Federal Student Aid (FSA) has announced that the processing of FAFSAs will be delayed until mid-March.

What Does This Mean for Parents & Students?

• FAFSA Submission Summaries will not be available until the first half of March.

• Families cannot make any changes to the FAFSA until they receive an email confirming the FAFSA was processed. They can then see their FAFSA Submission Summary.

• Colleges will not receive Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) until March, so financial aid offers will be delayed until April or May.

The good news is the tables used in the FAFSA calculations are being updated. This will increase the number of students receiving Pell Grants and the amount they receive.

Advice for Those Applying for Need-Based Scholarships

• Advise students to keep the following correspondence as it will be all they have available to prove financial need until their FAFSA Submission Summary is ready:

  • PDF of the FAFSA confirmation page. View a sample.

  • PDF of the confirmation email (Subject: We’ve Received Your FAFSA Form). View a sample.

The documents must include their first and last name and the Student Aid Index (SAI).

Finally, encourage students to contact scholarship providers for guidance on how best to proceed with their applications.

Check out our newly released FAFSA Demo for 2024-25! Before having your students and their parents dive into the form, please direct them to this short video tutorial. It’s designed to offer a clearer understanding of the process and help applicants avoid common mistakes.

The FAFSA Demo is just one of several free FAFSA Tools available on our website. If your students/families need additional assistance, have them give us a call or set up a free appointment online.