds like 3-4 weeks is pretty normal timing, but I'm definitely getting anxious about our May 1st decision deadline too. I think I'll follow the advice about waiting one more week and then reaching out to the financial aid offices with that specific script someone mentioned earlier. It's comforting to know so many other families are going through the exact same waiting game right now!

Just wanted to chime in as another parent going through this same stressful waiting period! My daughter's FAFSA was processed on March 19th and we're still waiting on aid packages from 3 out of her 4 schools. It's our first time through this process too and I've been checking my email obsessively every day! Reading through all these responses has been such a relief - I had no idea the new FAFSA system was causing delays across the board this year. It sounds like we're all pretty much on the same timeline and that 3-4 weeks is totally normal. I'm going to take the advice about checking her student portals more carefully (I'll admit I've been relying mostly on email notifications) and then plan to make some calls next week if we still haven't heard anything. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines - it's so much less stressful knowing we're not the only ones in this situation! Fingers crossed we all start seeing some aid packages roll in soon.

To summarize for anyone else with this question: Either the student or parent/contributor can sign first technically, but best practice is: 1) Student starts application and creates FSA ID if they don't have one 2) Student adds parent/contributor and completes their portion without signing 3) Parent/contributor completes their section with all financial information 4) Parent/contributor signs their section 5) Student reviews complete application including contribution information 6) Student signs to complete submission This order minimizes the need for corrections later, which can delay your SAI calculation and financial aid package.

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter, I can confirm that following the order @Sienna Gomez outlined is definitely the way to go! We learned the hard way last year when my daughter signed first and then I realized I had entered the wrong bank account balance. Had to call the school's financial aid office to explain the discrepancy. This year we did parent section first, reviewed everything together, and it went so much smoother. Also Pro tip: make sure you have all your tax documents and bank statements ready before you start the parent section - it'll save you from having to stop halfway through to hunt down paperwork!

after you fix it tell your son about something called READING THE DIRECTIONS lol my daughter did the same thing and i was like did you even look at the screen before clicking next

I went through this exact same situation with my daughter last fall! The good news is that corrections are definitely possible and the schools are used to seeing this mistake. Here's what worked for us: My daughter logged into studentaid.gov, selected "Make FAFSA Corrections," and added me as a contributor. I got the email invitation within minutes and was able to complete my section that same day. The whole correction process took about 2 hours total. The key thing is to email the financial aid office right after you submit the corrections to let them know you're fixing an error, not actually refusing to provide information. Most schools will put the affidavit request on hold once they know corrections are coming. Also, don't stress too much about the timeline - corrections typically process faster than initial submissions. We had our corrected FAFSA processed and sent to schools within 3 business days. You should be fine with 2 weeks to spare!

This whole new FAFSA process is such a mess compared to previous years. My daughter and I spent hours trying to figure it out. The "contributor" system is confusing and not intuitive at all. But once you get past these initial hurdles, the SAI calculation seems more straightforward than the old EFC at least.

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and reading through all these responses is both helpful and terrifying! 😅 My daughter is a junior in high school so we're just starting to prepare for next year. It sounds like the main things to watch out for are: 1) being super careful with the dependency questions, 2) making sure both parent and student have their own FSA IDs set up well in advance, and 3) understanding this "contributor" system. Are there any other common pitfalls we should be aware of before we dive into this next year? Also, when should we actually start the FSA ID creation process - is there a recommended timeline?

I went through this exact same worry two years ago when my son was a sophomore! Our SAI changed from -$1,100 to $0, and I was convinced we'd lose thousands in aid. The reality was much less dramatic - his package only decreased by about $600 total. What really helped was understanding that most schools don't just plug your SAI into a formula and call it a day. They look at trends in your financial situation, family circumstances, and academic performance. Since your income only went up $2,800 and everything else stayed the same, you're showing consistency rather than a major change in financial capacity. One thing I wish I'd known earlier: some schools have "SAI bands" rather than using exact numbers. So a change from -$1,500 to $0 might not even move you into a different aid category at your daughter's school. Definitely worth asking about when you call their financial aid office!

I'm new to this whole process (my daughter is a high school senior), but reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly educational! It's really reassuring to see so many examples where the actual impact was much smaller than feared. From what I'm gathering, the consensus seems to be: 1) contact the financial aid office proactively, 2) ask about how they use SAI in their calculations (especially if they use bands), 3) mention any unchanged circumstances when submitting CSS Profile, and 4) remember that schools look at the bigger picture beyond just the SAI number. @Jamal Brown - your change from -$1,500 to $0 really does seem relatively minor based on everyone's shared experiences. Fingers crossed your daughter's aid package stays mostly intact! This thread has definitely given me a better understanding of what to expect when we go through this process next year.