FAFSA showing 8/24-5/25 aid period but only got money for first semester - how to get aid for transfer school?

I'm absolutely baffled with our FAFSA situation right now. My son started at University A for fall semester, and we received financial aid that covered August-December. Now he's transferring to University B for spring semester (starts in January), but when we contacted University B about financial aid, they said aid was already distributed to University A for the whole year! When I look at the studentaid.gov portal, I see the aid period listed as "8/2024-5/2025" but we definitely only received enough money to cover ONE semester at University A. University B is telling us we can't get additional aid because it's already been allocated. Is the aid period of 8/24-5/25 supposed to cover the entire academic year? If so, why did we only get enough for one semester? And how do I get the remaining aid transferred to the new school? I've called University A's financial aid office twice but keep getting voicemail.

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14 comments

Cameron Black

•9M

The 8/24-5/25 period does cover the full academic year. However, schools typically disburse aid on a semester-by-semester basis. Your situation is actually quite common for mid-year transfers. Here's what's happening: When you completed the FAFSA, you listed University A as the recipient school. They received your son's full year eligibility information, but only disbursed the fall portion. The spring portion hasn't been distributed yet, but University B can't access it because your FAFSA is still linked primarily to University A. Steps you need to take: 1. Login to studentaid.gov and add University B to your FAFSA school list 2. Contact University A's financial aid office to complete withdrawal paperwork 3. Ask University A to specifically release the remaining aid eligibility 4. Confirm with University B that they can see your FAFSA information University B is partially correct - the total eligibility for the year doesn't change, but they should be able to claim the unused portion once proper paperwork is filed.

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Jessica Nguyen

•9M

The confusion about aid periods is super common with mid-year transfers. The 8/24-5/25 period does represent the full academic year, but there's a process for transferring the unused portion of your aid eligibility. In addition to what others mentioned, I wanted to clarify that your financial aid package might look different at the new school. Even though your overall federal aid eligibility (like your Pell Grant and loan eligibility) stays the same for the year, each school calculates their institutional aid differently. So your out-of-pocket costs might change. Also important: there are specific deadlines for mid-year transfer aid applications at most schools. University B might have additional forms they need you to complete beyond just adding them to your FAFSA. Make sure to ask them specifically about any "mid-year transfer financial aid forms" they require.

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Isaiah Thompson

•9M

This is spot on. I had the exact same issue when transferring from UVM to NYU mid-year last year. The most frustrating part was that my SAI (Student Aid Index) stayed the same, but NYU had completely different institutional grants than UVM offered. Ended up with about $3,200 less in total aid for the spring semester because NYU's merit scholarships had different criteria. OP, definitely check if University B has a Mid-Year Transfer Aid Application - most schools do and they have deadlines!

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Alexander Evans

•9M

I had the same problem trying to reach FSA about my mid-year transfer aid issue! I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They basically hold your place in line and call you when an actual agent is available. Saved me hours of waiting on hold. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. The FSA agent was able to confirm exactly what others are saying - the first school needs to reduce their financial aid and then the second school can claim the remaining eligibility.

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Cameron Black

•9M

Financial aid eligibility is actually calculated for the full academic year, not per semester. The total amount is determined by your FAFSA information and your SAI (Student Aid Index). Schools then distribute this annual amount across the terms you're enrolled (usually fall/spring). The amount can appear different each semester if: 1. Credit load changes (full-time vs part-time) 2. Housing status changes (on-campus vs off-campus) 3. Other scholarships or aid was applied to only one semester But your federal aid eligibility (Pell Grants, Direct Loans, etc.) is an annual limit that applies across all schools attended in that aid year.

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Mateo Silva

•9M

Update: Finally got through to University A's financial aid office! After explaining the situation, they said they need to process a "Return to Title IV" calculation for the spring semester funds and then notify University B. Apparently the issue was that since my son officially withdrew after December 15th (he was waiting for final grades), University A's system was still showing him as enrolled for spring. The financial aid officer said it would take 7-10 business days to process the return and release the remaining eligibility. University B said once that happens, they can process his spring financial aid package within about 2 weeks. Cutting it close with classes starting next week, but at least there's progress!

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Jessica Nguyen

•9M

That's great news! "Return to Title IV" (often called R2T4) is exactly the right process. Since your son was still showing as enrolled for spring at University A, their system was holding the aid as if it would be disbursed there. One important note: make sure University B knows about this timeline. Most schools have provisional enrollment policies that can give students a grace period for financial aid to be processed. Ask University B about their "pending financial aid" policy for students with aid that's still being processed. This usually allows registration and class attendance while the financial details are being finalized. Also, if there are any immediate expenses like books or supplies, ask about emergency loan programs that can bridge the gap until the aid comes through.

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