FAFSA updates take time, and the delay depends on where your form is in the process
Your FAFSA form does not update instantly. After you submit it, the federal government processes your information, verifies it against tax records and other databases, and then sends the results to your schools. This chain takes days to weeks depending on how you submitted the form, whether you used an IRS data retrieval tool, and whether your information needed manual review. Schools then receive your data on their own schedule and display it in their portals — some update within days, others within weeks.
The most common reason for a delay is that your form is still in federal processing. You can check the status yourself rather than waiting to see if it appears on your school's page.
Key Takeaways
- Your FAFSA status appears in your StudentAid.gov account under "My FAFSA" — this is the official place to track where your form is, not your school's financial aid portal.
- If you used the IRS data retrieval tool during submission, processing usually takes three to five business days; if you entered tax information by hand, it can take two to three weeks.
- After federal processing is complete, your school receives your data and must load it into their own system, which adds another few days to a week.
- If your form shows an error flag or says "in review," the federal processor is checking something manually — do not resubmit unless instructed to do so.
- Schools cannot see your FAFSA results until federal processing is done, so contacting your financial aid office before that point will not speed up the update.
How to check your FAFSA status yourself
Go to StudentAid.gov and sign in with your FSA ID (the username and password you created when you first set up your FAFSA). Click "My FAFSA" in the top menu. You will see a list of all the FAFSAs you have submitted, along with the status of each one.
The status will show one of several messages. "Submitted" means the form reached the federal processor but has not been reviewed yet. "In review" means a federal employee is checking something on your form — usually because information did not match tax records or because you answered questions in a way that triggered a flag. "Completed" means federal processing is done and your school should have received your data. If you see "Completed," but your school's portal still shows nothing, contact your school's financial aid office — the delay is now on their end, not the federal government's.
Why processing takes longer when you enter tax information by hand
If you did not use the IRS data retrieval tool during submission — either because you chose not to, or because you could not access it — you typed your tax information directly into the FAFSA form. The federal processor then has to match what you entered against IRS records to verify it is correct. This manual verification step adds time.
Hand-entered tax information typically takes two to three weeks to process, compared to three to five business days when you use the data retrieval tool. The data retrieval tool pulls your information directly from the IRS, so there is nothing to verify — the match is automatic.
If you made a mistake when entering your tax information, the processor will flag it and your status will show "In review." You will receive an email or letter telling you what needs to be corrected. Do not submit a new FAFSA — instead, log back into StudentAid.gov, go to "My FAFSA," and edit the form to fix the error. Then resubmit just that form.
What happens after federal processing is complete
Once your FAFSA status shows "Completed" on StudentAid.gov, the federal government has sent your information to every school you listed on the form. However, your school's financial aid office still needs to receive that data in their own system and load it into their portal. This step is not automatic — it depends on how often the school downloads FAFSA data and how quickly their staff processes it.
Most schools update their portals within a few days to a week after receiving your data. Some schools update daily; others update weekly. If your FAFSA shows "Completed" but your school's portal is still blank after a week, contact the financial aid office directly. They can tell you whether they have received your data and when they expect to display it.
When to contact your school's financial aid office
Contact your school if your FAFSA status has shown "Completed" for more than a week and your school's portal still shows no information. Bring your FAFSA confirmation number (visible on StudentAid.gov under "My FAFSA") so the financial aid office can look up your record quickly.
Do not contact your school if your FAFSA status still shows "Submitted" or "In review." At that stage, the form is still with the federal processor, and your school cannot see it yet. Calling will not speed up federal processing.
If your status shows "In review" and you received an email or letter from the federal processor asking you to correct something, make the correction in StudentAid.gov and resubmit. Then wait for processing to complete again. This usually takes another week or two.
Common reasons your FAFSA might be stuck in review
Your form shows "In review" when the federal processor finds something that does not match or needs clarification. The most common triggers are: tax information that does not match IRS records (usually because of a typo), a Social Security number that does not match your name in the Social Security Administration database, citizenship or immigration status information that needs verification, or income that seems inconsistent with previous years.
You will receive an email or letter explaining what needs to be checked. Read it carefully — it will tell you whether you need to correct something in your FAFSA or provide additional documents. If you need to provide documents (such as a birth certificate or immigration papers), the letter will tell you where to send them. Do not ignore these letters. If you do not respond within the timeframe given, your FAFSA may not be processed.
What to do if you submitted your FAFSA weeks ago and it still has not updated
If your FAFSA status has shown "In review" for more than three weeks, or if you received a letter asking for documents and submitted them but your status has not changed, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). They can look up your FAFSA by confirmation number and tell you exactly what is holding up processing. Have your confirmation number and Social Security number ready when you call.
You can also create an account on StudentAid.gov and check for any messages in your inbox — sometimes the processor sends updates there instead of by email or mail. If you see a message asking for more information, follow the instructions in that message immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does FAFSA processing usually take?
If you used the IRS data retrieval tool, three to five business days. If you entered tax information by hand, two to three weeks. After that, your school needs another few days to a week to load your data into their portal. Total time from submission to seeing results on your school's page is usually one to four weeks.
Should I submit a new FAFSA if the first one has not updated yet?
No. Submitting a second FAFSA will not speed up the first one and may create confusion. If you made a mistake, log into StudentAid.gov, edit the existing FAFSA, and resubmit it. The system will replace the old version with the new one.
Can I call my school to make my FAFSA process faster?
No. While your FAFSA is in federal processing (status shows "Submitted" or "In review"), your school cannot see it and cannot speed it up. Once it shows "Completed," your school has it, but calling will not change how quickly they load it into their portal.
What if I see an error message on my FAFSA?
Read the error message carefully — it will tell you which field has the problem. Go back into StudentAid.gov, edit that field, and resubmit the form. Common errors are mismatched tax information, incorrect Social Security numbers, or citizenship status that needs clarification. Fix it and resubmit; do not create a new FAFSA.
Why does my school's portal show a different amount than what I expected?
Your school calculates your financial aid package based on your FAFSA information, but they also factor in their own policies, the cost of attendance at their school, and whether you are a full-time or part-time student. The amount shown is not wrong — it is your school's calculation of what aid they can offer based on your FAFSA data and their own rules.