FAFSA processed but no financial aid offers yet - when will performing arts schools send packages?
Finally got my son's FAFSA processed last week with all his performing arts schools added! Now the stress of waiting for actual financial aid offers begins. From what I've pieced together from various sources, we could be waiting anywhere from 2 weeks to possibly months because: 1) Each school's systems might access FAFSA data differently, and 2) Schools are making individual decisions about how to handle the backlog of applications and generate aid packages. Can any financial aid officers clarify if I'm understanding this correctly? We've got applications at 7 different performing arts programs, and I'm losing sleep wondering when these offers will actually arrive. Some schools' portals show they've received the FAFSA, others show nothing at all. Is this normal variation? Any insight on realistic timelines would be SO appreciated!!
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Zoe Stavros
Financial aid counselor here - you're mostly on track with your understanding. The delay varies significantly by institution this year. With the FAFSA simplification and delayed rollout, most schools are 6-8 weeks behind their normal processing schedule. Performing arts programs specifically often have additional internal scholarship review processes separate from standard financial aid. I can tell you what to expect: - Schools that have received your FAFSA should acknowledge receipt within 1-2 weeks - Initial aid packages typically follow 2-4 weeks after that - Performing arts merit scholarships might come separately and later - Large public universities are generally processing faster than smaller private institutions One important tip: check each school's financial aid portal/student account system, not just your FAFSA dashboard. Many schools will post status updates there first.
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Andre Rousseau
•Thank you so much for this detailed response! The 6-8 week delay is definitely longer than I was hoping, but it helps to have realistic expectations. My son's top choice is actually showing "SAI calculated" on their portal but nothing else - is that a good sign they're moving along in the process? Also, do you know if schools generally prioritize processing by application date or by some other factor?
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Jamal Harris
my daughter applyed to 5 performing arts schools 2 weeks ago and already got a full aid packege from one of them yesterday!! but the other 4 havent even shown that they recieved the FAFSA yet. I think it totally depends on the school. maybe call the finanical aid offices directly?
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Andre Rousseau
•Wow, that's amazing turnaround time for your daughter! Do you mind sharing which school was so quick? I'm tempted to start calling, but worried about annoying the financial aid offices when they're clearly swamped.
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GalaxyGlider
The variation you're seeing is completely normal, especially this year. Each institution has their own internal processing timeline and workflow. For performing arts programs specifically, many schools have a two-step process where they calculate your federal aid eligibility first, then later add in department/talent-based scholarships. If you need to speak with someone at the financial aid office but can't get through on the phone (very common right now), I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that helps you skip the hold times when calling financial aid offices. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. I used it last month when I needed to get through to three different schools quickly about my son's applications.
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Andre Rousseau
•Thanks for the tip about the two-step process - that makes a lot of sense given the performing arts focus. I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service if I end up needing to call. It's been impossible to get through on the phones at some of these schools.
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Mei Wong
GOOD LUCK getting ANY info from these schools!!! My daughter applied to 12 different performing arts programs and we're STILL waiting on 5 of them!! Some schools are straight up IGNORING families this year. The financial aid system is SO BROKEN. We finally got one package yesterday that was COMPLETELY unaffordable - $67k/year AFTER aid!!! WHO CAN PAY THAT??? The whole system is designed to crush dreams of talented kids who aren't rich.
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Andre Rousseau
•I'm sorry you've had such a frustrating experience! I'm definitely concerned about affordability too. Did you try to appeal the offer from the school that sent the unaffordable package? I've heard some performing arts schools have additional scholarship funds they don't initially offer.
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Liam Sullivan
Current financial aid processor at a university here. I want to give you some insight into what's happening behind the scenes this year. With the FAFSA delays and new SAI formula, many schools are having to completely rebuild their awarding formulas from scratch. Most schools use automated systems that weren't built for this year's changes. For performing arts specifically, here's what typically happens: 1. FAFSA data loads into our system (can take 1-3 weeks from when you see it processed) 2. Initial eligibility review (another 1-2 weeks) 3. Packaging of federal/state aid (1-2 weeks) 4. Merit/talent scholarship committees meet (varies WIDELY by school) 5. Final package assembly and notification (1 week) My advice: Focus on the schools showing activity in their portals. Those are moving your application through the process. For others showing no activity after 3+ weeks, a polite email inquiry to the financial aid office is appropriate.
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Andre Rousseau
•This timeline breakdown is incredibly helpful, thank you! It's actually reassuring to understand the process rather than feeling like applications are just sitting in a black hole. I'll follow your advice and check in with the schools that haven't shown any activity after a few more weeks.
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Amara Okafor
have u checked if they need any additional forms?? my daughters school needed the CSS profile TOO not just fafsa and they didnt tell us until we called!!
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Andre Rousseau
•Oh that's a good point! I'm pretty sure I completed everything required, but I'll double-check each school's financial aid website to make sure we haven't missed any supplemental forms. Thanks for the reminder!
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Giovanni Colombo
My daughter is also applying to performing arts programs, and I've noticed each school has a completely different timeline. Two schools already sent complete packages (one public, one private), three show they received the FAFSA but haven't generated offers, and two others show nothing at all. When I called one of the schools that hadn't updated their portal, they told me they were prioritizing admitted students who listed them as first choice in the FAFSA. I didn't even realize schools could see that information! So the order you listed schools might be affecting processing order at some institutions. Also, don't forget that some performing arts programs have separate scholarship applications due at different times than regular financial aid. My daughter had to submit additional materials for music scholarships at three of her schools.
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Andre Rousseau
•I had no idea schools could see their position in the FAFSA listing either! That's really valuable information. I wonder if there's a way to find out where each school was positioned in our list? My son did complete all the supplemental scholarship applications, so hopefully those will be considered alongside the federal aid.
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Mei Wong
just wait till u get the packages and see how TERRIBLE they are!!! my daughter got into her dream conservatory and they expect us to pay $42k a year!!! with a household income of $95k!!! make it make sense!!!!!
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Liam Sullivan
•This is unfortunately common with many performing arts programs, especially private conservatories. Their institutional funds are often more limited than larger universities. I always recommend students apply to a mix of public and private institutions for this reason. Public universities with strong arts programs often provide better overall value. Have you tried appealing the offer? Many schools have special appeal processes specifically for arts students where they can review your financial situation again.
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Jamal Harris
just checked my daughters portal and now it says "pending verification" what does that even mean?? more delays??
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Zoe Stavros
•Pending" verification means your FAFSA was selected for verification, which is like an audit of the information you provided. About 25-30% of all applications get selected randomly each year. The school will request additional (documentation typically tax transcripts, W-2s, or household size)verification . Once you submit those documents,'they ll review and complete your financial aid package. This will add some time to your process - typically 2-3 weeks after you submit all requested documents. I recommend uploading any requested verification documents as soon as possible to minimizedelays.
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