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Somtime the schools take FOREVERRR to send out there aid packages, my daughters college took almost 2 MONTHS after fafsa processed to send her awards. So frustrating!! But you can call the financial aid office directly to ask for a timeline, sometimes they'll give you an early estimate over the phone.
yep this is normal unfortunately. my son's took 6 weeks last year and we were PANICKING the whole time. colleges don't seem to understand parents need this info to plan!!
UPDATE: I finally called the college's financial aid office and they said they're behind on processing because of all the FAFSA delays this year. They expect to have aid packages out within 2 weeks, and they suggested we go ahead with orientation since we can still make decisions after seeing the package. The woman was super nice and said based on our SAI, we should qualify for "significant assistance" but wouldn't give specific numbers. Fingers crossed!
That's great news! "Significant assistance" is definitely promising language from a financial aid officer. They typically don't use those terms unless they expect you'll receive a substantial package. While waiting, make sure all verification documents are ready if requested - having those prepared can speed up the final steps.
Update to my earlier comment - I should clarify that while our parent section eventually processed automatically, it did take almost two weeks. If your deadline is next week, you probably do need to be more proactive than we were. Contacting the school is definitely a good idea.
I appreciate the follow-up. Two weeks would definitely miss the priority deadline.
UPDATE: I used Claimyr this morning and actually got through to FSA! The agent found that there was a mismatch between how my name appears on my tax return versus how I entered it in my FSA ID. They fixed it right there and said the parent section should process within 3-5 business days. I also called my son's school financial aid office, and they said they'll make a note in his file about the FAFSA technical issue so his application won't lose priority status. Thank you everyone for your help!
Great news! That name mismatch issue is surprisingly common this year with the new system. Glad you got it resolved and that the school is being understanding about the delay.
Just a quick update - I got the SSN issue fixed with my daughter's application after we used that Claimyr service. The agent said nearly 40% of applications this cycle have similar verification issues because of how the new system processes things. The good news is that once it's fixed, the aid package usually comes through within 5-10 business days since the SAI calculation is already done.
That 40% statistic tracks with what we're seeing at schools nationwide. The new FAFSA system is definitely processing things differently than previous years. The good news is most of these verification issues don't affect the final aid amount - they're just technical hurdles.
UPDATE: We called the financial aid office this morning and they were super helpful! Turns out there was a transposed digit in my son's SSN. They're sending a specific verification form that he needs to complete and submit with a copy of his social security card. They said it should be processed within 3-5 business days after they receive it. Thanks everyone for your help!
awesome! glad u got it figured out. financial aid offices can be super helpful if u actually get someone on the phone lol
omg its sooo annoying we have to do this every single year. i wish they would just let us submit once for all 4 years
They make us do it every year because our financial situations change. Some people might qualify for more aid their sophomore or junior year if their family income drops. But I agree it's super annoying!!
So it sounds like I should mark my calendar for December but maybe plan to actually do the application in January? And I'll need my 2023 taxes again.
That's a good plan. Also, make sure your school doesn't have any early priority deadlines. Some schools have January deadlines for certain scholarship packages, so check with your financial aid office to confirm. Since you've already done the 2024-2025 FAFSA, the 2025-2026 one should be a bit easier. Your FSA ID will already be set up, and some of your basic info will carry over. You'll just need to update any income changes and review your contributor information. One other thing to remember: if your financial situation has changed dramatically since 2023 (like job loss or major medical expenses), you can submit an appeal for professional judgment to your school's financial aid office after you receive your aid package. They can adjust your aid based on your current situation, regardless of what the FAFSA shows based on 2023 taxes.
Ethan Davis
Waht about parent plus loans? Thats what we ended up doing when my sons aid wasnt enough
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Anastasia Sokolov
•We're trying to avoid loans if possible, especially since my daughter plans to go to grad school eventually. But you're right, that might be our backup plan if we can't get the aid package adjusted.
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CyberNinja
Just wanted to update that after I dealt with a similar issue, we got our daughter's SAI reduced by almost $7,000! It took about 3 weeks from correction to getting a revised aid package, but it was absolutely worth it. Her grant increased by $3,500 for the year. Definitely don't give up on this!
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Anastasia Sokolov
•That's so encouraging to hear! I just submitted the correction online and sent an email to the financial aid office explaining the situation. Fingers crossed we get similar results! Thanks for sharing your success story.
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