the paper form is THE WORST don't do it unless u absolutely have to!! took us 6 weeks to get processed and nearly missed the deadline for my kids scholarships

UPDATE: We got it working! For anyone facing the same issue, here's what solved it for us: 1. We cleared browser cache/cookies on both computers 2. I created a Gmail account instead of using Outlook 3. We made sure my name format exactly matched my tax documents (included middle initial only, not full middle name) 4. My daughter logged out and back into her FAFSA account completely After doing all this, the invitation came through immediately and I was able to complete my portion. Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions! The new FAFSA system definitely still has some serious bugs to work out.

Is one of ur kids a dependent and the other independent? That would make a HUGE difference in what gets asked. Or maybe one is getting grants and the other just loans? The requirements are totally different for differnt types of aid!!!

In my experience working with financial aid offices, this is completely normal. The Department of Education uses what's called "targeted verification" to reduce paperwork burden. Prior to 2022, they verified about 30% of all FAFSA applications randomly, but now they're more selective and focus on applications where the student's income might significantly impact the aid calculation. That's why there's that approximately $4,200 threshold others have mentioned. Your son was just above it, your daughter just below. One important note: make sure you keep all tax documents for BOTH children readily available. Sometimes they request additional verification later in the process, especially if there are any corrections made to the application.

Ok, let me explain what's actually happening from a technical perspective. The Department of Education is running database validation checks on all processed FAFSA applications to ensure consistency before the fall disbursement cycle. This automatically puts applications into a temporary "correction" status while the validation runs. The key points to understand: 1. This is NOT a correction initiated by your daughter 2. This will NOT change your SAI unless they identify an actual discrepancy in the data 3. The process typically completes in 7-10 business days 4. Your original SAI is still in the system and visible to schools 5. Most institutions are aware of this issue If the validation finds no issues, your original SAI returns. If they find inconsistencies (often related to tax data), you may receive a request for verification or see an adjusted SAI.

update: my sons SAI came back today (5 days after disappearing) and its exactly the same as before! so maybe dont worry too much :

To directly answer your original question about knowing if everything processed correctly: 1. You'll receive an official Student Aid Report (SAR) by email when processing is complete (check spam folder) 2. The SAR will have your final SAI calculation and any flags for verification 3. Your colleges will automatically receive your FAFSA data 4. If there are errors, you'll see notes or flags on your SAR 5. Schools may contact you if they need additional documentation If your SAI still seems wrong after you get your SAR, submit corrections online immediately, and consider contacting your schools' financial aid offices to let them know you've submitted corrections.

my cousins SAI came back wrong last year and her school still gave her the right amount of aid cuz they did some kind of professional judgment review thing... so even if u mess up theres still hope

To answer your follow-up question: Yes, there is a technical reason colleges can see your SAI before you can. When your FAFSA is processed, the information is sent to the colleges through an institutional system called the ISIR (Institutional Student Information Record). This happens automatically, often before your Student Aid Report (SAR) is generated for your personal account. The good news is that if colleges confirmed receipt, your application is definitely processed, and your SAI exists in the system. For planning purposes, you can: 1. Email your financial aid office at the college and ask them to share your SAI (many will do this) 2. Keep checking your studentaid.gov account daily for the SAR 3. Call Federal Student Aid directly (though wait times are significant) Just know that this disconnect between institutional and student-facing systems is frustrating but very common this year with all the FAFSA changes.

UPDATE: I finally found my SAI! For anyone else having this issue, I had to go to studentaid.gov, click on "My Aid" at the top, then scroll down to "Processed ISIRs" (it's easy to miss), click into the current aid year, and THEN I could see my SAI. It wasn't obvious at all. Hope this helps someone else!