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UPDATE: I found it! The My Documents section worked, but I had to click through several screens. For anyone else having this problem: Log in > Click on the dropdown menu under your name > Select My Documents > Change year filter to 2024-2025 > Look for "FAFSA Processed Successfully" email > Click on it > Scroll down to find the link to the SAR. Thanks everyone for your help!
Quick tip for anyone who needs their SAR for scholarship applications: Save it as a PDF once you find it! I learned this the hard way when my son needed to submit his for multiple scholarships, and the system was down for maintenance when the second deadline came around. The new FAFSA system seems to have more maintenance periods than the old one.
why does fafsa have to be so confusing??? my family gave up and hired a financial aid consultant because the whole thing is impossible
I honestly think about 80% of FAFSA issues are communication problems. The system works fine usually, but they do a terrible job explaining what each status means and sending correct notifications. "Processed" should really be labeled "Received but not necessarily complete" which would save everyone so much confusion.
UPDATE: I found a workaround that might help others with this signature issue. Even if the system says "processed" but you got the missing signature email: 1. Both parent and student should log in separately to studentaid.gov using your FSA IDs 2. Go to "My FAFSA" section 3. Find the 2025-2026 application 4. Select "Make Corrections" 5. Navigate through until you reach the signature section 6. Complete the signature process again 7. Submit the corrected form After doing this, our status changed to "Processing" for 2 days, then "Processed" again, and then finally we received the SAI score and acknowledgment that everything was complete.
One last thing to try: go through the "Forgot FSA ID" process and reset your FSA ID completely. Sometimes the IDs get corrupted in their system. After you reset it, wait 24 hours before trying to sign again. I'd also suggest contacting your school's financial aid office directly. They sometimes have ways to mark your FAFSA as "in process" if you're having technical difficulties, which can protect your priority deadline status while you resolve the signature issues.
Just to close the loop on deadlines specifically: 1. Federal deadline: June 30, 2026 2. State deadlines: Vary widely (check studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/fafsa-deadlines) 3. School deadlines: Typically Feb-April for priority consideration If you're applying for a Pell Grant, Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans, or PLUS loans, meeting the federal deadline is sufficient. But for institutional scholarships, work-study, and some grants, the school's priority deadline is critical. The good news is that most schools understand that technical issues happen with FAFSA. Document everything - take screenshots of errors, save copies of emails you've sent, and note dates/times of attempted calls. This documentation may help if you need to appeal for aid consideration after resolving the issue.
i took out both types of loans and honestly its fine. yeah interest sucks but my brother didnt take loans and took 6 years to graduate cause he was working so much. i graduated in 4 years and started making real $ faster. ended up better off financially even with the loans
One more consideration: if you're planning to work in public service (government, non-profits, teaching, etc.), you might qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness after 10 years of payments. This can make federal loans an even better option. Also, look into whether your school offers any payment plans that might reduce how much you need to borrow each semester. Some schools let you spread payments over the term instead of paying all at once, which can help if you're working part-time.
StarSeeker
Regarding acceptances and financial aid timing: Most institutions operate on one of two models: 1. Rolling decisions: You'll receive acceptance/rejection notifications as they're made, with financial aid packages following 1-3 weeks later 2. Coordinated notification: Both acceptance and financial aid information are sent simultaneously (more common with selective institutions) If you've received an acceptance but no financial aid information after 3+ weeks, it's perfectly appropriate to contact the financial aid office. They may be waiting on additional information or there could be a processing delay. For May 1st deposit deadlines, colleges understand the importance of having complete financial information before making decisions. If you're still waiting on aid information as the deadline approaches, contact the admissions office to explain your situation. Many will grant extensions when financial aid details are pending.
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Omar Fawaz
•That makes sense - thank you! I didn't realize we could ask for extensions on the deposit deadline. We'll definitely reach out if we're still missing information as May approaches.
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Diego Rojas
when my daughter got her letters they all had different amounts for the same fafsa information?? some gave her grants others just loans. made no sense to me how they could read the same fafsa so differently
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Chloe Martin
•That's actually normal! Each school has its own financial aid formula and budget. They all receive the same FAFSA information (including your SAI - Student Aid Index), but they have different approaches to meeting financial need. Some schools have more grant money available, others rely heavily on loans. Private schools often have more institutional aid to offer than public universities. This is why comparing financial aid packages is so important - the same FAFSA can result in wildly different offers.
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