Got my first FAFSA award letter from a private college - still waiting on SUNY schools
After months of waiting, I finally received my first financial aid package today - from University of Rochester! Was starting to think something went wrong with my FAFSA. The aid is decent but definitely not as much as I was hoping for ($14,200 in grants, $8,500 in direct loans). Still waiting on all five SUNY schools I applied to. Has anyone gotten their SUNY award letters yet? I'm getting nervous because I need to make a decision by May 1st and want to compare all my options. This waiting game is killing me! For those who've received packages already, how long did yours take after submitting FAFSA?
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GalaxyGazer
I got my SUNY Buffalo package last week, but still waiting on Stony Brook and Albany. From what I've heard SUNY schools are sending them out in batches based on SAI scores? Mine was pretty low (under 3000) so maybe that's why I got it early. The SUNY portal will update before you get the email btw, so keep checking there!
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Amina Sow
•Thanks for the tip about checking the portal! Just logged in and still nothing new there either. My SAI is around 8500 so maybe they're prioritizing lower scores first? That would make sense.
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Oliver Wagner
congrats on gettin ur first letter!! my daughter is still waitin on all of hers we submitted in october!!! this whole process is ridiculous nobody tells u how long it takes
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•October was actually quite late for priority consideration at many schools. Most colleges have priority FAFSA deadlines between December 1st and February 15th for the following academic year, but they typically want you to submit in October-November for best aid consideration. The FAFSA itself opened October 1st for the 2025-2026 year.
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Javier Mendoza
I work in financial aid at a NY community college. SUNY schools are definitely sending out packages now, but they're extremely backlogged this year due to the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. Some schools prioritize by application date, others by SAI score ranges, and some by admission status (accepted students first). If you need to make a decision soon, I recommend calling each school's financial aid office directly. They can often give you preliminary estimates even if your official package isn't ready yet.
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Amina Sow
•This is super helpful, thank you! I'll start calling tomorrow. Do you know if there's a specific person I should ask for or just explain my situation to whoever answers?
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Javier Mendoza
•Ask to speak with a financial aid counselor rather than a general office assistant. Explain that you have a May 1st decision deadline approaching and need to know your estimated aid package. Have your student ID number and FAFSA confirmation number ready - this will help them look up your file faster.
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Emma Thompson
I remember going through this with my older kid last year. THE WORST. We got all excited about her top choice and then couldn't compare because the state schools took FOREVER. Then when we finally got them all, turns out the state school that was our backup offered way better aid than the fancy private school and we had to completely change plans. Just wait it out if you can.
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Amina Sow
•That's exactly what I'm worried about! Rochester is my dream school but if one of the SUNYs offers significantly better aid, I might have to go there instead. Did your daughter end up choosing based mostly on cost?
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Emma Thompson
•Yeah she did. Ended up at SUNY Binghamton instead of Syracuse. Was disappointed at first but honestly now she loves it and we're saving almost $22k a year even after all the aid packages. Sometimes the cheaper option works out better!
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Malik Davis
I've been trying to call SUNY financial aid offices for TWO WEEKS and can't get a single person to pick up. Just endless holds and then disconnects. I nearly threw my phone yesterday after being on hold for 47 minutes with Binghamton only to get cut off. This is insane - how are we supposed to make one of the biggest financial decisions of our lives when we can't even get basic information?!
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Isabella Santos
•I had the exact same issue trying to reach financial aid offices last week! Someone in another thread recommended using Claimyr.com to get through to them - it's a service that waits on hold for you and calls when they reach a real person. I was skeptical but tried it with the FSA helpline (was trying to fix an issue with my FAFSA) and it worked perfectly. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - might be worth trying if you're still struggling to get through.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
A few important points about timing that might help you understand the process better: 1. Each school has different timelines for releasing aid packages after FAFSA processing. 2. Your FAFSA generates a Student Aid Index (SAI) which schools use to determine your aid eligibility, but they have their own formulas for institutional aid. 3. SUNY schools typically send award letters 4-6 weeks after receiving your FAFSA data, but it can take longer during peak periods. 4. You can request a deadline extension from admissions if you're still waiting on financial information to make your decision. Most schools will grant this if you explain your situation. 5. Don't forget that the official aid package is just the starting point - you can appeal if there are special circumstances affecting your ability to pay.
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Amina Sow
•Thank you for breaking it down like this! I didn't know about the possibility of requesting a deadline extension - that's a huge relief. I'll reach out to Rochester's admissions office tomorrow.
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GalaxyGazer
btw what kind of aid did Rochester give u? like was it mostly loans or did they give u actual grants and scholarships? im trying to figure out if private schools r worth applying to next yr or if ill get more from SUNY
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Amina Sow
•They gave me $14,200 in grants (mix of institutional and Pell Grant) and then $8,500 in direct subsidized/unsubsidized loans. Plus work-study for $2,000. My total cost would still be around $29k per year after all that aid though, which is a lot for my family.
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GalaxyGazer
•oof thats a lot still! but actually not terrible for a private school i guess. hope ur SUNY offers come in better!
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Oliver Wagner
does anybody know why they changed everything this year?? my older son did fafsa 3 yrs ago and it was wayyy easier and we got all his awards by march!! so confused why they had to mess with the system
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Javier Mendoza
•The FAFSA Simplification Act was intended to make the form shorter and easier (reduced from 108 questions to about 36), and it changed the calculation from Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to Student Aid Index (SAI). It also expanded Pell Grant eligibility. Unfortunately, the implementation was delayed multiple times, and when they finally launched in December (instead of October), there were significant technical problems. The Department of Education has acknowledged these issues and is working to resolve them, but it's created unprecedented delays across the entire system this year.
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Amina Sow
Update: I took everyone's advice and called SUNY Buffalo this morning! Got through after about 20 minutes on hold. The counselor was super helpful and said my aid package is being finalized this week and should be available on the portal by Friday. She gave me a rough estimate that was actually better than what Rochester offered! Now I just need to hear from the other schools. Feeling much more optimistic now!
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Emma Thompson
•That's great news! Buffalo is an excellent school too. Keep us updated on your final decision!
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