Financial Aid Emails Before Acceptance?

[ChatterBrain]

Hello all,

 

I am wondering if anyone has received notifications from the financial aid department of a school prior to being accepted.  I have received emails from two different schools regarding FAFSA or financial aid info, both with a pin to set up an account, but haven't heard anything from either of these schools.

 

Is this something that can be sent regardless of whether you're admitted, waitlisted, or rejected? 

 

Of course, it has my hopes up a little, but the practical side of me is telling me it doesn't mean anything. 

 

Any info?  Thank you!

[rising_star]

They probably send that out to everyone that has applied so you can send in your financial aid info and be eligible for aid in the event that you're accepted.

[geographyrocks]

I was sent financial aid emails after being rejected so I wouldn't put much hope into the emails. 

 

As a side note, I actually had to email the financial aid office at the school to request that they stop sending the emails.  They had sent me 3-4 at that point. 

Edited March 7, 2015 by geographyrocks

[ChatterBrain]

Ok, this what I thought.  Thanks for the info.

[Saila09]

It doesn't mean anything. Their financial aid departments are separate from admissions. Did you send your FAFSA to these programs? That is probably what's prompting those e-mails. 

[ChatterBrain]

Hi Saila-  Yes, I did send my FAFSA to these programs, and I knew that's the reason they were ultimately generated.  Even though I knew the financial aid departments are separate from admissions, I was curious because when you choose the schools for FAFSA to send to they state schools will only receive your information if you've been admitted. 

 

When I got these two emails of course I wanted it to mean something, and I suppose if I had taken FAFSA for their word, it would have been easy to believe they did, but I was skeptical. 

[scisl006]

I got an email from the University of New Mexico saying they received my FAFSA info but that it appears I haven't yet been accepted.Yeah, I know... thanks for the reminder guys. As if I wasn't already thinking about that haha.

[Saila09]

Hi Saila-  Yes, I did send my FAFSA to these programs, and I knew that's the reason they were ultimately generated.  Even though I knew the financial aid departments are separate from admissions, I was curious because when you choose the schools for FAFSA to send to they state schools will only receive your information if you've been admitted. 

 

When I got these two emails of course I wanted it to mean something, and I suppose if I had taken FAFSA for their word, it would have been easy to believe they did, but I was skeptical. 

 

Really? Where? I have never noticed that. My understanding was that they were "made available" to those schools ASAP. When/if the schools look at it, that's up to them. 

[limegin]

Yeah, the schools get your FAFSA info ASAP for sure, because NYU sent me a response about the FAFSA as soon as I submitted my financial aid info, which was almost a month before I was accepted. 

[Holly44]

I received a letter from Western Washington last week that I assumed was an admissions decision, but turned out to be from the financial aid office notifying me that they cannot complete my financial aid package until I'm accepted to the school. Gahhh, it was such a letdown.