Financial Aid email before official acceptance?

[Indiana_Bones]

I've just gotten a Financial Aid email from one of my schools, complete with an ID number of some sort and a request for me to set up my financial aid profile. The kicker is-- I haven't gotten an admission decision from them yet. Has anyone had this happen to them or have a guess what it means? I'm trying not to get my hopes up!

[Auuudriana]

I got this from Temple 2 years ago but I was not accepted.

[TakeruK]

At many schools, the departments don't have constant lines of communication so each dept/area of the school generally doesn't know what other areas of the school are doing. There are just too many people involved. So it's normal for the list of applicants to be simultaneously sent to e.g. financial aid and international office (if applicable) and the department to make decisions. Financial aid just gets a list of names and contact info and works from that, without knowing whether or not the dept chose to admit you or even if you have accepted the offer yet.

[Indiana_Bones]

Got it. Thank you both!