FAFSA 'You Don't Qualify' message showing under both loans and grants tabs - is this final?

thats really weird, my daughter had a similar sai (16k) and still got offered unsubsidized loans. def something wrong with your sons account

This definitely doesn't sound right. The FAFSA itself doesn't actually tell you what aid you qualify for - it just calculates your SAI (Student Aid Index) which schools use to determine your aid package. Even students with high SAI scores should qualify for Direct Unsubsidized Loans at a minimum, which aren't need-based. You mentioned seeing this message "under both tabs" - are you looking at the studentaid.gov website or your son's school financial aid portal? The actual aid offers come from individual schools, not directly from FAFSA.

Sounds like you're confusing the FAFSA with the actual financial aid package. FAFSA just collects your info and calculates your SAI. The schools use that to create an aid offer. You won't see what he actually gets until each school sends him their financial aid award letter (usually after acceptance). Each school might offer different amounts!

I HATE how confusing they make this whole process!!!! My kid got the same message last year and I freaked out, but then ended up getting some loans and a small grant. The messaging on the website is SO misleading.

Financial aid advisor here. What you're seeing is likely just placeholder messaging on the studentaid.gov portal. With an SAI of 15600, your son will likely qualify for Direct Unsubsidized Loans at minimum, and possibly additional aid depending on the cost of attendance at his chosen schools. The actual financial aid package will come from each individual school, usually 2-4 weeks after they receive his complete FAFSA data. You mentioned one school doesn't have his data yet - that's normal, as there can be delays in processing and transmission. What you should do now: 1. Ensure all schools have received his FAFSA (check each school's portal) 2. Complete any verification requests promptly if selected 3. Watch for financial aid award letters from each school 4. Compare offers when they arrive Don't panic about the messages you're seeing on studentaid.gov - they're not your final determination.

I had the EXACT same problem last month trying to figure out my daughter's aid situation. I kept seeing those 'you don't qualify' messages and spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid. The phone system is absolutely ridiculous - I'd wait 40+ minutes only to get disconnected. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human. They have this service that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. The agent explained that those messages don't actually mean anything until the schools process your information. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Turns out my daughter qualified for substantial aid despite those messages.

Wait a minute... guys! I just realized something. The FAFSA system has been totally glitchy since they revamped everything for the 2025-2026 year. Those messages you're seeing are probably just default text. My nephew got the same thing but then got a full aid package a few weeks later when his school processed everything. Don't stress yet!

Just wanted to follow up on my earlier comment. You should expect to receive financial aid award letters from each school approximately 2-4 weeks after they've processed his FAFSA data. With an SAI of 15600, he'll likely qualify for: 1. Direct Unsubsidized Loans (up to $5,500 for first-year dependent students) 2. Potential merit scholarships from individual schools 3. Possibly some need-based aid at higher-cost institutions You and your son should also look into: 1. Parent PLUS loans (if you're willing to take those on) 2. Private scholarships 3. Work-study opportunities (though these aren't guaranteed) Don't make any decisions until you've received and compared all financial aid packages.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this exact situation last year with my daughter. Those "You Don't Qualify" messages on studentaid.gov are basically meaningless - they're just generic placeholders while the system processes everything. My daughter had an SAI of around 14,000 and we saw the same confusing messages, but she ended up receiving unsubsidized loans at every school she applied to, plus need-based grants at two of them. The key thing to remember is that each school determines your aid package independently based on their own cost of attendance and aid policies. Some schools took 6+ weeks to send their financial aid letters even after receiving the FAFSA data, so patience is definitely required. One tip: if any of his schools use their own financial aid forms (CSS Profile, etc.), make sure those are submitted too - sometimes delays happen when schools are waiting for multiple documents. You're doing everything right by checking each school's portal. The real answers will come from those individual award letters, not from the FAFSA website itself.