Now that you’ve submitted your FAFSA, you may be wondering when you’ll hear how much financial aid you’ll receive for college. Will you know before the end of the year or will you wait until a few months after the first? Good question! Actually the schools we surveyed provided very different responses to that question and that’s probably because the 2017-18 FAFSA process has changed dramatically from what it had been in prior years.  Schools are adjusting their timelines and staff to make sure financial aid award notifications will be sent out as early as possible. Some colleges have already started sending award letters to their students, while others will send them anywhere from January to April.

No matter the time frame, if you’re questioning this process, contact the school(s) to which you’ve applied. They’ll let you know when they plan to send financial aid notifications and if they’ll go electronically or by snail mail. Most have deadlines attached for accepting or declining the aid you’ve been awarded so don’t miss out! Take the necessary steps to make sure you receive all the financial aid for which you’re eligible.