Do we need to formally decline FAFSA loans showing in college portal?

just ignore it it wont get processed unless she signs a master promissory note anyway

I'd recommend not just ignoring it. Most schools actually require you to formally decline the loan through their financial aid office. While it's true the loan won't disburse without a completed MPN (Master Promissory Note), leaving it in an "offered" status can cause issues with your daughter's account at the bursar's office, potentially resulting in registration holds or incomplete financial aid packages. Call the financial aid office directly or check if there's an electronic form in their system. Many schools have a specific loan decline form or section in their portal that might not be immediately obvious. It's better to be proactive so there's a clear record of your decision.

CALL THEM!!! We had the exact same situation with my son last year and thought we could just ignore the loans. BIG MISTAKE. They put a financial hold on his account because they were showing "pending aid" that hadn't been processed, and he couldn't register for sophomore classes until we straightened it all out. Took THREE WEEKS of back and forth to fix because by then everyone was trying to register and the financial aid office was swamped. Don't be us!!!!!

Financial aid counselor here. This varies by institution, but the safest approach is to formally decline the loan. Here's what you should know: 1. Yes, it's true the loan won't disburse without an MPN and entrance counseling 2. However, many institutions require formal declination for record-keeping and processing purposes 3. The loan sitting in "offered" status can affect your daughter's account balance calculation 4. Some schools automatically cancel unaccepted loans after a certain date, but this varies widely I recommend emailing the financial aid office with your daughter's ID number, the specific loan you're declining, and the aid year. Some schools have a form, others just need written confirmation. This creates a paper trail and ensures no registration or billing issues later.

same thng happened with my son. we had to go in to student accounts office in person and fill out a form. they said on the phone we could just ignore it but then they put a hold on his account?? the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing at these schools lol

If you've been trying to call the financial aid office and can't get through (which is super common this time of year), you might want to check out Claimyr. I was in exactly your situation last year and kept getting busy signals or disconnected. I used their service at claimyr.com and got through to our financial aid office in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I actually got someone on the phone, they immediately sent me the loan declination form and processed it the same day. Saved me a ton of stress since registration was coming up soon.

Something nobody mentioned yet - if you formally decline the loan and later in the semester realize you actually do need some financial assistance, it's way more complicated to get the loan reinstated mid-semester. My daughter declined her loans, then her car died and she needed money for repairs to get to her off-campus job. Reinstating the loan was a huge headache. Just something to consider before formally declining everything.

wait but dont u have to pay loan fees even on the part u accept but dont use??

my daughter jst finished sophmore year and we learned teh hard way - u ABSOLUTELY need to decline. we ignored it freshman year and they put a hold on her account right before finals because the system was showing unpaid balance because the loan wasnt processed but was still in "offered" status. took 2 weeks and multiple calls to fix!!

Update: I just got off the phone with the financial aid office. They do have a specific "Aid Adjustment Form" that I need to submit to decline the loans. The advisor said ignoring it would eventually cause a problem with her account showing an incomplete aid package. She also mentioned I could accept a smaller amount if I wanted flexibility. Thanks everyone for your help! I never would have known to be proactive about this without your advice.

Just wanted to add another perspective - I work in a college bursar's office and we see this confusion all the time! Even though the loan won't disburse without the MPN, having it sit in "offered" status can definitely cause billing issues. Our system calculates the student's account balance based on expected aid, so if a loan is showing as "offered" but never gets processed, it can look like the student has an outstanding balance even when they don't actually owe anything. The good news is most schools make it pretty easy to decline once you know what form to look for. And like others mentioned, you can always accept a partial amount - even just $500 - which gives you a safety net without taking on unnecessary debt if you don't need it. Glad you got it figured out before registration! Your daughter is lucky to have such thorough parents looking out for these details.

As someone who just went through this exact process with my son last month, I can confirm that formally declining is definitely the way to go! We initially thought we could just ignore the offered loans since we didn't need them, but when I called to ask about something else, the financial aid advisor mentioned that leaving loans in "offered" status can create complications down the road. What really helped us was asking the financial aid office to walk me through their specific process over the phone. They actually have a checklist they go through to make sure everything is properly documented. Some schools want email confirmation, others have online forms, and some require paper forms - it really varies by institution. One tip: when you submit your declination, ask for email confirmation that it's been processed. That way you have documentation if any issues come up later. Better safe than sorry, especially when registration and billing cycles are coming up!

I just went through this same situation with my daughter last fall! We initially ignored the offered loan thinking it would just disappear, but then got a scary email from the bursar's office about an "incomplete financial aid package" that could affect her enrollment status. Turns out our school required us to log into the student portal and there was actually a small "Accept/Decline Aid" button buried in the financial aid section that wasn't super obvious. Once I found it, declining the loan was literally just clicking a button and typing in a reason (I put "covered by scholarships"). The whole thing was resolved in like 5 minutes once I knew where to look. Definitely don't wait - these systems are so automated that they can create problems faster than humans can fix them! Your daughter is so lucky to have full scholarship coverage - what an amazing accomplishment! 🎓

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My son has enough merit aid to cover tuition and housing, but there's a $3,000 Direct Loan showing in his financial aid package that we don't want. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that just ignoring it could cause account holds or registration issues! I'm definitely going to call the financial aid office tomorrow morning to get the proper declination form. It sounds like every school handles it differently, so getting their specific process is key. The suggestion about asking for email confirmation is brilliant too - with all the automated systems these days, having documentation seems essential. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially the financial aid counselor and bursar's office perspectives. This is exactly the kind of insider knowledge that parents need but never get told upfront!

This thread has been so educational! I'm a new parent going through this process for the first time and had no idea about any of these potential issues. My daughter just got her financial aid package last week and there's a $4,500 loan included that we don't need thanks to her academic scholarships. I was literally about to just ignore it thinking it would go away on its own! Reading about all the account holds and registration issues has me convinced - I'm calling first thing Monday to get the proper declination process. It's honestly pretty frustrating that schools don't make this clearer upfront. You'd think they'd want to make it easy for families to decline loans they don't need rather than having these confusing systems that create problems later. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences, especially those with professional insights. This kind of practical advice is invaluable for those of us navigating this maze for the first time!

This thread has been incredibly helpful as a parent new to the college financial aid process! My daughter just received her aid package and there's a $5,500 Direct Subsidized Loan that we don't need since her merit scholarships cover everything. I was initially planning to just ignore it, but after reading everyone's experiences with account holds and registration issues, I'm definitely going to be proactive about declining it. The insight from the financial aid counselor and bursar's office employee really helped me understand why schools require formal declination - it makes sense that their systems calculate balances based on "offered" aid status. I'm going to call our school's financial aid office this week to get their specific declination form and ask for email confirmation once it's processed. Thanks especially to those who shared the painful lessons learned from ignoring offered loans - those cautionary tales are exactly what us newcomers need to hear! Better to spend 15 minutes on a phone call now than deal with weeks of headaches during registration time.

As someone who just went through this process with my twin daughters, I can't stress enough how important it is to formally decline! We had scholarships covering both girls' expenses, but I made the mistake of ignoring the offered loans for one daughter while properly declining for the other. Guess which one had a registration hold placed on her account two weeks before classes started? The financial aid office told me their system flagged her account as having "unresolved aid" even though she never signed any loan documents. It took multiple calls and a trip to campus to sort it out. What really surprised me was how different the declination process was between their two schools - one had a simple online form, the other required a signed paper form submitted in person or by mail. So definitely call ahead to understand your school's specific requirements. Pro tip: If you do decide to accept a partial amount for emergencies as some suggested, make sure you understand the minimum disbursement amounts. Some schools won't process loans under $500, so accepting a tiny "just in case" amount might not even be possible.