Got -1500 SAI on FAFSA but no aid showing at college - what's my next step?

That's a great SAI score! Negative numbers are good because they indicate higher need. But your SAI doesn't automatically send money to your school. Here's what you need to know: 1. Your FAFSA information gets sent to the schools you listed on your application 2. Each school's financial aid office processes your information and creates an aid package 3. The school will then notify you (usually through their portal or via email) about your aid package This process can take 2-6 weeks depending on the school. I'd recommend logging into your student portal and checking if there's a financial aid section where you might need to accept the terms or complete additional forms. Some schools require extra steps before finalizing aid.

congrats on the negative SAI! thats actually rly good news. my brother got something similar and ended up with almost full coverage. but yea you def need to contact financial aid office. schools are SUPER slow with this stuff and sometimes they legit forget to process things if you don't bug them lol

I WENT THROUGH THIS EXACT THING LAST YEAR!!! The financial aid system is so frustrating and unclear! My SAI was -1200 and I waited like 2 months thinking the school would contact me and NOTHING happened! Turns out they needed me to submit extra verification forms because my parents are divorced and they never bothered to tell me! By the time I figured it out, some of the institutional aid had already been given away to other students. DON'T WAIT - call them IMMEDIATELY and ask if they need anything else from you!

A negative SAI of -1500 is excellent and likely qualifies you for significant aid, including the full Pell Grant. However, there's a specific process to follow after your FAFSA is processed: 1. Schools typically prepare financial aid packages 4-8 weeks after receiving your FAFSA data 2. You'll receive an award letter (electronically or by mail) detailing your aid package 3. You must then log into your student portal to formally accept each aid component 4. Some schools require additional documents for verification (about 30% of applicants are selected) I recommend checking your student email daily, as most communications come there first. Also check your portal for any "To-Do List" items that might be holding up your aid package. If it's been more than 4 weeks, definitely contact the financial aid office directly.

I had exactly the same issue last semester! Called the financial aid office about 20 times and couldn't get through to anyone. The hold music still haunts me lol. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with them after my roommate recommended it. They got me through to a real person in like 10 minutes when I'd been trying for days. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Turns out my aid was held up because they needed one more document from me that I had no idea about. Once I submitted it, my aid showed up in my account within 48 hours and I could register for classes without paying out of pocket.

Everyone's saying contact the school but nobody's mentioning that you need to make sure you completed the ENTIRE fafsa process. Did you sign the final page with your FSA ID? And did your parents sign too (if you're a dependent)? A lot of people think they completed it but actually didn't finish the signature part. You can check your status at studentaid.gov to make sure it says "processing complete" not just "processing

One more important tip - when you do contact your school's financial aid office, ask specifically about: 1. Whether your FAFSA data has been received by their office 2. If you've been selected for verification (this is crucial) 3. The timeline for when your aid package will be finalized 4. Any school-specific scholarships you should apply for separately 5. The deadline for accepting your aid package once it's offered Schools have different procedures, but writing these questions down before calling will help ensure you get all the information you need in one call. Also, be sure to take notes during the call including the name of who you spoke with in case you need to follow up later.

btw if ur confused about what SAI even means, its the new version of what used to be called EFC (expected family contribution). the negative number is good, means u qualify for more aid. my cousins SAI was like +12000 and she got way less aid than me with my -800

i waited 2 weeks after my fasfa went thru and got nothing from school. called them and they said they never got it!!! had to go back and add their school code. check that u actually added the right school code on ur application!!!!

Just to clarify something important: your financial aid award isn't automatic after receiving your SAI. Each school creates their own unique financial aid package based on: 1. Your SAI score 2. The school's total cost of attendance 3. Available funding at that specific institution 4. Their particular awarding policies With a -1500 SAI, you'll likely qualify for the maximum Pell Grant ($7,395 for the 2025-2026 award year), but institutional aid, work-study, and loans will vary by school. Once you've verified your FAFSA is complete and the school has your information, ask about their typical notification timeline and if they need additional documentation from you specifically.

Hey! I went through this exact same situation last year and totally understand the confusion. Your -1500 SAI is fantastic and definitely means you'll qualify for substantial aid! One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to also check if your school has any priority deadlines for institutional aid that you might be approaching. Some schools have separate deadlines for their own scholarships and grants even after you've submitted your FAFSA. Also, while you're waiting to hear back, it might be worth looking into your state's financial aid programs too. Many states have their own grant programs for residents that use your FAFSA info but require separate applications. Good luck with everything - with that SAI score, you should be in really good shape once everything gets processed! The waiting is definitely the hardest part but it sounds like you're on the right track.