Tarleton showing only Pell Grant while FAFSA shows more aid options - will rest be awarded later?

This is completely normal. Schools typically process Pell Grants first since they're the most straightforward to verify and award. Your FAFSA just shows what you *might* be eligible for based on your SAI calculation, not what you'll definitely receive. Your school's financial aid office is still processing your complete aid package and will likely add Direct Loans in the next few weeks. They stagger the awards to ensure accuracy. If you don't see movement on your account within 2-3 weeks, then it's worth contacting your financial aid office.

Thank you so much! That's a relief to hear. Do you know if I need to do anything extra to accept the loans when they do appear? Or will they just show up with an option to accept/decline in the portal?

ya this happens all the time i had this at Texas State last year. pell came first then like 3 weeks later everything else showed up. just wait

Thanks for sharing your experience! 3 weeks isn't too bad. I'll try to be patient.

What you're seeing is the distinction between federal eligibility and institutional awarding. The FAFSA portal shows your federal eligibility ceiling - the maximum you could potentially receive. Your school's financial aid office determines your actual awards based on: \n\n1. Your enrollment status (full-time/part-time) \n2. Your specific program costs \n3. Other scholarships/aid you've received \n4. Their institutional awarding timeline \n\nFor Fall 2024, most schools are just beginning to process complete packages. Pell Grants are typically processed first since they don't require additional steps. For Direct Loans, you'll likely need to: \n\n- Complete entrance counseling \n- Sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN) \n- Accept the loans in your student portal once offered \n\nI recommend checking your Tarleton student email regularly, as they'll communicate next steps there. If nothing appears by early July, contact your financial aid office directly.

THIS!!! Literally the exact same thing happened to me last year and I panicked for nothing!!! The school financial aid office told me they do Pell first because it's guaranteed if you qualify, then they process loans after because those require more paperwork and decisions from students. When the loans finally showed up I had to do all that entrance counseling stuff mentioned above which took like 30 mins online.

That's really helpful to know about the extra steps for loans. I'll look out for that entrance counseling and MPN stuff. At least I know what to expect now!

Just wait. Schools do this all the time. My brother goes to Tarleton and said they're super slow with processing everything except Pell.

I've been dealing with FAFSA issues for 3 years and let me tell you, NOTHING is ever straightforward. Your FAFSA portal shows POTENTIAL aid, not ACTUAL aid. Schools get to decide what they actually give you and it's NEVER the full amount listed. They'll probably give you the loans eventually but might not offer work-study even if you're

Ugh, that's frustrating to hear. I hope I at least get the loans since I really need them. The whole system does seem unnecessarily complicated.

While I understand your frustration, I think it's important to clarify that schools don't arbitrarily decide to give you less than you're eligible for. They're bound by federal regulations. If your FAFSA shows Pell eligibility of $7,395 and you're attending full-time, you'll receive that full amount (assuming your information is verified correctly). For loans, undergraduate limits are set by your year in school and dependent/independent status - not by the school's whims. Work-study is limited by institutional allocation, which is why that one truly is subject to availability.

Yeah ok technically you're right but in PRACTICE it never works that smoothly. They find ways to reduce aid all the time - suddenly finding

This is absolutely standard. I work in higher ed (not financial aid specifically) but I can tell you the timing works like this:\n\n1. FAFSA processing: Shows your general eligibility\n2. School financial aid processing: They determine specific awards\n3. Pell Grants: Processed first (usually April-June)\n4. Loans: Processed later (usually June-August)\n5. Work-Study: Often last and requires additional application steps\n\nFor Fall 2024, schools are still in the early stages of packaging aid. Some schools prioritize certain student populations too - first year students might get packaged before continuing students, etc.\n\nIf you're concerned, you can certainly call Tarleton's financial aid office to check on the status. However, I recommend waiting until mid-June before getting too worried.

Thank you for breaking down the timing! That really helps me understand the process better. I'll try to be patient until mid-June before I start making calls.

I had this SAME EXACT situation last semester!!!!! I freaked out thinking i wasn't going to get my loans but my roommate told me to just wait. Sure enough about 3 weeks later everything else showed up in my account. You'll be fine just wait a lil bit longer.

If you're really concerned and want to verify your status, I highly recommend trying to reach someone at the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly. I spent days trying to get through using the regular FSA number but kept getting disconnected or had to wait for hours.\n\nI finally tried a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me skip the hold time and actually reach an agent who confirmed my aid status. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ\n\nThe agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what others are saying here - Pell gets processed first, and everything else comes later. But it was reassuring to hear it directly from FSA rather than just hoping my school was handling things correctly.

Thanks for the tip! If I don't see anything by mid-June I might try this. Did they explain everything clearly when you got through to them?

Yes, they were able to see exactly what was in my file and explained the whole process. They confirmed my FAFSA was complete on their end and that it was just waiting for my school to finish their part of the process. Gave me peace of mind when I was stressing about similar issues.

nice i might use this too. my school's fin aid office never answers the phone lol

OK but am I the only one who's SHOCKED at how much Pell Grant has gone up?! When I started college in 2021 the max Pell was like $6,495 and now it's showing $7,395?! That's almost $1000 more!!! At least something's keeping up with inflation lol

Yes, the maximum Pell Grant amount has been increasing annually. For the 2024-2025 award year, Congress approved an increase to $7,395, up from $7,095 in the previous year. This is part of ongoing efforts to help the Pell Grant keep pace with rising education costs, though it still covers a smaller percentage of average tuition than it did decades ago.

Good to know! Still doesn't cover enough but at least it's something!

Thanks everyone for the reassurance! I'm going to wait until mid-June before I start making calls. It sounds like this is a normal part of the process and I just need to be patient. I'll update if/when the rest of my aid shows up in the portal!

That's a good plan. If you want to be proactive in the meantime, you could look into completing your entrance counseling and Master Promissory Note on studentaid.gov - that way you'll be ready when the loans do appear in your Tarleton portal. It might save you some time later!