I updated FAFSA with the DRT (Data Retrival Tool) on Monday 2/15. When should we expect it to be processed so that we can submit it to the second batch of schools? And how will we know…will S get a confirmation email? Thanks in advance!
log in to the fafsa tool and it will tell you if it’s processed.
email will also be sent.
Thank you @lz57c4
I just logged in, and it says Current Application Status: Processed Successfully.
On the right, it says Latest Correction: Submitted 2/15/2016 Processed 2/15/2016
But…does that refer to the DRT? My S did not get a confirmation that the DRT was processed. He even checked his junk mail folder. How can we tell for sure that the DRT went through?
I’m not totally sure, but I think processed is one thing, accessed/downloaded by the schools is something else. Poke around for some threads pertaining to more than 10 colleges on FAFSA.
@alooknac We’ve already submimtted the FAFSA to 10+ schools (in 2 batches). I’m referring to the Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) that transfers the final figures from our filed tax return from IRS into FAFSA. 
I think as long as it says submitted and processed it should have gone out to the first 10 schools. When you look at correction history it should have two initial SARs and then the SAR you just did.
When you look though the FAFSA financial info, do the AGI, tax paid, etc fields have “transferred from the IRS”?
@kelsmom, can you advise?
If you didn’t print off the page for ‘List of Changes’ you may not be able to tell for sure. ‘List of Changes’ is the screen before you actually submit. the ‘Confirmation’ page after you submit doesn’t actually list your changes. SAR reports in the past didn’t list if DRT was used, but maybe they do this year.
But … when you go in to run the changes for your next batch of schools (or even if you don’t have more, you can just start a change and test this), go to the ‘Finances’ page and where it says ‘link to IRS’ it should give you a message to the effect that ‘you have already linked to the IRS’. That should help you know that the DRT was used or not. I don’t know for sure that this will work since ours is actually processing so I can’t look, but at least give it a try.
If that doesn’t work, contact one of the schools that corresponds quickly and ask if they can tell if the DRT requirement was satisfied with the last correction.
Or … just run it again, use the DRT, print the ‘List of Changes’ page and you’re done.
When you used the DRT and transferred the info to your FAFSA, that means it was successfully transferred. That is your confirmation that the DRT worked. Once you submit the FAFSA after using the DRT, and the FAFSA is successfully processed for the date you submitted, then it has successfully processed. You can now use it again for the other set of schools. You have to use the transaction that you originally sent to the new set of schools, update that transaction by using the DRT, and submit that to have the info go to the new set. For example, if you had ten schools on #1, then updated to another 10 schools on #2 … then you did the DRT on #2 … the SECOND set has the DRT info. Now you have to go back to #1 and use the DRT on that transaction.
Thank you @kelsmom!
Thank you @mommdc @lz57c4 @kelsmom All’s well that ends well!
I will share what I did for future readers of this thread:
On the first page of my son’s FAFSA, it said the correction (DRT) processed the same day…but same day sounded too fast a turnaround, and we didn’t get any email confirmation. Yep, I was working backward as @kelsmom clarified - submitted the DRT to the second batch of schools, and now I was waiting to submit to the original list.
So I did two things this morning. I checked one of the college’s FA portals, and it showed that they received the DRT on Wed, 2/17 (2 days after the FAFSA page says it was processed). That was a good tip @lz57c4 .
I also spoke to a FAFSA rep. She went into our account and verified with me the AGI $ figure on our tax return, which was correct. She said I could go ahead and submit to the next batch of schools.
So it looks like everything went according to plan…but FYI it appears those who use DRT for more than 10 schools may not receive a confirmation email that the correction was processed for the first batch. At least that was our experience.
We originally submitted FAFSA to only 10 schools. I just went in and did the DRT and resubmitted that change to those 10 schools. I have one additional school to add (for the first time) to the FAFSA. At what point is it okay to go back in and add that 11th school? Should I wait for a few days to make sure the DRT changes go through for the original 10?
it won’t allow to start another change unless the prior submission’s processing is complete. if it allows you to start a correction, you’re good to proceed with the next batch. This process has been taking one business day this year.
When I go back in to the FAFSA to add the 11th school, I have to delete the list of the first 10, is that correct?
you don’t have to. if you leave them, they’ll just get it again. but i always delete them so there are no dups. fafsa changed this year such that schools don’t see the other schools you send it to. order of schools now only matters with certain state schools. i’d opt to only send a school a SAR if it should be sent (no unnecessary dups)