FAFSA confirmation number issued but still no admission ID for San Diego State - should I panic?

This happens almost every year with SDSU! Their admission system doesn't automatically sync with their financial aid system. You need to contact the admissions office specifically (not financial aid) and request your admission ID. Once you have it, you'll need to manually update your FAFSA to include it. The most reliable way is to log into studentaid.gov, select \

Thank you! I had no idea the systems weren't connected. Do you know how long the recalculation usually takes after adding the ID? Will this push back my aid package timeline?

yea im going to sdsu too! same problem last week but got it fixed. call the admission office NOT financial aid. their seperate departments dont talk to each other lol

Thanks! Were you able to reach them easily? I've called twice and got stuck on hold for 45+ minutes before getting disconnected.

I just went through this exact nightmare with SDSU. After three weeks of trying to call both offices with no luck, I found out about Claimyr (claimyr.com) from another student. They basically connect you directly to a FAFSA agent without the hold time. I used it to reach someone at Federal Student Aid who then conference called with SDSU to sort out the missing admission number issue. Saved me hours of frustration! There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

does that actually work? sounds too good to be true. i've been on hold with fasfa for like 2 hours yesterday

It worked for me! Got through in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent actually stayed on the line while I conference called SDSU to make sure everything got sorted properly.

THE ENTIRE FINANCIAL AID SYSTEM IS BROKEN!! I went through this EXACT THING with my daughter at SDSU last year. Know what happened? She MISSED OUT on $4,500 in grants because the stupid admission number wasn't linked to her FAFSA in time!! We had the confirmation number, we had EVERYTHING filled out correctly, but nooooo - their stupid systems don't talk to each other and NOBODY TELLS YOU THIS until it's too late!! Now she has extra loans instead of grants she QUALIFIED FOR. Furious doesn't begin to describe it.

That's awful that happened to your daughter. For anyone reading this thread - you can still appeal this kind of situation after the fact. Request a professional judgment review from the financial aid office with documentation showing you completed everything on time. It's not guaranteed, but about 40% of these appeals succeed in restoring grant eligibility retroactively.

We DID appeal! Twice! They said

Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in this thread - there are actually THREE different numbers in this process that people often mix up:\n\n1. FAFSA confirmation number - this confirms you submitted your FAFSA application\n2. FSA ID - your federal username for accessing studentaid.gov\n3. School admission ID - specific to each school, must be linked to your FAFSA\n\nFor SDSU specifically, you need to take your admission ID and add it to your FAFSA by updating your application. This is true for most California state schools. Without this link, your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation won't be properly associated with your registration, and as someone mentioned, you could miss out on significant grant funding.\n\nCall the SDSU admission office at 619-594-6336 (which is different from financial aid). Ask specifically for your \

Thank you so much for breaking this down! I had no idea there were three different numbers involved. I'm pretty sure I have my FSA ID and FAFSA confirmation, so it's just the SDSU Red ID I'm missing. Will call that number first thing tomorrow.

my roomate had this problem too! she ended up driving to campus and going to admissions in person. got her number in like 10 minutes. sometimes u just gotta show up lol

im confused... i thought the acceptance letter has the student ID number on it? didnt u get an acceptance letter?

I got an electronic acceptance, but it just had a link to the student portal. When I log in there, it shows I'm registered for classes but doesn't list my ID number anywhere I can find. The system is so frustrating!

One more important thing - once you get your Red ID number and update your FAFSA, you should receive an email confirmation within 3-5 business days. If you don't get this confirmation, it means the update didn't process correctly. In that case, you should immediately contact Federal Student Aid directly at 1-800-433-3243.\n\nAlso, make sure you're checking both your personal email AND your new SDSU email address. Many students miss important financial aid notices because SDSU starts sending everything to your school email even before orientation.

I didn't even know I had an SDSU email address already! I'll check that right away. Thank you so much for all your help.

btw make sure you also fill out the california dream act application if ur a state resident! thats separate from fafsa and gets u extra money. my cousin didnt know and missed out big time

Just to clarify - the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) is specifically for undocumented students, DACA recipients, U visa holders, and students with TPS status who can't complete the FAFSA. If you're a California resident who is a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, you should complete the FAFSA, not the CADAA. Completing the wrong form can significantly delay your financial aid.

oh sht my bad! ur right. i was thinking of the cal grant gpa verification form! thats the extra one everyone needs