FAFSA aid award delay from UMN Twin Cities - should I call about my pending status?

same thing happpened with my daughter!! we got the signature issue fixed on april 10 and still havent heard anything from UMN. portal just says pending forever

Don't panic yet, but I would definitely call them. UMN financial aid office is typically quick about processing applications, but they're dealing with a lot of signature errors from the new FAFSA this year. When you call, ask specifically for your SAI calculation status and whether they've received your processed FAFSA data from the federal system. Those are two different things - sometimes the school gets the data but hasn't calculated your package yet. Also make sure your UMN student portal doesn't have any outstanding document requests. Sometimes they need additional verification docs that you might have missed in an email.

CALL THEM IMMEDIATELY!!!! I waited too long with my daughter's application at UMN and almost missed out on priority funds. The school had "lost" her FAFSA in their system even though the federal site showed it was processed. They only fixed it because we called and pushed them to look into it. Don't assume they're working on it - the system is broken this year!!!

I had a similar experience with UMN this year. Had to call multiple times before getting through, but it was worth it. I found out they were missing a required tax form that wasn't showing up on my portal for some reason. After I uploaded it, I had my aid package within 3 days. I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to the financial aid office faster. Their service connects you directly without the typical hold times. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to follow up on my FAFSA status. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

my nephew goes to umn and had same issue last yr. turns out they needed more verification docs but never emailed him about it!!! he only found out by going to financial aid office in person. so annoying.

For UMN Twin Cities specifically, their financial aid processing timeline this year has been significantly delayed due to the FAFSA changes. The standard timeline they published of "early to mid April" was based on applications processed by March 1st. Since your application was only fully processed on April 15th, you should expect to wait about 4-6 weeks from that date. That said, calling is still a good idea for two reasons: 1. You can confirm they've actually received your FAFSA data from the federal processor (this isn't automatic and sometimes gets stuck) 2. You can ask if you qualify for a special circumstances review given your decision timeline If you're trying to make a decision between schools, you can also request an estimated aid package based on your SAI score, even if the official one isn't ready yet. They can often provide an unofficial estimate that's reasonably accurate for decision-making purposes.

i just checked the umn reddit and tons of people r still waiting on aid packages. the whole fafsa system is a mess this yr

update: i just called umn and they said all aid packages for ppl who had signature issues r delayed until end of may!!! this is so stressful bc deposits r due soon ugh

If you're dealing with the May 1st deposit deadline issue, here's what you should do: 1. Call UMN's One Stop office (612-624-1111) and clearly explain your situation 2. Follow up with an email to onestop@umn.edu with "URGENT: Deposit Deadline - Financial Aid Decision Required" as the subject 3. Include your student ID number, when your FAFSA was processed, and explicitly state you need financial information to make an informed decision 4. Request an extension of your deposit deadline pending aid information Many schools are granting extensions this year due to the FAFSA delays. They understand this is a systemic problem not caused by students. Be persistent but polite. Document all communication in case you need to escalate.

I'm also waiting on UMN financial aid after the signature mess! Filed in February but didn't get processed until April 18th. It's so stressful not knowing what aid I'll get when I need to decide between schools. Reading through these comments, I'm definitely going to call tomorrow and ask about getting an estimated package. Has anyone had luck getting through to them recently? I tried calling last week but was on hold for over an hour before giving up.

Just wanted to share my experience - I was in a very similar situation with UMN last month. Had the signature issue that delayed my FAFSA until April 12th, and I was getting really anxious about the May 1st deadline too. I ended up calling their financial aid office three times before I got useful information. The first two calls they just told me to wait, but on the third call I specifically asked about getting an estimated aid package for decision-making purposes, and they were actually able to provide a rough breakdown based on my SAI. It wasn't the official package, but it was close enough to help me make my decision. I'd definitely recommend being persistent and asking specifically for an estimate rather than just asking about status. Also, make sure to mention your deposit deadline situation - they seemed more willing to help when I explained I needed the info to make a decision by May 1st.

I'm in the exact same boat - submitted my FAFSA in January, got hit with the signature issue, and finally processed on April 20th. UMN portal still shows pending with zero updates. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like calling is definitely the move. I'm planning to call tomorrow and ask specifically for an estimated aid package based on my SAI while explaining my decision deadline situation. It's incredibly frustrating that we're all dealing with this when it's not even our fault - the whole FAFSA rollout has been a disaster. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and advice, especially about being persistent and asking for estimates rather than just status updates. Hopefully we'll all get some answers soon!