Do I need to accept financial aid package online or just accept college admission?
I just got my financial aid package from State University yesterday (so excited!!) but I'm a bit confused about the next steps. The email says I need to 'review and accept' my award, but I've already accepted my admission to the school through their portal. Do I need to go back and specifically accept each part of the financial aid package separately? Or does accepting admission mean I automatically get whatever they offered? There's a Parent Plus loan, some grants, and work-study offered. Don't want to mess this up and lose money because I missed a step!
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Sofia Morales
You definitely need to accept the financial aid package separately from accepting admission. Most schools have a separate financial aid portal or section within their student portal where you need to review and accept each component of your aid package individually. Some aid types (like grants) might auto-accept, but loans almost always require explicit acceptance and additional steps.
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Dylan Mitchell
AuthorOh no! I didn't realize that...I thought since I accepted admission everything else just happened automatically. The email had a link but I didn't click it. Going to do that right now!
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Dmitry Popov
You ABSOLUTELY must accept the financial aid package separately from admission acceptance!!! This is one of the biggest mistakes first-time college students make. Each component of your package (especially the Parent Plus loan) requires separate acceptance and sometimes additional paperwork. If you don't accept by their deadline, they can and WILL reallocate those funds to other students. Don't wait!!!
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Dylan Mitchell
AuthorThank you for the warning! I'm going to call them tomorrow to make sure I haven't missed any deadlines. The financial aid office isn't answering today.
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Ava Garcia
my kid lost half his aid package last yr bc we didnt know we had to accept each thing separately. terrible system tbh. check your student portal for something like "financial aid status" or "award letter" then there should be checkboxes or accept buttons for each item
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StarSailor}
This is unfortunately common. For the original poster: You'll need to log in to the school's financial aid portal (sometimes integrated with the student portal, sometimes separate). For each aid type offered, you'll typically see options to Accept, Decline, or sometimes Adjust (for loans). You should carefully review each component and decide what to accept based on your needs.
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Miguel Silva
When I was having trouble reaching my daughter's financial aid office to confirm we'd properly accepted everything, I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it worked so well! They connected me to a real person at the financial aid office in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Totally worth it to make sure all her aid was properly accepted before deadlines!
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Dylan Mitchell
AuthorThat might actually be really helpful, thanks! I've been trying to call the financial aid office all morning and keep getting voicemail.
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Zainab Ismail
is this legit? seems kinda sketchy to pay someone just to make a phone call for you
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Miguel Silva
It's legit - they don't make the call for you, they just get you through the hold times so you can talk directly to the financial aid office yourself. Saved me hours of waiting on hold.
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Connor O'Neill
My FAFSA situation was different from yours (I had mostly direct loans and pell grant) but I definitely had to log in to the school's financial aid portal and click accept for each part of my package. Also had to complete entrance counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note for the loans. The grants were the only things that auto-accepted.
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Dylan Mitchell
AuthorThanks! I logged in and found where to accept each part. You're right - the Pell Grant was already accepted but I had to manually accept the work study and the Parent Plus loan has a whole separate application my mom needs to complete.
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Sofia Morales
Just to add some important info: For the Parent Plus loan, your parent will need to complete a separate application including a credit check and sign a separate Master Promissory Note. That loan doesn't just automatically activate when you click accept - your parent must complete those steps. Many families miss this and end up with a funding gap when the semester bill comes due.
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Dylan Mitchell
AuthorThat's super helpful! I see now that the Parent Plus loan has a note saying "additional steps required" - I'll make sure my mom knows she needs to complete the application. Do you know if there's a specific deadline for that part?
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Sofia Morales
The Parent Plus loan application should be completed as soon as possible, but technically it can be done anytime before the tuition bill is due. However, I recommend your mom completes it at least 30 days before the tuition deadline to allow time for processing and approval. Some schools have specific priority deadlines for Plus loans too, so double-check with your financial aid office.
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Ava Garcia
also dont forget that the SAI score from ur FAFSA affects what grants u get so if anything changes w/ ur family income u might need to update that too. made that mistake and missed out on like $2000 extra aid
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Dylan Mitchell
AuthorOh wow, I didn't even think about that! Our family situation has actually changed since we submitted the FAFSA (my dad got laid off). I should probably let the financial aid office know about that too.
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StarSailor}
Since your family situation has changed (father's job loss), you should immediately submit a Professional Judgment (PJ) request to the financial aid office. This is sometimes called a Special Circumstances review or Appeal. This allows the financial aid office to recalculate your SAI based on current income rather than the tax return year used on your FAFSA. This could significantly increase your grant eligibility and reduce the need for loans. Most schools have a specific form for this process.
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Dylan Mitchell
AuthorThank you so much for this information! I had no idea this was even possible. I'll ask about the Professional Judgment request when I talk to the financial aid office. Would this potentially increase my Pell Grant amount too?
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StarSailor}
Yes, a successful Professional Judgment adjustment could increase your Pell Grant award if your recalculated SAI drops low enough. It could also increase institutional grants and work-study allocations. Make sure to provide documentation of the job loss (termination letter, unemployment benefits statement, etc.) to support your request. This process typically takes 2-3 weeks to complete, so start it ASAP.
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Zainab Ismail
dude just accept everything they offer u and figure out the details later!!! free $$$
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Dmitry Popov
This is TERRIBLE advice. Loans are NOT free money - they must be repaid with interest. The Parent Plus loan in particular has the highest interest rate of all federal student loans (currently 6.284% for 2023-2024) and goes into repayment as soon as it's fully disbursed unless your parent requests deferment. Only accept what you absolutely need!
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Grace Lee
Hey Dylan! Just wanted to add that you should also pay attention to any work-study requirements in your package. Work-study funds aren't automatically deposited like grants - you actually have to find and apply for work-study jobs on campus, then work those hours to earn the money. The amount they offer is the maximum you can earn, not guaranteed income. Many students accept work-study thinking it's free money and then never follow through with actually getting the job. Make sure you understand what each component of your aid package requires from you!
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