FAFSA loan disparity between twins - one got $5000, other got $0 despite similar circumstances

This is actually more common than you'd think! The schools themselves have a lot of discretion in how they package financial aid, even with the same FAFSA SAI score. Each school has different formulas for determining what they offer in their financial aid packages, including loans. Some schools automatically include loans in packages, while others don't unless you specifically request them. It's not just your FAFSA determining loan eligibility - it's how each individual financial aid office interprets and applies that data.

had the EXACT same thing with my kids last yr. one got loans one didnt. called the school w/o loans and they said we had to REQUEST the loans specifically for that school. the other school just automatically included them. check w the financial aid office at twin B's school!!

The cost of attendance at each school can also impact loan eligibility. If Twin A's school has a higher published COA (Cost of Attendance) than Twin B's school, that could explain the difference. Schools calculate your financial need as: COA - SAI = Need. Higher COA = more calculated need = potentially more loan eligibility. Also, some schools practice what's called "scholarship displacement" where they reduce loan offers if outside scholarships are reported. It's possible Twin A's school doesn't displace loans with scholarships while Twin B's does.

Another possibility: check if both schools have received and processed ALL the same information. Sometimes one school might be waiting on additional verification documents or might have processed things at different speeds. I had a situation where one of my kids showed $0 aid initially because their school was still processing verification documents, while the other school had completed everything. Check both schools' portals to see if there are any pending requirements.

My TWINS also got different aid packages!!! It's SO FRUSTRATING! The financial aid system is completely broken! We appealed the package for the twin who got less and after THREE MONTHS of back-and-forth they finally matched what his brother got. You have to fight for everything with these financial aid offices!!

I spent weeks trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid to explain this exact situation with my kids. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an FSA agent in under 5 minutes! They explained that loan eligibility is determined by the school based on their specific aid packaging policies, not directly by FAFSA itself. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - totally worth it to get actual answers instead of waiting on hold forever.

have u checked if twin B's school offers loans through a different program maybe? some schools do weird things

One more thing to consider - look at WHEN each twin's financial aid package was finalized. Schools have limited loan funds, and sometimes it's first-come-first-served. If Twin A's school processed their FAFSA earlier than Twin B's school, that could be a factor. Also, make sure to check if Twin B can still request loans directly. Many schools allow students to request loans up to their full eligibility even if they weren't initially included in the aid package. Just go to Twin B's financial aid office and ask about submitting a loan request form.

Update on what you find out! I work in higher ed (not financial aid specifically) but from what I've seen, this is almost certainly due to different institutional packaging policies rather than FAFSA itself. The FAFSA just provides your family's financial data and calculates your SAI score - it doesn't directly determine who gets what loans. Each institution creates their own methodology for how they use that data to construct financial aid packages, including whether they automatically include subsidized loans or not.