Real-Time FAFSA Processing Could Soon Give Students Instant Financial Aid Estimates
Credit: Kevin Carter / Getty Images News / Getty Images- Currently, applicants only receive an estimated Student Aid Index (SAI) after submitting their FAFSA.
- Real-time FAFSA processing would instead provide students a final score and an estimate of how much financial aid they can expect if they enroll.
- While no timeline is confirmed, experts say the feature could debut as early as the 2026-27 FAFSA cycle.
Students applying for federal financial aid soon may get an instantaneous estimate of the amount in federal funds they qualify for to help pay for their education.
Federal Student Aid (FSA) confirmed to BestColleges that it is working on implementing real-time FAFSA processing for “a vast majority of students.” The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary way current and prospective college students find out their eligibility for financial aid.
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FSA could not, however, provide a timeline for when real-time processing may launch.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report first outlined FSA’s plans for real-time processing. While FSA had previously announced faster identity verification for users with a Social Security number, the agency hasn’t publicly revealed plans to process FAFSA forms as soon as students submit an application.
Want to learn more about the FAFSA? Check out these resources:
Catherine Brown, senior director of policy and advocacy at the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), told BestColleges that the current process allows students to see an estimated Student Aid Index (SAI) score after submitting a FAFSA.
Real-time processing would likely mean students would instead get a final score and an estimate of how much financial aid they can expect if they enroll.
The 2026-27 FAFSA is scheduled to launch officially on Oct. 1, 2025. Sources said to expect real-time processing sooner rather than later, so this feature could begin when or soon after the 2026-27 form is available to students.
FAFSA completion and enrollment are closely correlated.
NCAN previously found that high school seniors who complete the FAFSA are 84% more likely to immediately enroll in college. Having immediate details on how much aid students qualify for could lead to more enrollments, especially among low-income students.