Why are college commitment deadlines before FAFSA aid packages arrive? Can't commit without knowing costs!

You can absolutely request a commitment deadline extension. Most schools are aware of the FAFSA disaster this year and are being flexible. Email the admissions office (not financial aid) directly and explain your situation. Be specific about which schools you're waiting on and request a firm extension date. I work in college counseling and we've had about 80% success rate with extension requests for our students this year.

my kid had same issue last yr we just paid deposit at 2 schools (lost 1 deposit but worth peace of mind) and withdrew from the 2nd once we got all the numbers... expensive but less stress

The FAFSA delays this year are unprecedented. I've been helping families navigate financial aid for 15+ years and have never seen anything like this. Here's what you need to do: 1. Contact both admissions AND financial aid offices, specifically ask to speak with directors, not frontline staff 2. Use the exact phrase "financial hardship due to FAFSA processing delays" in your communications 3. Request a specific extension date (June 1 is reasonable) 4. Ask if they can provide an estimated aid package based on your income information while waiting for official FAFSA data Almost every school has internal protocols for dealing with FAFSA delays - they just don't advertise them. Be persistent but polite.

You should absolutely be following up with Federal Student Aid too. Processing times are ridiculous right now, but sometimes you can get your application prioritized if you explain your urgency with upcoming deadlines. However, reaching them is nearly impossible through normal channels.

i tried calling FSA like 20 times last week and never got through lol their hold times are insane

This whole system is ridiculous!! My son has to commit by May 1 too but we've only gotten one financial aid package so far. FAFSA says it'll be 6-8 WEEKS for processing... like what?? How is that acceptable? Are we just supposed to commit blindly and hope we can afford it? Colleges don't care about families at all.

Many colleges ARE pushing back their commitment dates. Just not all of them. Check the NACAC website - they maintain a list of schools that have officially extended their decision deadlines. Over 200 colleges have extended to May 15 or later. If your schools aren't on that list, that's when you need to reach out individually as I mentioned earlier.

Update: I just got off the phone with one of the colleges using that Claimyr service someone recommended (it actually worked!). They said they're processing extensions on a case-by-case basis and will grant us until May 15th as long as we submit a formal request. Not ideal but better than nothing. Still waiting on 2 more schools to respond.

has anyone's SAI score changed from what the fafsa calculator estimated?? worried about surprises

Final update: Success! After a LOT of emails and phone calls, all 5 schools have granted us extensions until May 15th. One even said they can give us until June 1st if our FAFSA is still processing by mid-May. I'm still furious that we had to fight so hard for this when the problem isn't our fault, but at least we have some breathing room now. Thanks everyone for your advice!

So glad to see this worked out for you! This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm bookmarking it because I suspect we're going to see this same scenario play out again next year if the Department of Education doesn't get their act together. The fact that families had to fight tooth and nail for extensions when the delays were completely outside their control is just unacceptable. Your persistence really paid off though, and hopefully other parents in similar situations can use your strategies. Best of luck to your daughter with her final decision!