FAFSA processed but one school demands registration before financial aid offer - other school already sent package?

This is definitely not normal. Each school creates their own financial aid packages independently once FAFSA provides your Student Aid Index (SAI). There's no central 'FAFSA people' controlling when schools can release offers. University B requiring registration before creating your aid package is a red flag - they're essentially asking you to commit before knowing what aid you'll receive. That's backwards from how the process is supposed to work. Your experience with University A is the normal procedure.

yeah this happened to my cousin last year. some schools do this BS where they want u to commit before showing u the money. its like buying a car without knowing the price lol. DO NOT register at school B if u haven't seen your aid package!!!

I got my finaid from 2 schools already so University B is definitely lying to you

Financial aid advisor here. What you're experiencing is unfortunately becoming more common, but it's not standard practice. Schools receive your FAFSA data independently and can create aid packages as soon as they have your SAI. Some important points: 1) Schools have different timelines for sending aid packages - some are prompt, others take longer 2) There is NO central authorization needed from Federal Student Aid before schools can release packages 3) Requiring registration before creating an aid package is a concerning enrollment pressure tactic 4) University B may be understaffed or behind on processing, but their explanation is factually incorrect I recommend: - Get University A's offer in writing if you haven't already - Ask University B specifically what information they're still waiting for from your FAFSA - Request to speak with a financial aid supervisor at University B - Do not register for classes until you can compare both financial aid packages

When I was applying last yr, I had a similar experience!!! One school gave me my award letter in like 2 weeks but another one was soooooo slow and kept making excuses. But they NEVER made me register first, that seems super sketchy. I think some schools do this to lock students in before they can compare financial aid offers from different places. If they won't give you your aid package until after registering, that's a huge red flag about how they'll treat you for the next 4 years...

wait did u doulbe check that ur FAFSA went to both schools? sometimes u think u sent it but they dont get it

After reading all the comments, I want to add: this situation highlights why it's so important to apply to multiple schools and compare aid packages. The fact that University A has already provided a transparent package while University B is using delaying tactics and making false claims about the FAFSA process tells you a lot about the administrative culture at both institutions. Once your FAFSA is processed (which it is), schools have everything they need to create a financial aid package. There is no additional authorization needed from FSA. University B's claim that "NO schools have sent offers" is demonstrably false given your experience with University A and other commenters' experiences. The registration-before-aid-package requirement is particularly problematic because it's designed to prevent you from making informed financial comparisons. This practice may even violate certain financial aid guidelines, though it falls into a gray area.

My daughter applied to 6 schools and got completely different experiences with each one. The ENTIRE system is broken!! Half required stupid extra forms beyond FAFSA, two wanted the CSS Profile (which costs $$$), one made her verify every single detail even though FAFSA already verified it, and one still hasn't sent ANYTHING even though it's been 2 months!!! The worst part is you can NEVER reach anyone at FSA to get straight answers - just automated messages and endless hold times. This whole process is DESIGNED to confuse families and make kids give up on college!!!!

UPDATE: I called University B this morning and asked to speak with a financial aid supervisor. I explained that I already had an offer from another school and knew my FAFSA was fully processed. The supervisor admitted they're behind on processing aid packages due to staffing issues but insisted I need to register first "to confirm my enrollment status" before they'll create my package. When I pushed back, they eventually said they could make an exception but it would take 2-3 weeks longer to get my package if I don't register first. This feels like a pressure tactic, so I'm probably going with University A since they've been transparent throughout the process. Thanks everyone for your help!