How to check if FAFSA awarded me financial aid? No notification received

Your FAFSA just determines your eligibility for aid - it doesn't directly award you anything. After your FAFSA is processed and you get your SAI (Student Aid Index), each college you listed on your application will put together a financial aid package for you. You need to check your student portal for each school or contact their financial aid offices directly. Each school has different timelines for releasing award letters, usually between March-April for the upcoming fall semester.

U don't see anything on FAFSA cuz thats not where awards come from lol. gotta wait for school to send u their package. my school sent me an email when mine was ready but some just put it in ur portal without telling u

To clarify what others have said, here's the exact process: 1. FAFSA calculates your SAI (Student Aid Index) 2. Schools use that SAI to determine what aid you qualify for 3. Each school creates their own unique aid package based on their available funds 4. You'll receive award notifications from each school separately Most schools release award packages after acceptance letters go out. You should check your student portal for each school and also watch for emails or physical mail from their financial aid offices. If you haven't received anything in 2-3 weeks, I'd recommend contacting each school's financial aid office directly to check your status.

The whole system is DESIGNED to be confusing!! They make it nearly impossible to figure out what's going on. I spent WEEKS trying to find my awards last year and almost missed deadlines because the information was buried in some obscure part of my school portal that wasn't even labeled properly. And then when I finally found it, they wanted me to submit 20 more forms!! The FAFSA is just the beginning of the nightmare...

Having the same issue right now! Been checking my email constantly waiting for something. Did you get your SAI score at least? Mine is 4200 but I have no idea if that's good or bad lol

When I had trouble reaching my school's financial aid office about my missing award letter last semester, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to them. They have this system that holds your place in the phone queue and calls you when an agent is about to answer. Saved me from being on hold for hours! They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Might help if you need to call multiple financial aid offices to check on your awards.

Also worth mentioning - make sure you're watching for any additional verification requests. About 30% of FAFSA applications get selected for verification, which requires submitting additional documentation. If you were selected, your financial aid won't be processed until you complete those requirements. Schools handle verification differently, so check each portal carefully for any pending tasks or requirements.

my roomate thought she didnt get any $ cuz she was looking at fafsa site but actually had full package waiting at her school portal for like 2 months lol. she almost took out private loans for no reason

Just wanted to add that timing varies a lot by school! Some release awards as early as December/January, while others don't send them until April or even May. I'd also recommend downloading any award letters you find since some schools only keep them available for a limited time in your portal. And if you're comparing offers between schools, make sure you're looking at the net cost (total cost minus grants/scholarships) rather than just the total aid amount - sometimes a bigger aid package doesn't actually mean less out-of-pocket expense!

I'm in the exact same boat! Just submitted my FAFSA a few weeks ago and had no idea the schools are the ones who actually give out the aid. This thread has been a lifesaver - I was getting worried that something was wrong since I wasn't seeing any dollar amounts on the FAFSA site. Going to log into all my college portals tonight and see if there's anything waiting for me. Thanks everyone for explaining how this actually works!

Hey Mason! I went through this exact same confusion last year as a first-gen college student. Here's what I wish someone had told me: check your student portals religiously, not just once but every few days since schools update them at different times. Also, some schools send award letters through regular mail too, so don't forget to check your mailbox! If you've been accepted to schools but haven't seen financial aid info yet, it's totally normal - some schools wait until closer to May 1st deadline. One tip that saved me: create a spreadsheet with all your schools and check off when you've received their award info so you don't lose track. The waiting is the worst part, but you'll get through it!