Still waiting for 2025-2026 FAFSA aid package - anyone else stuck?

omg same!! submitted in december and still nothing from any of my schools. one FA office told me they're waiting on "federal guidance" whatever that means but like??? how am i supposed to decide where to go with no $$ info??

I work in a financial aid office, and I can tell you this is happening everywhere. The FAFSA simplification has actually complicated things significantly for the 2025-2026 cycle. The Department of Education was late providing the new SAI calculation formulas to schools, and many schools had to rebuild their entire financial aid management systems to accommodate the changes. Some advice: 1. Make sure your FAFSA is actually complete and wasn't selected for verification after your initial submission 2. If your school has a financial aid portal, check it daily for requests for additional documents 3. Call your financial aid office, but instead of asking "where's my package," ask if there are any specific holds or missing documents in your file 4. Remember your SAI score is just one component - schools are still figuring out how to distribute their institutional aid under the new system

This is my third time going through the FAFSA process and I've NEVER seen it this bad. Last year I had my aid package by March. Called my school's financial aid office 5 times in the past month and they keep saying they're "processing applications in the order received" but I submitted mine the literal first week it was available!!! I'm seriously considering taking a gap year if they don't get this figured out soon. Can't commit to $30k+ of tuition without knowing what aid I'm getting.

I've been helping students navigate FAFSA for over 15 years, and this transition to the new FAFSA system has been exceptionally challenging. Here's what I'm seeing across multiple institutions: 1. The Department of Education significantly changed the SAI formula (previously EFC), which affects how schools calculate need-based aid 2. Many schools are rebuilding their entire financial aid awarding algorithms based on the new formula 3. The verification process is taking longer because of new data elements being verified 4. Schools are waiting on final guidance for certain edge cases (like parent PLUS loan eligibility with the new SAI) My advice: If you need to make a deposit before receiving your package, contact the admissions office directly and explain your situation. Many schools are offering deposit extensions or reduced deposits because they understand the delays are systemic. Also, check if your school has emergency grant funds that could help cover your deposit while you wait for your official package.

I'm in the same boat but honestly I think we're all overreacting a bit? This is a completely new FAFSA system and obviously there are going to be bugs to work out. My sister works in college administration (not financial aid specifically) and she said the schools are just as frustrated as we are. The government changed everything and didn't give schools enough time to prepare their systems. It sucks but everyone's in the same situation so 🤷‍♂️

If you're still waiting on your financial aid package and having trouble reaching anyone at your school's financial aid office, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. I was in the same situation last month and was going crazy trying to get through to an actual person who could help. Found this service that gets you through to Federal Student Aid agents by bypassing the hold times. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ I was skeptical at first but it actually worked and I got connected to someone who could tell me exactly what was happening with my application and why my school was delayed in processing. They helped me understand which documents I needed to prioritize and gave me a timeline for when schools would likely be finishing their aid packages.

I FINALLY got my aid package yesterday after waiting since January!!! My SAI score was really low (2100) so I qualified for the full Pell Grant amount plus some state grants. The financial aid counselor told me they're prioritizing packages for students with the lowest SAI scores first, so if yours is higher it might take longer. When I called last week they said they were still working on SAIs under 3000.

this might sound dumb but has anyone tried just showing up in person at the financial aid office? i feel like they can ignore calls and emails but it's harder to brush you off when ur standing right there lol. thinking about driving to campus next week if i still haven't heard anything

UPDATE: Just got off the phone with my school's financial aid office after waiting on hold for 1.5 hours. They said they're processing applications by SAI score ranges and expected enrollment date. Since I'm not starting until fall semester and my SAI isn't in the lowest range, I'm not being prioritized. The counselor said they're hoping to have all packages out by "early June" but couldn't give any guarantees. This is so frustrating! I'm going to try contacting the admissions office about a deposit extension tomorrow.

not to be that person but the old FASFA system worked fine i dont understand why they had to change everything!! my older brother went to college last year and got his financial aid package in february. now im stuck waiting and stressing about how im going to pay for school. classic government making everything worse when they try to "fix" it

Just wanted to share some hope - I finally got my aid package this week after submitting in December! My SAI was around 5200 and I'm starting in fall. The package was actually better than I expected - they increased their institutional grant amounts to offset some of the changes from the new SAI calculation. For anyone still waiting, here's what helped me get answers: I emailed my admissions counselor (not financial aid) and explained that I was committed to attending but needed clarity on timing due to the aid delays. They connected me directly with a senior financial aid counselor who could give me a realistic timeline. Sometimes going through admissions gets you to someone with more authority to actually help. Also, don't give up on calling! I know it's frustrating but I called at 8am right when they opened and got through immediately. Early morning seems to be the best time to avoid hold times.