Your -500 SAI is definitely cause for celebration! I'm a college financial aid counselor and can confirm that negative SAI values indicate the highest level of financial need. With -500, you'll almost certainly qualify for the maximum Pell Grant ($7,395 for 2024-25) and be prioritized for other need-based federal aid like subsidized loans and work-study programs. What's really encouraging is that many colleges are becoming more generous with their institutional aid for students with negative SAI values. The new FAFSA formula was designed to better identify students with the greatest need, and schools are responding accordingly. My advice: when comparing aid offers, look beyond just the dollar amounts. Pay attention to the "gift aid" (grants and scholarships you don't have to repay) versus loans. Also, some schools might have additional application deadlines for their own institutional grants, so check each school's financial aid website to make sure you don't miss anything. You're in an excellent position for significant financial assistance!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can definitely confirm that a negative SAI is amazing news! I had -650 and ended up with nearly a full ride at my state school. The key thing to remember is that while the negative SAI gets you maximum federal aid (like the full Pell Grant), each college will still have their own formula for institutional aid. One thing that really helped me was reaching out to the financial aid offices directly after I got my award letters. I was able to get two schools to increase their offers by explaining some family circumstances that weren't fully captured in the FAFSA. Don't be shy about advocating for yourself - the worst they can say is no! Also, make sure you're applying to a good mix of schools including some that are known for generous need-based aid. With your -500 SAI, you'll be competitive for the best aid packages out there. You've got this!

After you speak with the financial aid office, I strongly recommend submitting a formal appeal letter. Include: 1. Documentation of unusual expenses not captured by FAFSA 2. Any changes in financial situation since you filed 3. Competing offers from other institutions 4. Specific calculation showing how they're not meeting their 75% promise Be polite but firm. Many families don't realize appeals are standard practice and schools expect them. With an SAI of 2500, your son should qualify for substantial need-based aid at a school claiming to meet 75% of need.

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I'd recommend creating a spreadsheet to track all your son's aid offers as they come in. Include columns for COA, SAI, calculated need, grants/scholarships, loans, and actual percentage of need met. This will help you see which schools are truly generous vs. just good at marketing. Also, don't forget to factor in indirect costs like travel home, personal expenses, and potential summer storage. These can add thousands to your actual family contribution even if the school "meets need" on paper. When you call the financial aid office, ask for their estimated indirect costs too - some schools lowball these numbers to make their aid packages look more attractive. Your instincts are right to question this package. With an SAI that low, most genuinely need-blind schools would offer significantly more institutional aid.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to fix your tax information corrections? A key thing to remember is that the new FAFSA uses federal tax information directly from the IRS through the Data Retrieval Tool. If you used that successfully, you shouldn't be getting tax correction notices unless there's a mismatch with other information you provided.

So glad you got it figured out! That's exactly the kind of issue that trips up so many families - those gateway questions are super important but not always clearly labeled. For anyone else reading this, I'd also recommend keeping screenshots of your completed FAFSA sections before submitting, just in case you need to reference what you entered later. The correction process becomes much easier when you can see exactly what might have changed between submissions. Congrats on getting through the maze!

As someone who just went through this process with my own child, I wanted to add one more point that might be helpful. Make sure your son keeps good records of his earnings throughout the year - pay stubs, W-2 forms, etc. When it comes time to fill out the FAFSA, having organized documentation makes the process much smoother. Also, if he does end up earning significantly more or less than expected, some schools will consider "professional judgment" adjustments to reflect current circumstances rather than just the prior-prior year income. It's worth asking the financial aid office about their policies on this. Good luck to your son with his new job!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through this recently! My daughter worked part-time throughout high school and college, and we were initially worried about the same thing. The key thing I learned is that student income has much less impact than parent income on FAFSA calculations. One tip that might help - if your son can find work-study opportunities once he gets to campus, those earnings won't count against his FAFSA at all (as someone mentioned above). But even regular employment like what he's considering is totally fine. The work experience and financial responsibility he'll gain are invaluable, and $1000/month really shouldn't significantly hurt his aid eligibility. Also, don't forget that he can potentially claim education tax credits like the American Opportunity Tax Credit when he files his own taxes, which can offset some of the tax burden from his earnings. Best of luck to him with the new job!

Retirement accounts like 401k and IRAs are NOT reported on the FAFSA at all! They're completely excluded from the SAI calculation. So if your investment growth was primarily in retirement accounts, you don't need to worry about reporting that growth. Only reportable investments would include taxable brokerage accounts, 529 plans (reported as parent assets), stocks, bonds, CDs, etc. This is one reason why financial planners often suggest maximizing retirement contributions during college years.

Just wanted to add - if you're still unsure about anything, most colleges have financial aid offices that are super helpful with FAFSA questions. I called my daughter's school last year when I was confused about asset reporting and they walked me through it step by step. They'd rather help you get it right the first time than deal with corrections later. Plus they know exactly how their school handles different situations, which can be really valuable info!