FAFSA-- order received?

[Leahlearns]

So I was only accepted at one school. I submitted my FAFSA before their deadline. I am still impatiently awaiting financial aid info. However, a friend of mine who is already in grad school (although at a different school and in a different field) told me that the earlier you submitted your FAFSA the more likely you are to receive funding. Now I did not see this information anywhere. However, I could have overlooked it. I was filling out one or two other forms *rolls eyes.* It seems to me if what she said is true I've been a bit misled. (Although there is no point being bitter now-- what will be, will be.) Still, all the school website said was that they strongly recommended submitting your FAFSA before the priority deadline. I did that. But, I turned it in the week of the priority deadline. Is this likely to hurt me?

[solefolia]

I think he probably means in terms of grants and (some) federal loans (e.g. Perkins). The earlier the better when it comes to these things, I know this for sure from undergrad (Someone with less need who applies much earlier can sometimes get more aid than someone with more need who applied later). Not sure how it works for grad school, but likely the same principle. I wouldn't think it'd have anything to do with TA/RA-ships, though.

[teaganc]

When I worked at a financial aid office, we only did undergrad, so take this with a grain of salt:

Our website said the same thing, that if you didn't apply early enough, we might run out of aid. This included availability of federal aid, including loans. However, we did not run out of aid for a given year until months after the priority deadline, and we NEVER ran out of Stafford Loan eligibility because other institutions loaned the money, not the school. We did run out of Perkins loans, but not before the priority deadline. And merit-based aid (i.e. fellowships, grants, TA ships) were decided completely separately from the FAFSA and when (or if) a student turned in the FAFSA had no effect on those things.