FAFSA showing only $5500 loan - no grants or scholarships showing up?

did u check with ur schools financial aid office directly? sometimes the online portal doesn't show everything right away. I had the same thing happen last semester but when i called they said my pell grant was still being processed and hadn't been added to my account yet

are you looking at the right place? federal student aid portal only shows loan eligibility. your actual financial aid package with grants comes from your school directly. so many people get confused by this!!

Your situation sounds concerning but there are a few important things to understand about how financial aid works: 1. The federal studentaid.gov portal primarily shows your federal loan eligibility, not your complete financial aid package. 2. With a single-parent household income around $38,000, you should likely qualify for some Pell Grant funding (potentially up to $7,395 for the 2025-2026 year depending on your exact situation). 3. Each school creates their own financial aid package that combines federal aid, institutional scholarships, and loans. 4. You need to check your specific school's financial aid portal or contact their financial aid office directly to see your complete package. If you've already been accepted to a school and completed your FAFSA, they should have a financial aid package prepared for you. Log into your school's student portal (not studentaid.gov) to view it, or contact the financial aid office directly.

The exact same thing happened to me last year!! I only saw loans on the federal site and freaked out. When I called my school's financial aid office, they explained that the FAFSA just determines eligibility and sends that info to the schools. Then EACH SCHOOL decides what aid to give you based on that info + their own funds. My school had actually already awarded me a Pell Grant plus their own need-based grant, but it only showed on their system, not the federal one. Definitely call your school's financial aid office. Don't just rely on emails - they're drowning in those right now and calls get faster responses.

I was having the EXACT same issue - only saw $5500 in loans and no Pell Grant even though I knew I should qualify. Spent TWO WEEKS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid. Kept getting put on hold for hours and then disconnected. Finally used Claimyr.com to get through (they have this service that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is ready - there's a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ). When I finally spoke to someone, they confirmed that my Pell Grant eligibility was there, but it doesn't display on studentaid.gov - only my school could see it and include it in my final aid package. Saved me so much stress knowing I didn't mess up my application!

Financial aid specialist here. What you're experiencing is a common misunderstanding of how the financial aid system works. Let me clarify: 1. The $5,500 you're seeing is likely your Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan eligibility as a first-year student (assuming that's your status). 2. Based on your reported household income (~$38,000 for a single-parent household), you likely qualify for a substantial Pell Grant for the 2025-2026 academic year. 3. The federal studentaid.gov portal primarily shows your FAFSA submission status and loan eligibility - not your complete aid package. 4. Each institution creates their own financial aid package based on your FAFSA data, their available institutional funds, and your specific financial need calculation. 5. You need to contact your school's financial aid office directly or check their specific portal to see your complete package. Additionally, verify that your FAFSA has been fully processed without any flags or verification requirements pending. If your FAFSA is selected for verification and you haven't completed that process, your aid might be on hold.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A JOKE!!!! I have gone through this EXACT thing for 3 years now. They make it IMPOSSIBLE to understand what you're getting and when. And don't even get me started on how they calculate that stupid SAI score that determines everything. My parents make decent money ON PAPER but have tons of debt and medical expenses that FAFSA doesn't even consider!!! Every single year I have to FIGHT to get any actual grants. The $5500 loan is literally the bare minimum they offer to everyone. You probably qualify for more but the system is designed to confuse you!!

Update: I finally got through to my school's financial aid office this morning! Turns out they were still processing my verification documents, which is why my full package wasn't showing up yet. The counselor confirmed that based on my SAI score, I should be eligible for a Pell Grant of around $6,800 plus some institutional need-based aid. She said the full package should be visible in my school portal within 7-10 business days once verification is complete. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and explaining how the system works!

So glad you got this sorted out! Your experience is exactly why I always tell people to call their financial aid office directly instead of relying on online portals. The verification process has been taking forever this year - I know several people who had to wait 3-4 weeks just to get their documents processed. $6,800 in Pell Grant money plus institutional aid is going to make such a huge difference! Just a heads up - once your aid package is finalized, make sure to accept it promptly because some schools have deadlines for accepting financial aid offers. Congrats on getting through this stressful process!

This whole thread is such a perfect example of how confusing the financial aid process can be for first-time applicants! I went through the exact same panic last year when I only saw loans on the federal site. What really helped me was creating a checklist: 1) Confirm FAFSA is fully processed (no verification flags), 2) Check school-specific financial aid portal (not just studentaid.gov), 3) Call financial aid office directly if anything seems off, and 4) Ask about both federal AND institutional aid opportunities. Chris, it sounds like you're on the right track now, but for anyone else reading this - don't be afraid to advocate for yourself! Financial aid offices are there to help, and they'd rather answer your questions than have you miss out on aid you're eligible for.