FAFSA submission order confusion - apply for loans before or after receiving SAI?

You're absolutely right to question this! The correct order is: 1. Submit FAFSA 2. Receive SAI score (usually 3-5 days after processing) 3. Colleges receive your FAFSA data and create financial aid packages 4. You receive financial aid award letters from each college 5. THEN you apply for any needed loans to cover the gap Those emails are definitely premature and likely from private lenders trying to get ahead of federal options. I'd ignore them for now. You won't know what loans you need (if any) until you see the actual aid packages, which typically arrive March-April for Fall enrollment.

those are probably private loan companies tryna get u to sign up early. dont do it! federal loans are always better and u cant even apply for those until after u get ur aid package from the schools

WAIT!! Don't fall for those predatory private loan offers!! They're just fishing for desperate parents who don't understand the process. I got the same emails when my son was applying and they had awful interest rates compared to federal loans. The REAL process is: 1) FAFSA gets processed 2) Schools determine aid packages 3) You get award letters showing EXACTLY what grants, scholarships, work-study and FEDERAL loans you qualify for 4) ONLY THEN do you accept the aid and apply for any additional loans The entire financial aid system is BROKEN but at least know that you're doing things in the right order now!

my daughter got those emails too lol. just ignore them for now. we didnt do any loan applications until after we got the scholarship info from her schools. one gave her almost a full ride but the others expected us to take out like $20k+ in loans each year! ridiculous

From a financial aid counselor's perspective: FAFSA submission comes first, then the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation, followed by each institution's financial aid offer. Only after reviewing all offers should you consider loans to fill any gaps. The comprehensive financial aid package will detail: - Federal grants (Pell, FSEOG, etc.) - State grants - Institutional scholarships - Federal Direct Loans (subsidized/unsubsidized) - Work study options Parent PLUS loans require a separate application, but you should wait until you know exactly how much you need. The emails you're receiving are from private lenders hoping to secure your business before federal options are presented. Federal loans typically offer better terms, fixed interest rates, and income-driven repayment options.

I had the EXACT same issue last month! I was getting bombarded with loan emails right after submitting our FAFSA. When I called Federal Student Aid to ask about it, I kept getting disconnected or stuck on hold for hours. Finally, I tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual FSA agent. They have this service that calls and waits on hold for you, then connects you when a real person answers. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ showing how it works. The FSA agent confirmed what others are saying here - those loan solicitations are just private companies trying to get your business before you know what federal aid you'll receive. You should absolutely wait until you get the official aid packages from each school before making any loan decisions.

loan companies literally target new fafsa filers, its predatory af. they buy leads from somewhere and then spam you hoping youll panic and apply

One additional note: when you eventually DO receive the financial aid packages, make sure you carefully distinguish between: 1. Free money (grants and scholarships) 2. Earned money (work-study) 3. Borrowed money (loans) Colleges sometimes present the total package in a way that makes it look like you're getting more gift aid than you really are. Some even include Parent PLUS loans in the initial package, making it seem like your "gap" is covered, when really they're just assuming you'll borrow that amount. Take time to understand each offer component before making decisions. And remember that you can accept partial loan amounts - you don't have to take the full amount offered if you don't need it.

my brother went thru this last year and he said the most annoying part was each school formats their aid letters totally different so its super confusing to compare them side by side. some schools make loans look like scholarships if ur not reading carefully

also just fyi the timing on this stuff is so random. my daughters first school sent her aid package like 2 weeks after she got accepted but another one took until like april even tho she was accepted in january. dont panic if they all come at different times