Where to find SAI score and available aid after FAFSA shows 'processed'?

The FAFSA itself doesn't actually tell you what aid you'll get. When it says 'processed,' that just means the government finished calculating your SAI (Student Aid Index, which replaced the old EFC). The colleges your kids applied to will use that info to create financial aid packages specific to their schools.

You should be able to see your SAI score on your Student Aid Report (SAR). Log into studentaid.gov, go to your dashboard, and look for 'View SAR' link. The SAI will be right at the top of that report. But like someone else said, that's just a number colleges use - not your actual aid offers.

We went thru this last year w my daughter!! The whole system is confusing af. Higher SAI = less aid usually. But dont panic yet because each school has different $$ to give out. Some might still give decent packages even w higher SAI

The actual financial aid offers will come directly from each college, usually around the same time as acceptance letters or shortly after. Each school has their own timeline and format for these offers. They'll typically include a mix of grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans based on your FAFSA information and the school's available funds. If your students submitted their FAFSA in January, colleges should have that information by now. You might want to check each college's student portal (if they've set those up) as some schools post aid info there rather than sending separate communications.

I had the SAME exact confusion when my son's FAFSA said processed!!! It's crazy how they don't explain this stuff clearly. You should definitely check if your SAI is accurate because my son's was calculated wrong the first time (they misinterpreted some of our tax info) and we had to submit a correction. Better to catch errors now than later!!!

i waited 2 months for aid packages after acceptances dont stress too much theyll come

If you're concerned about the timeline for receiving aid offers, I'd recommend reaching out directly to the financial aid offices at each school. Most have a specific deadline by which they aim to send all aid packages. If you're approaching decision time and still missing critical financial information, they may be able to expedite the process or at least give you a more precise timeline.

i had to call the federal student aid people like 5 times last year about verification issues. spent HOURS on hold and got disconnected 3x. complete nightmare. if u need to call them check out claimyr.com - saved me so much time. they got me connected to a real FSA agent in like 10 min instead of hours. watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ) and it worked exactly like they showed.

dont forget CSS profile too!! some private schools need that ON TOP OF fafsa and its different formula. my kid applied to 7 schools & 3 needed CSS plus other random forms. total mess.

One more important thing - make sure your twins check their email regularly (including spam folders). Many schools will email when aid packages are ready or if they need additional documentation. Also, if the May 1 decision deadline is approaching and you still don't have aid information from their top choices, you can request an extension. Most schools will grant a reasonable extension if the delay is due to pending financial aid information.