FAFSA says 'processed' but no SAI or aid package information - what's next?

The 'processed' status just means your FAFSA was successfully submitted and reviewed by Federal Student Aid. You won't get your actual aid package from FSA directly. What happens next is: 1. Your FAFSA data gets sent to the colleges your daughter listed on her application 2. Each college creates a financial aid package based on your SAI and their own institutional formulas 3. The colleges will send financial aid award letters (usually through their portals or by email) Check your daughter's college portals or email accounts to see if any schools have posted their offers yet. If not, you might need to wait 2-4 weeks after the FAFSA processed date. Some schools won't release packages until after admission decisions.

youll get diff amts from each schiol. my son got 22k from one college but only 15k from another with the same fafsa. they all use the SAI different

I was SO CONFUSED by this too!!! I thought FAFSA would tell us exactly what we'd get but NO it's actually up to each individual college to decide what they'll give you!! Some will be generous and others will be STINGY even with the same exact SAI number. My daughter got her aid packages about 3-4 weeks after the FAFSA was processed. You'll probably get emails from each school when they're ready with a subject line like "Your Financial Aid Package is Ready" or something like that. SO FRUSTRATING having to wait when you need to make decisions!!!!

You can actually see your SAI on the studentaid.gov website, but it's not obvious where to find it. Here's how: 1. Log into studentaid.gov with your student's FSA ID (not your parent FSA ID) 2. Go to "My Aid" in the menu 3. Click on "View SAR" (Student Aid Report) 4. Your SAI should be listed on that report The SAI is just a number that colleges use to calculate aid. The actual grants, scholarships, and loans will come directly from each college as others mentioned. Some colleges will show your SAI on their award letter, others won't. If you need to see specific aid packages sooner, I recommend calling each college's financial aid office directly. Just be prepared for long wait times this time of year.

We had the same thing happen last year! FAFSA said processed but we didn't know what that meant for actual dollars. Ended up having to make decisions somewhat blind because 2 schools sent aid packages late. The whole system is confusing on purpose I swear.

To answer your question about the higher SAI - yes, a higher SAI generally means you'll qualify for less need-based aid. The SAI is essentially what the federal formula calculates your family can afford to pay annually for college. However, don't panic yet for a few reasons: 1. Many schools offer merit scholarships that aren't based on financial need 2. Some private colleges have their own institutional methodology and may offer better packages 3. You can appeal your financial aid offer if you have special circumstances I'd recommend waiting to see what each college offers before getting too worried. The packages can vary dramatically between schools.

If you need to check on your FAFSA status or have specific questions, I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid last month. After being disconnected 3 times, I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in the phone queue and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me from wasting an entire day on hold. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. The agent I spoke with confirmed that we wouldn't get direct notification of aid amounts from FAFSA - all comes from individual schools.

In response to your question about timing - it's unfortunately pretty random when schools send out their financial aid packages. It depends on: 1. When the student was admitted 2. How efficient their financial aid office is 3. The school's overall timeline Some will send packages within days of processing your FAFSA, others might take 4-6 weeks. Public universities tend to be slower than private colleges in my experience. If you're approaching decision deadlines, it's completely reasonable to contact financial aid offices and request an estimated package or timeline. Most schools understand you need this information to make your decision.

One more thing!!!! Don't forget to check if any of your daughter's schools require the CSS Profile in ADDITION to FAFSA!!!! We almost missed this and some schools won't give you ANY institutional aid without it. Usually it's private colleges that require it. The CSS Profile costs money to submit (unlike FAFSA) and asks for WAY more financial details. So annoying!!!!

Welcome to the confusing world of FAFSA! I went through this exact same thing last year with my son. The "processed" status is just the beginning - think of it like submitting a job application. Getting processed doesn't mean you got the job (financial aid), it just means your application was received and is valid. Here's what I wish someone had told me: download the FAFSA mobile app! It actually shows a bit more detail than the website sometimes. Also, make sure your daughter checks her email AND spam folders daily - some schools send financial aid notifications that can get filtered out. One tip that saved us: create a spreadsheet tracking each school's financial aid timeline and requirements. Some schools we thought would be generous ended up being stingy, while others surprised us with amazing packages. The waiting game is brutal but you'll get through it!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now with my twin daughters! Their FAFSA shows "processed" as of last week but we're still waiting on financial aid packages from most schools. Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - I had no idea that the SAI was available on the Student Aid Report. Just checked and found it for both girls. One thing I'll add that our high school counselor mentioned: if you're comparing aid packages from different schools, make sure you're looking at the NET PRICE (total cost minus grants/scholarships) rather than just the total aid amount. Some schools inflate their "aid" by including parent PLUS loans which you have to pay back with interest. Also, if anyone is still waiting on aid packages and has compelling circumstances (job loss, medical bills, etc.), don't hesitate to contact the financial aid offices directly. They can sometimes provide preliminary estimates even before the official packages are released. Hang in there - this process is stressful but you'll get the information you need!