FAFSA website doesn't show award amounts per school - where can I find my daughter's offers?
Can anyone tell me once your FAFSA has been processed, can you see each school with the total amount for each school on the FAFSA website? This website is very confusing to me and I'm not very technically savvy. My daughter's FAFSA is processed and done, but I can't figure out how to view her financial aid offers for each college. I thought there would be a section that shows all the schools with dollar amounts next to them, but I can't find anything like that. Am I missing something or looking in the wrong place? Thank you in advance.
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Owen Jenkins
Good question! Actually, the FAFSA website (studentaid.gov) doesn't show you the specific aid amounts for each school. The FAFSA just collects your information and calculates your Student Aid Index (SAI), which is then sent to the schools you listed on your application. Each individual college will use this information to create their own financial aid package and will send award letters directly to your daughter - usually through email or their student portal. You'll need to check with each school separately to see what they're offering.
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Alice Coleman
•Oh I see! So the FAFSA itself doesn't actually tell us how much she'll get? I thought once it was processed we could see all the offers in one place. That would be so much more convenient! So we just have to wait for each school to contact her?
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Lilah Brooks
The fasfa is just step 1. U dont get anything from them. Its just info collection. The schools decide how much $ they give u not fasfa.
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Alice Coleman
•Thank you for clarifying! I wish they'd explain this more clearly on the website. I've been clicking around for days trying to find award amounts.
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Jackson Carter
Adding to what others have said - once the FAFSA is processed, each school receives your SAI (Student Aid Index) and then develops their own financial aid package based on that number, their available funding, and their own institutional policies. Your daughter should check her email regularly, and also create accounts on each school's student portal if she hasn't already. That's where most award notifications are posted these days. Typically, schools start sending out financial aid award notifications 2-4 weeks after they send acceptance letters, though the timeline varies by institution. Some schools may also require additional documentation before finalizing awards.
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Alice Coleman
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! She has been accepted to 3 schools so far but we haven't received any financial information yet. I'll have her check the student portals for each school. How long should we wait before contacting the financial aid offices directly?
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Kolton Murphy
This DRIVES ME CRAZY EVERY YEAR!! The FAFSA system is INTENTIONALLY confusing I swear. They make it nearly impossible to understand what's happening with your application. After filling out my kids' FAFSAs for 5 years straight, I'm still confused by how disorganized and unhelpful the whole process is. The schools take FOREVER to send out aid packages too, sometimes just weeks before decision deadlines. How are families supposed to make informed decisions????
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Alice Coleman
•It is very frustrating! I wish there was just one place we could see everything. My daughter needs to make her decision soon but how can she without knowing the costs?
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Evelyn Rivera
When my son applied last year, we had the same confusion! It turns out each school has their own timeline for sending financial aid packages. Some sent them with the acceptance letters, others took weeks longer. The most helpful thing we did was call each financial aid office directly to ask about their timeline. Most were very nice about giving us estimates over the phone even before the official letters came out.
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Julia Hall
•I second this recommendation! Calling the financial aid offices directly can be super helpful. If your daughter has already been accepted, they should be able to give you at least some preliminary information about what her aid package might look like, even if the official letter hasn't been sent yet. Just be prepared with her student ID number and possibly some verification information when you call.
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Arjun Patel
I tried calling the financial aid office at my son's top choice school and was on hold for TWO HOURS before getting disconnected! Then tried calling back three more times with the same result. So frustrating when deadlines are approaching and we can't get basic information about costs. Has anyone had better luck actually reaching someone at these offices?
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Kolton Murphy
•I've had this exact problem SO MANY TIMES! The financial aid offices are impossible to reach especially during peak season (Jan-April). I found out about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that can actually get you through to a live person without the crazy wait times. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. I used it to finally reach my daughter's top choice school after trying for weeks on my own. Totally worth it when you're making a decision that costs tens of thousands of dollars!
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Jackson Carter
To answer your question about how long to wait before contacting financial aid offices - I generally recommend giving schools about 3-4 weeks after acceptance to send aid packages. If you haven't heard anything by then, it's completely reasonable to reach out directly. Also important to know: if your financial situation has changed since filing the FAFSA (job loss, medical expenses, etc.), you should definitely contact the financial aid offices to request a professional judgment review. They may be able to adjust your aid based on your current circumstances rather than what was reported on the FAFSA.
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Alice Coleman
•That's great advice about the professional judgment review. My husband's hours were actually cut back recently, which wasn't reflected on our tax returns when we filed the FAFSA. I'll definitely mention that when we contact the schools.
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Julia Hall
One important detail that hasn't been mentioned yet: your daughter should also check if any of her schools require the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. Many private colleges use both forms to determine aid. The CSS Profile goes through College Board (not studentaid.gov) and asks for more detailed financial information. If she hasn't completed that for schools that require it, her financial aid packages could be delayed or incomplete.
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Alice Coleman
•Oh no! I didn't know about the CSS Profile at all. Let me check with her right away. Would the schools have notified her if this was required? She applied to two private colleges so this might be important.
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Owen Jenkins
Yes, schools typically notify students if they require the CSS Profile, but these notifications can sometimes end up in spam folders or get overlooked in the flood of college emails. The good news is that many schools have late CSS Profile deadlines for exactly this reason. You can check which schools require it by visiting the College Board website. And don't worry too much - if it is required and she missed the deadline, contact the financial aid office immediately. Many schools are understanding and will still work with you, especially for incoming freshmen who are navigating this process for the first time.
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Alice Coleman
•Thank you so much for all this information! I'm learning so much. We'll check on the CSS Profile tonight and follow up with all the schools about their financial aid timelines. This whole process is much more complicated than when I went to college!
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