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Update from an academic advisor perspective: The Department of Education confirmed there's a processing backlog affecting SAI calculations. For the 2025-2026 application cycle, they're experiencing delays of 3-4 weeks for some applicants, particularly when there are multiple contributors or complex income situations. If your application was submitted correctly, the SAI should eventually appear without you needing to take action. However, if it's been more than 4 weeks, definitely contact FSA directly.
Thank you for this official update! This is somewhat reassuring. I think I'll wait another week before panicking completely. Do you know if schools are aware of these delays?
Yes, financial aid offices are definitely aware of the delays. Most schools have built in some buffer time for their internal deadlines because of these known FAFSA processing issues. If you're concerned about a specific school's deadline, it's worth emailing their financial aid office directly to alert them to your situation.
UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know what happened in my case. After checking everything multiple times, I finally got through to FSA and found out the issue. Even though both my parents used the IRS data retrieval tool, there was a glitch where my dad's income information wasn't properly linked to my application. It showed as complete in the system, but the actual data wasn't there! The agent had me go back in with my dad and re-authorize the IRS retrieval, and my SAI showed up 24 hours later. So if you're having this issue, definitely don't wait - try to contact FSA directly. Thanks everyone for your help!
Thanks for updating us! I'm going to check this exact thing with my parents. The whole data transfer system seems so buggy this year.
This is excellent news! Your proactive approach is exactly what I recommend to families. Document everything thoroughly and be completely transparent. Most financial aid offices genuinely want to help students receive appropriate aid within federal guidelines. If you have any questions while completing the forms, don't hesitate to reach back out to them.
Financial aid advisor here. For the 2025-2026 application cycle, paper FAFSA forms are indeed experiencing significant delays. The Department of Education is prioritizing the online system, and paper forms are being processed in batches rather than continuously. Here's what you should do: 1. Contact your school's financial aid office immediately to explain your situation. They may have a provisional process or can note your account. 2. If you need verification of receipt, call FSA at 1-800-433-3243. Be prepared for long wait times or try early morning (8am ET). 3. If you have access to a computer now, consider submitting the online FAFSA as well. The system will recognize if you have a paper form in process and will treat the online submission as a correction rather than a duplicate. 4. Keep documentation of when you mailed your form (receipt, etc.) in case you need to prove your timely submission. This year has been especially challenging with the new FAFSA simplification initiative. Rest assured that most schools are aware of these delays and making accommodations.
Quick update for anyone following this thread - I just called my school's financial aid office as suggested above, and they told me they've extended their priority deadline to May 1st because of all the FAFSA delays this year. Might be worth checking if your school has done something similar!
Financial aid advisor here - I want to clarify a few things about the current processing situation: 1. The Department of Education is aware of the delays and has been working through applications chronologically (with some exceptions for urgency). 2. Applications submitted in January are indeed being processed now, but the queue is substantial. 3. Most institutions have adjusted their priority deadlines specifically because of these FAFSA delays. 4. Your 'In Review' status updating on 3/15 is actually a good sign - it means your application passed the initial checks and is in the verification queue. 5. If you contact your schools' financial aid offices, ask specifically about their "FAFSA delay accommodation policy" - most have one in place this year. The new FAFSA system has indeed been challenging, but rest assured your application isn't lost - it's just moving through a significantly backlogged system.
Thank you so much for this detailed explanation! This is really helpful. I'll definitely ask about the FAFSA delay accommodation policy. Is there anything specific I should have ready when I contact my school's financial aid office?
Have your FAFSA confirmation number and submission date ready. Also prepare a list of any colleges you listed on your FAFSA. If your school asks for proof of submission, you can provide the confirmation email you received when you initially submitted your application. Some schools may also ask for your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from last year if you applied previously, as they can sometimes use that for preliminary aid estimates.
just checking back - any updates?? mine finally processed yesterday after 8 weeks!! got my sai score and everything
Atticus Domingo
When I tried to get a Parent PLUS loan last year I got denied because of my credit (had a late payment on my mortgage during covid). My daughter was then eligible for additional unsubsidized loans to make up the difference, but we had to specifically request those extra loans after the PLUS denial. Just something to keep in mind if you have any credit issues.
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Sergio Neal
•That's really good to know - my credit is decent but not perfect. Do you know how much additional unsubsidized loan your daughter was eligible for after your PLUS denial?
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Atticus Domingo
•She was able to get an additional $4,000 in unsubsidized loans (she's a sophomore). I think it's $4,000 for freshman/sophomore years and $5,000 for junior/senior years. Still not enough to cover everything but it helped.
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Savanna Franklin
One more thing to add - when you apply for the PLUS loan, you'll need to specify which semester(s) you're borrowing for. You can choose the full academic year, or just fall or spring semester. If you're unsure about how much you'll need for the entire year, you can apply just for fall now and then do another application later for spring semester. Each application is separate and requires its own credit check.
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Sergio Neal
•Thanks for this additional info! We're planning to apply for the full year since we've calculated what we'll need, but it's good to know we have the option to split it up if needed.
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