College decision deadline looming but no FAFSA award letter yet - what to do?
We're in a total bind with my daughter's college decision. She got accepted to her dream school (yay!) but they still haven't sent the financial aid award letter. We submitted our FAFSA back in January and got our SAI calculation weeks ago, but this particular university says they're overwhelmed with applications this year. The deadline to commit is May 1st, and we're already mid-April! How are we supposed to make such a huge financial decision without knowing what aid she'll get? Has anyone dealt with this before? Can we ask for an extension on the deposit deadline? I'm losing sleep over this - we really can't afford the full $37,000/year without substantial aid. 😓
22 comments
Join the conversation
Noah Lee
Call the financial aid office directly - don't just email. I was in your exact situation last year with my son's top choice. When I finally got through to someone, they were able to give me a verbal estimate of his aid package and expedited the official letter. Be persistent but polite. If you explain the situation clearly, most schools will understand and work with you.
0 coins
Olivia Garcia
•Thanks for the advice! I've tried calling 4 times this week but keep getting sent to voicemail. Their automated message says they're experiencing "unusually high call volumes" and to expect a 4-6 business day response time. We don't have that kind of time left! 😩
0 coins
Ava Hernandez
ya we went through this too!! so annoying. ended up just paying the deposit at 2 schools cuz we couldn't decide without the aid info. lost $500 on the school he didn't pick but whatever better than making the wrong choice
0 coins
Olivia Garcia
•Ugh, that's what I'm trying to avoid. $500 is a lot to just throw away, especially since we're already stressed about college costs. But you're right - better than making the wrong choice and being stuck with it.
0 coins
Isabella Martin
This is actually more common than you'd think. Here's what you should do: 1. Email the financial aid office AND the admissions counselor explaining your situation 2. Request a deadline extension specifically for the deposit (many schools will grant this) 3. Ask if they can provide an estimated aid package based on your SAI 4. Check if your second-choice school has better/faster communication - use that as leverage Most importantly, document everything. If they verbally tell you an aid amount, ask them to confirm it in an email. Schools don't want to lose committed students over administrative delays.
0 coins
Olivia Garcia
•This is really helpful! I'll try emailing both offices today. Do you think it would help if I mentioned that we've received award letters from her other top choice already? I don't want to seem like I'm playing schools against each other, but it might create some urgency.
0 coins
Isabella Martin
•Absolutely mention the other award letters! That's not playing schools against each other - it's just stating the reality of your decision timeline. Be factual: "We need to make our decision by May 1st, and we've already received complete aid packages from X and Y schools. We're very interested in your university, but cannot commit without understanding the financial picture." This is completely reasonable and admissions offices understand this.
0 coins
Elijah Jackson
I feel your pain!!! The whole system is ridiculous. They expect us to make LIFE-ALTERING decisions with incomplete information. Why even have the May 1 deadline if they can't get their act together? I swear financial aid offices operate in their own time dimension. 🙄
0 coins
Sophia Miller
•RIGHT?! And then they act like we're being unreasonable for wanting this information before committing tens of thousands of dollars! My daughter's counselor basically told us "this is just how it works" when we complained. Um, no, this is NOT how major financial transactions should work anywhere else in society!
0 coins
Mason Davis
If you've already got your SAI calculation, you can actually make a pretty good estimate of what they'll offer. Most schools have their aid formulas on their financial aid websites. Look for their "cost of attendance" and then search for "typical financial aid package" or "average need met" percentages. Some universities even have aid calculators on their websites. It won't be exact, but it might help you make a more informed decision while you wait for the official letter.
0 coins
Olivia Garcia
•Thanks for this suggestion! I found their net price calculator online but it's asking for tax information we already provided on the FAFSA. Isn't the SAI supposed to standardize this across schools? I'll look deeper for their typical aid packages though.
0 coins
Mason Davis
•The SAI is standardized, but how schools use it to determine their own institutional aid varies widely. Some schools meet 100% of demonstrated need, others only 70-80%. And institutional grants/scholarships are completely up to the school. That's why you're seeing such different award packages from different schools despite having one SAI. If this is a highly selective private university, call their admissions office (not financial aid) and explain your deadline situation - they often have more pull to expedite things.
0 coins
Mia Rodriguez
Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to the financial aid office? When my son was waiting on his FAFSA verification, we kept getting the same runaround with automated messages and voicemail. I found this service at claimyr.com that got us connected to a real person at Federal Student Aid in under 5 minutes. They have a demo video (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ) that shows how it works. You could use it to reach the Department of Education to confirm your FAFSA is fully processed, then use that confirmation when you call the university's financial aid office.
0 coins
Olivia Garcia
•I've never heard of this service before! At this point I'm willing to try anything if it gets me through to an actual human. Our FAFSA is definitely processed (we got our SAI already), but maybe talking to someone at FSA could help me understand why the school is taking so long. Thanks for the suggestion!
0 coins
Ava Hernandez
•i used that 2 when we had issues with the school saying they never got our tax transcript. worked great fyi
0 coins
Elijah Jackson
WAIT they can absolutely give you an extension!!!! My niece's top choice gave her an extra 2 weeks past the May 1 deadline specifically because the aid letter was delayed. DEMAND to talk to someone above the regular financial aid office - like ask for the director. The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
0 coins
Noah Lee
•This is good advice, but I'd suggest being firm rather than demanding. Financial aid offices are incredibly overworked right now. A polite but persistent approach is more likely to get results than making demands. Ask specifically: "Who has the authority to grant a deposit deadline extension due to delayed financial aid awards?" Then ask to speak with that person directly.
0 coins
Sophia Miller
This happened to us, and what worked was having my daughter's high school counselor call the university directly. They have established relationships with admissions offices and can sometimes cut through the red tape faster than parents can. Worth a try if you're running out of time!
0 coins
Olivia Garcia
•That's brilliant! I didn't even think about involving her counselor. I'll reach out to Ms. Johnson tomorrow morning and see if she can help. She's been so supportive throughout this whole process.
0 coins
Mason Davis
Here's something important to understand: the May 1st deadline is part of something called the "National Candidate Reply Date Agreement" that most colleges follow. If a school participates in this agreement AND they haven't provided you with a complete financial aid offer, they are actually obligated to extend your decision deadline. In fact, this scenario is specifically addressed in their guidelines. You have a legitimate case to request an extension if you haven't received complete financial information. Make sure to mention this specific agreement when you communicate with them.
0 coins
Olivia Garcia
•Wow, I had no idea this was an official thing! This is incredibly helpful information. I just checked and this university is definitely part of the Common App system, so I assume they follow this agreement. I'll specifically reference this in my communication with them. Thank you so much!
0 coins
Sophia Miller
•Just to clarify - being part of Common App doesn't automatically mean they follow the National Candidate Reply Date Agreement. Most do, but you should check their admissions website to confirm. It's usually mentioned somewhere in their decision/deposit section.
0 coins