FAFSA verification delay and financial aid offer confusion at top-tier college

I'm at my wits' end trying to understand my son's financial aid situation for his sophomore year. We submitted the FAFSA months ago, demonstrated clear financial need, but still haven't received ANY aid package from his college. I emailed the financial aid office asking when to expect an offer and got this bizarre response: "We won't know if the SAI changes until the FAFSAs are reprocessed. And for the student that demonstrated need, we offered as much money as we could upfront. It is possible some students do not accept the offers and decline to attend, but we won't know until closer to the start of the fall semester." What?! Does this mean they've already allocated ALL their aid money without even processing our FAFSA? My son got aid his freshman year, has good grades, and we have significant demonstrated need. Are they saying we might only get leftovers IF other students decline? This is a prestigious school with a massive endowment - how can they claim funds are depleted before SAIs are even calculated? Has anyone dealt with this kind of response before? Are they just trying to manage expectations or is this their way of saying we shouldn't expect any aid? I'm completely confused by their response.

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14 comments

Yuki Yamamoto

•9M

This response is concerning but not uncommon. What they're likely saying is they've already made preliminary aid offers based on their institutional methodology, regardless of FAFSA. Many top-tier schools use the CSS Profile more heavily than FAFSA for their institutional aid decisions. They're also implying they have a waitlist for institutional aid - if students decline attendance and free up scholarship/grant money, they may reallocate to other demonstrated-need students. Here's what I'd recommend: 1. Check if they required CSS Profile and if you submitted it 2. Request a specific appointment with a financial aid counselor to discuss your son's specific situation 3. Ask directly what aid options are still possible for him 4. Inquire if your FAFSA has actually been received/processed by them Don't panic yet, but be persistent. Top schools often have complex aid systems.

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Andre Rousseau

•9M

I've worked with fin aid offices and this response actually makes perfect sense to me, though they communicated it poorly. What they're saying is: 1. Your FAFSA was received but pending reprocessing due to the new SAI system 2. They've already allocated their institutional aid based on last year's information and CSS Profile data 3. They're waiting to see if additional funds become available if some students decline This is NOT typical of most colleges but not unheard of at highly competitive schools. Some institutions front-load their aid decisions to secure their top-choice students, then deal with returning students later. It's frustrating but not necessarily a dead-end.

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Zoe Papadakis

•9M

This is exactly what's happening. The college is prioritizing recruiting new students with their available funds, hoping to lock in their incoming class. Returning students are sometimes at a disadvantage in this model. One thing I'd suggest - call Federal Student Aid directly to confirm your FAFSA is properly processed on their end. I was stuck in verification limbo for weeks until I finally got through to an agent who fixed it immediately. Regular phone wait times are ridiculous, but I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to skip the wait and get connected to an agent in minutes. Their video demo shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once your FAFSA is verified as properly processed, you'll have more leverage with the college.

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AstroAdventurer

•9M

While I understand your frustration, this isn't necessarily a scam. Elite colleges often have very specific formulas for distributing their aid, and most actually provide excellent need-based packages compared to state schools. OP, I recommend scheduling a financial aid appeal meeting. Come prepared with: - Current year's filed taxes (even if estimated) - Documentation of any changes in financial circumstances - A breakdown of your actual budget and why the expected family contribution isn't feasible Sometimes a face-to-face or Zoom meeting can make all the difference versus email communications.

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Andre Rousseau

•9M

This is unfortunately becoming more common. The financial aid cycle is completely disrupted this year with the delayed FAFSA rollout and the new SAI calculation system. Schools are handling it differently - some are sending preliminary packages based on last year's data, others are waiting for complete FAFSA processing. For both you and the original poster: I strongly recommend reaching out to the Dean of Financial Aid (not just a counselor) explaining the hardship this uncertainty is causing. Be polite but firm that you need some indication of aid levels for planning purposes. Sometimes escalating above the standard financial aid office can yield results.

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Yuki Yamamoto

•9M

Update from the financial aid world: The Department of Education recently announced they're still experiencing significant delays processing 2025-2026 FAFSAs, particularly with the new SAI calculation system. Many schools are operating with incomplete information, which explains (but doesn't excuse) their vague responses. Here's the important part: federal student aid amounts (Pell Grants, subsidized loans, etc.) should still be available regardless of when your FAFSA is processed. It's the institutional aid (money from the college itself) that works on a first-come, first-served basis at many schools. I still recommend scheduling that direct conversation with financial aid to clarify exactly what your options are.

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