How long does the FAFSA processing take before colleges receive it?

Just submitted my FAFSA for the upcoming school year. Does anyone know how long it usually takes for colleges to receive the processed FAFSA?

After you submit your FAFSA, the information is processed by the U.S Department of Education, typically within 3-5 days if submitted online. Following the processing period, your Student Aid Report (SAR) is generated which is a summary of the information you provided. You will typically receive an email link to your SAR within a week of filing, if you provided an email address.

Once colleges receive your FAFSA, it can take another couple of weeks (roughly 1-2 weeks) for them to process the financial aid information depending on their internal processing times and time of year. Some colleges may take longer than others due to the volume of applications they receive. Therefore, you might expect colleges to have access to your FAFSA information within 2-3 weeks after you've submitted your application. Be sure to check with your specific colleges to learn about their unique processing timelines.