FAFSA financial aid packages from U of Minnesota not showing up - did my student miss it?

My son just got his financial aid package from UMN last week. They didn't send it by email - it was posted in his student portal under the financial aid section. She needs to log into the MyU portal and check the "Finances" tab. Tell her to look for something called the "Award Notice" or "Financial Aid Award." They should have sent her an email when it was posted but sometimes those notifications go to spam.

My daughter's financial aid from UMN didn't show up until almost April last year. I remember stressing about it too! Their financial aid office runs behind a lot of other schools. As long as your FAFSA is processed correctly (you got your SAI score back), you should be fine waiting a bit longer. The housing email and financial aid are completely separate systems.

OMG THIS HAPPENED TO MY KID TOO! Turns out her fin aid letter was sitting in her portal for THREE WEEKS and she never told me!! Check that portal asap!!! Also the U sometimes sends important emails to their school email account not personal email so make sure shes checking both!!

Financial aid counselor here (though not from UMN). Most universities are sending award packages in mid-March through early April for the upcoming academic year. However, there are several important things to note: 1. Aid packages are usually posted to student portals first, with email notifications that are easy to miss 2. Many schools require additional verification documents beyond the FAFSA before finalizing packages 3. Your housing deposit/application is completely separate from financial aid 4. Merit scholarships sometimes come separately from need-based aid packages I'd recommend having your daughter check her student portal carefully, then call the financial aid office directly if she doesn't see anything. The phone lines are likely very busy this time of year, so patience is key.

If she needs to call UMN financial aid office, good luck getting through! My son tried for TWO WEEKS straight during aid season last year. I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got him connected to an actual financial aid counselor in about 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a demo video here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Completely worth it to avoid the frustration of constant busy signals and disconnections.

We got my son's UMN aid package TWO DAYS after the housing email, so yours might be coming very soon! But definitely have her check her portal. Also - super important - make sure she accepts the aid package once she finds it! My son didn't realize he had to formally accept it and almost lost some scholarships because of the delay.

my daughters roommate had this EXACT problem last year!!! turns out the aid letter was in her JUNK MAIL folder the whole time lololol. have your daughter search ALL her email folders including spam/junk for anything from UMN fin aid!!

Update: After reviewing the comments, I recommend taking these steps in order: 1. Have your daughter check her MyU portal under Finances 2. Search all email folders including spam/junk 3. Check both her personal and university-assigned email accounts 4. If nothing appears, contact the financial aid office directly If you do need to call them, be prepared for long wait times as this is their busiest season. The UMN financial aid office can be reached at 612-624-1111, but many parents have reported difficulty getting through. Having your FAFSA confirmation number and your daughter's student ID ready will speed up the process once you connect.

UPDATE: Mystery solved! After all your helpful advice, my daughter checked her student portal and found her financial aid package was posted THREE WEEKS AGO. 🤦‍♀️ She claims she never got an email notification, but I'm skeptical. The good news is the package is there and now we can make our decision. Thank you all for your help - this forum is amazing!

This is such a common issue! I'm a financial aid advisor at a different university, and I see this happen ALL the time. Students receive dozens of emails from their schools during application season, and financial aid notifications often get buried or overlooked. A few additional tips for other parents reading this: 1) Set up calendar reminders to check student portals weekly during aid season (March-April), 2) Have your student forward ALL university emails to you if they agree to it, and 3) Most schools have a "Financial Aid Checklist" in the portal that shows what documents are missing or what steps need completion. Oliver, glad you got it sorted out - now make sure she accepts the package promptly as others mentioned!