FAFSA aid acceptance deadlines vs. enrollment deposit deadlines - can I still decide on Federal Loans?

Good news - the deadline to accept federal loans is almost always different from (and later than) the enrollment deposit deadline. Most schools give you until summer to finalize your loan decisions, though each institution sets their own specific deadlines. Check your daughter's financial aid portal or award letter for the "accept by" date for the loans, or call the financial aid office directly to confirm. They understand families need time to make these big financial decisions after committing to a school.

we paid r deposit in aprli but didnt decide on loans til orientation in july lol. financial aid office was super chill about it. just dont wait til like the day b4 classes start!!

In my experience working in college admissions, these are definitely separate deadlines. The enrollment deposit secures your daughter's spot in the incoming class, while financial aid acceptance can usually happen later. However, there are a few important things to keep in mind: 1. Each school sets their own financial aid acceptance deadlines 2. Federal loans have more flexibility than institutional scholarships/grants 3. Some schools require you to accept/decline EACH component of your package by their stated deadline 4. If you decline loans now but change your mind later, you can usually still get them, but there might be processing delays I'd recommend getting the exact deadline in writing from the financial aid office. Also ask if there are any consequences to waiting until the deadline to decide.

BE CAREFUL!!!! Each school has completely different policies on this! My son almost lost his entire aid package because we didn't formally accept it by some random deadline that was buried in the 5th page of his award letter. Had to literally beg the financial aid office to reinstate it. Some schools are NOT flexible at all with these deadlines. CALL THEM TOMORROW to confirm!

I spent 3 days trying to reach my daughter's financial aid office about this exact same question last month. Kept getting stuck on hold or disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to a real human at the office and found out we actually had until July 1st to make loan decisions. Saved me so much stress! They have a video demo of how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ if you're having trouble getting through to the financial aid office.

One more thing to consider - even though you likely have more time to decide on the loans, I highly recommend at least accepting the subsidized loans if they were offered. Those are interest-free while your daughter is in school and have the best terms. You can always reduce or cancel them later if you decide not to use them, but it's good to have them secured in case you need them. Unsubsidized loans and PLUS loans have more flexibility with timing.

Am I the only one who thinks it's ridiculous how complicated they make this process?? Different deadlines for deposits vs. loans, confusing financial aid portals, impossible-to-reach offices...it's like they WANT families to make mistakes. The financial aid system is BROKEN. My daughter's school sent us 3 different versions of her award letter with different loans amounts and different deadlines. Total disaster.

Quick follow-up on something important: if your daughter is starting this fall, make sure you've completed the 2024-2025 FAFSA and not just relied on the initial financial aid offer. Many schools are still waiting on final SAI calculations from the Department of Education due to the FAFSA delays this year. Your final loan eligibility could change once they process the FAFSA completely.

As someone new to this process, I'm finding this thread incredibly helpful! My son was just accepted and we're in a similar situation. One thing I learned from our college's financial aid webinar is that they actually encourage families to take time with loan decisions since it's such a big financial commitment. They mentioned that federal loans can typically be accepted right up until the start of the semester, though they recommend deciding by mid-summer to avoid any processing delays. It sounds like most schools really do understand that families need time to weigh all their options after securing their spot with the enrollment deposit.

Thanks for starting this thread - it's exactly what I needed to see! We're in the same boat with our daughter's fall enrollment. Just wanted to add that when I called our school's financial aid office yesterday, they mentioned something really helpful: they actually send reminder emails about loan acceptance deadlines throughout the summer, so families don't accidentally miss them. They said the key is to make sure your contact info is updated in their system so you get those reminders. Also learned that if you're unsure about loan amounts, you can always accept the full amount offered and then reduce it later before disbursement if you decide you need less. Much easier than trying to increase it later!

This is such a timely thread! As a newcomer to the FAFSA world, I'm learning so much from everyone's experiences. My daughter just got accepted and we're facing the exact same dilemma. I had no idea there were different deadlines for enrollment deposits versus financial aid acceptance - I was panicking thinking we had to decide on everything by May 1st! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring. It sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) call the financial aid office directly to get the exact deadlines in writing, 2) federal loans typically have more flexible deadlines than the enrollment deposit, and 3) it's better to accept subsidized loans early since they have the best terms. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver for stressed parents trying to navigate this process!

This thread is so helpful as someone just starting to navigate this maze! My daughter got into her first-choice school and we paid the deposit last week, but I've been losing sleep over the loan decisions. Reading everyone's experiences has really calmed my nerves - especially learning that federal loan deadlines are typically much later than enrollment deposits. I'm definitely going to call the financial aid office tomorrow to get our specific deadlines in writing, and I love the tip about accepting the full loan amount initially and then reducing it later if needed. It's such a relief to know we're not alone in finding this process overwhelming and confusing. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences - it's exactly what anxious parents like me need to hear!

As another newcomer to this whole financial aid process, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their experiences! My son was just accepted to his top choice school and we're in the exact same situation - deposit paid but still weighing the loan options. I was really stressed thinking everything had to be decided by the same May 1st deadline. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief, especially learning that federal loans typically have more flexibility with timing. I'm definitely going to call the financial aid office first thing Monday morning to get our specific deadlines confirmed in writing. The advice about accepting subsidized loans early but taking more time with unsubsidized and PLUS loans makes total sense. It's so reassuring to know other families are navigating this same confusing process and that the schools generally understand we need time to make these big financial decisions!