Update: My SAI finally appeared today - took exactly 4 business days. For anyone else wondering about timing, the system didn't send me any notification; I just kept checking my account and it was there this morning. Thanks everyone for the help and reassurance!

Great to hear your SAI came through! Four business days is pretty typical from what I've seen. For others still waiting, I'd recommend checking your account every morning rather than multiple times per day - the processing seems to happen overnight and you'll just stress yourself out refreshing constantly. Also make sure to screenshot your SAI once it appears, since you'll need that number for multiple applications and it's easier than logging in every time.

UPDATE: My SAI finally came through! It took 14 days total, and I did get an email notification (though it went to my promotions folder in Gmail, so I almost missed it). Now I can finally finish those scholarship applications. Thanks everyone for your help and for calming my anxiety!

Glad to see this worked out for you! As someone who just went through this process myself, I wanted to add that it's also worth checking if any of your target schools have their own institutional aid applications with earlier deadlines. Some schools require additional forms beyond just the FAFSA for merit scholarships, and those deadlines can be really tight. Also, if your SAI seems unusually high or low compared to what you expected, don't hesitate to reach out to the financial aid offices directly - they can often provide insight into how their specific school uses the SAI in their aid calculations. The whole process is definitely stressful when you're doing it solo for the first time, but you've got this!

UPDATE: Success! After trying different browsers, I found my saved application on Chrome (I originally used Safari). AND I found my save key written on a post-it note I had completely forgotten about. I'm now back in my application and can make the W-2 corrections before submitting. Thank you all for your help and suggestions!

This is such a common issue and it's really frustrating that FAFSA hasn't fixed it yet! For anyone still struggling with this, here's what worked for me last year: try logging in through an incognito/private browser window. Sometimes the regular browser session gets corrupted but incognito bypasses that. Also, if you're using any browser extensions or ad blockers, try disabling them temporarily - they can interfere with the save functionality. The system is definitely finicky but don't give up! And definitely write down that save key somewhere safe if you get prompted to create one.

Update: I called my top choice school today and they confirmed my negative SAI means I'll qualify for their need-based grants in addition to the Pell Grant! They said I should receive my complete aid package within 3 weeks. Thanks everyone for helping explain this - honestly was so confused and worried at first but now I'm actually excited to see my awards!

Congratulations on your negative SAI! As others have mentioned, this is excellent news for your financial aid eligibility. One thing I'd add is to make sure you submit your FAFSA to all the schools you're considering as soon as possible if you haven't already. Even with a great SAI like yours, some schools distribute aid on a first-come, first-served basis for their institutional grants. Also, keep an eye out for any scholarship opportunities at your schools - with your financial need profile, you might be eligible for additional merit-based aid that considers need as a factor. Best of luck with your aid packages!

After reviewing all the discussion, it sounds like you have two likely culprits: incorrectly including your retirement accounts and possibly a duplicate entry of income. When you submit your correction: 1. Verify all income is ONLY entered in the parent section (unless your daughter has her own income) 2. Exclude the 401k entirely from investments 3. Double-check household size is correct (just you and your daughter = 2) 4. Verify your filing status is correct (head of household most likely) If after correcting these items your SAI is still unusually high, you should definitely get on the phone with an FSA agent who can review your specific application. The corrections should significantly reduce your SAI back to something closer to last year's number.

I'm a financial aid counselor and I see this exact scenario SO often after divorces! The retirement account mistake is definitely the most common culprit - that $42k 401k being counted as an investment would absolutely cause your SAI to skyrocket like that. One additional thing to check that I haven't seen mentioned yet: make sure you're using the correct tax filing status. After divorce, you should likely be filing as "Head of Household" rather than "Single" if your daughter is your dependent. This can make a significant difference in the SAI calculation. Also, when you make your correction, be patient with the processing time - it can take 3-5 business days for the new SAI to be calculated and appear in your account. Don't panic if it doesn't update immediately! You're definitely on the right track now with everyone's help. The fact that your SAI was reasonable last year tells me your financial situation hasn't dramatically changed, so this is almost certainly a data entry error that can be fixed.