Got SAI but no grants - do colleges send financial aid offers before application submission?

Colleges will only prepare a financial aid package after your son has been accepted. The process typically goes: application submission → acceptance → financial aid offer. They use your FAFSA information (SAI score) along with their own institutional criteria to determine the full package. Each school has different institutional aid available beyond federal programs, so the final costs can vary significantly even with the same SAI.

we had the same thing last year! no grants sucked but some schools actually gave us decent merit scholarships that had NOTHING to do with FAFSA. my daughter got 15k from her 2nd choice just based on her grades not financial need

Financial aid counselor here. Schools definitely need both your FAFSA information AND a submitted application before creating any financial aid package. Here's the typical timeline: 1. Submit FAFSA (you've done this) 2. Submit applications to schools 3. Get acceptance letters 4. Receive financial aid packages Each school uses your SAI differently in their formula. Some schools meet 100% of demonstrated need, others might meet 70-80%. Some offer generous merit scholarships regardless of need. I'd recommend looking at each school's financial aid website to see their typical aid packages and if they have any net price calculators available.

The system is DESIGNED to keep you in the dark until the last possible minute! Of course they won't tell you costs until after acceptance - it's how they trap families into paying WHATEVER they demand! We went through this last year and ended up with pathetic offers at every school because our SAI wasn't low enough for grants but we definitely couldn't afford full price. The whole system is broken!!

You might want to contact the financial aid offices at his top choice schools directly. Some will give you preliminary estimates if you provide your SAI and ask about typical packages for students with similar scores. When I called last year for my daughter, two schools were super helpful and gave us rough numbers, one refused to discuss anything until we applied. worth a try!

Also worth noting: many schools have priority deadlines for financial aid that are separate from application deadlines. Missing these can sometimes mean getting less institutional aid, even if your FAFSA is submitted. Make sure your son checks for these deadlines on each school's financial aid website!

btw dont forget the CSS profile for private schools!!!!! some need that too not just FAFSA and it asks for WAY more financial info

The CSS Profile is different from FAFSA and is used primarily by private institutions to allocate their institutional (non-federal) aid. It's more detailed than FAFSA and considers things like home equity and business assets that FAFSA doesn't. It doesn't change your federal SAI score, but schools that require it use the information to calculate their own institutional need analysis. Not all private schools require it, so check each school's financial aid website for requirements.

We did net price calculators for all 6 of my sons schools and they were WAY OFF what we actually got offered. One was off by almost $10k! Don't trust those calculators too much.

To summarize what others have said: 1. You need to submit applications first, then get acceptances, before receiving official aid packages 2. Check for college-specific financial aid deadlines 3. Look at net price calculators for estimates (imperfect but helpful) 4. Consider calling financial aid offices directly for preliminary guidance 5. Don't forget about CSS Profile for private schools 6. Remember that merit scholarships can significantly change the equation Hope your son gets some good options with affordable prices!