I'm also waiting on my 2025-2026 FAFSA and submitted mine about 3 weeks ago! Still showing "processing" with no updates. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful though - it sounds like 3-4 weeks is pretty standard right now, and some people are waiting even longer. I really appreciate everyone sharing their timelines and experiences. It's making me feel less alone in this stressful waiting period! The advice about being proactive with checking the portal regularly and reaching out to schools about potential deadline flexibility is really smart. @Freya Thomsen - I think you're being smart to start planning ahead even though it's only been a week. The spreadsheet idea someone mentioned sounds like a great way to stay organized and reduce some of the anxiety. Hopefully we'll all hear back soon! 🤞

I submitted my FAFSA about 5 weeks ago and just got my SAI yesterday, so there's definitely hope! The whole experience was nerve-wracking, especially watching other people get theirs at different times. What really helped me was following the advice I saw here about checking my portal every few days instead of obsessively refreshing daily. I also called one of my schools around the 4-week mark to let them know I was still waiting, and they were super understanding and said they could work with me on timing if needed. One thing I noticed - my status didn't change from "processing" until literally the day I got my SAI, so don't lose hope if yours still shows that! The system doesn't seem to give much advance warning when it's about to complete. Hang in there - it sounds like most people are getting theirs within that 3-4 week window everyone's mentioning, and even if it takes a bit longer, the schools seem really aware of the delays this year. 🤞

UPDATE: Success! We followed the advice from this thread and had my daughter sign first, then I signed immediately after (same session). We got the confirmation screen with the checkmarks for both signatures! The estimated SAI appeared right away too - though it's much higher than I expected which is concerning. I guess that's a question for another thread... Thank you all for your help! This community has been more useful than any official guidance we've found.

Congratulations on getting through the signature process! 🎉 It's such a relief when it finally works after all that stress. For the higher SAI issue you mentioned - definitely worth starting a new thread about that. The SAI calculation changed significantly from the old EFC formula, so many families are seeing unexpected increases even with the same financial situation. There are some income protection allowances and other factors that shifted in ways that aren't always intuitive. Thanks for updating us with your success! It's really helpful for other families dealing with the same signature nightmare to know what actually worked.

I'm a parent who went through this exact situation two years ago with my twin daughters' FAFSA applications. We had to repay over $5,000 in premium tax credits after my spouse got a bonus that pushed us into a higher income bracket. I want to echo what others have said about professional judgment - it absolutely works, but you need to be persistent and organized. Here's what I learned: 1. Start the process IMMEDIATELY after your FAFSA is processed - don't wait for aid offers 2. Create a one-page summary letter explaining your situation clearly and attach it to every request 3. Some schools were more receptive than others - one school adjusted our daughter's aid by $3,200, while another only gave us a $800 adjustment for the same situation 4. Keep calling if you don't hear back within 2 weeks - the squeaky wheel gets the grease The whole process was stressful, but both my daughters ended up with significantly better aid packages after the adjustments. Don't give up - this is exactly the kind of situation professional judgment was designed for! Also, for timing reference, most of our adjustments were completed within 3-4 weeks of submitting the paperwork, so definitely get started early in the process.

I'm new to this community but dealing with a very similar situation! We're facing about $3,400 in premium tax credit repayments because my husband's commission income was higher than expected in 2023. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that professional judgment was even an option. A couple of questions for those who've been through this process: 1. When you submit the professional judgment request, do you need to provide documentation showing what your income would have been WITHOUT the repayment, or just proof of the repayment amount? 2. Has anyone had success getting adjustments at state schools vs. private schools? Wondering if there's a difference in how receptive they are. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's such a relief to know there's a community of people who understand this frustrating situation! I'm feeling much more prepared to advocate for our family now. 💪

Just wanted to jump in as another newcomer who was completely lost about this whole SAI situation! Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - I had no idea the SAI number doesn't actually show up on the main FAFSA website. That seems like such a weird design choice? Like, it's my information but I can't see it unless I go somewhere else entirely. I'm still waiting for my FAFSA to show as "processed" (going on week 5 now), but at least now I know what to expect and where to look once it finally goes through. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver for those of us trying to figure out this confusing system!

I'm brand new to the FAFSA process and this thread has been incredibly educational! I had absolutely no clue that the SAI wouldn't show up on StudentAid.gov even after processing - that seems like such a basic piece of information that should be visible to the student. Reading everyone's experiences makes me realize this confusion is totally normal and not just me being clueless. I haven't even submitted my FAFSA yet (still gathering all the documents), but now I know to expect this weird disconnect between "processed" status and actually being able to see my SAI number. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and solutions - I'll definitely bookmark this thread for when I inevitably run into the same issue in a few weeks!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and seeing all these responses is both helpful and terrifying! My daughter is also starting college next fall and we haven't submitted our FAFSA yet because I keep hearing about all these technical issues. Should I wait until they fix the system problems, or just go ahead and submit it knowing there might be errors in the initial results? I'm worried about missing deadlines but also don't want to deal with wildly incorrect numbers that might affect our planning. How long are these glitches expected to last?

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! My FAFSA is showing $13,600 in Pell Grant eligibility and I thought I was dreaming. Reading all these responses is really helpful - sounds like it's definitely a system error. I'm a returning student (took 10 years off to raise kids) so I wasn't sure if there were different rules for non-traditional students that might explain the high amount. Good to know to just wait for the actual SAI calculation. Has anyone heard if these glitches are affecting the verification process too? I'm worried that when they "fix" these errors it might trigger additional verification requirements that could delay everything even more.