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Anyone else notice that the SAI calculation seems way off this year? My daughter's expected contribution is almost $4000 higher than last year even though our income only went up by like $2000. Makes no sense.
The 2025-26 FAFSA uses a completely revised formula called the Student Aid Index (SAI) rather than the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The new calculation places different weights on income thresholds, asset protection allowances, and family size adjustments. Even small income increases can create disproportionate changes in the final index number. If you believe there's a specific calculation error rather than just the new formula producing different results, you should request an SAI recalculation review directly with your financial aid office.
UPDATE: We just received my daughter's official aid package from her school, and it matched what the FAFSA portal was showing once our correction went through! She qualified for a full Pell Grant plus state aid. Such a massive relief after all this stress. For anyone still struggling - DON'T GIVE UP! Keep pushing and trying different approaches!
thats awesome!! fingers crossed we get the same result. still waiting on our final calculation 😬
Just a heads up - even after your spouse signs, it might take 3-5 business days for the system to update and calculate your SAI. Don't panic if it doesn't change immediately!
That's good to know - thank you! I was hoping it would update right away but I'll try to be patient.
Quick update question: Have you been able to find any specific error messages when you log into studentaid.gov? Sometimes they hide the actual error details in the Message Center rather than displaying them prominently on the dashboard.
I just checked the Message Center and found something! There's a notification saying "Action Required: Additional Signature Needed" that I completely missed before. It specifically mentions my spouse needs to sign. Thank you so much for pointing me to look there!
I'd like to clarify something important: The "processing status list" from FSA contains data for students with BOTH correct and potentially incorrect calculations. Schools are supposed to be able to identify which is which from the list. If your FAFSA shows as processed with an SAI on studentaid.gov, AND the school confirms they can see your SAI, there shouldn't be any technical barriers to generating your aid package. At this point, any further delays are likely due to the institution's internal processing capabilities and priorities, not FSA data access issues. For families facing deadlines, I recommend: 1. Email the financial aid director (not just calling the main office) 2. Include your student's ID number and SAI from studentaid.gov 3. Clearly state any competing offers and deadlines 4. Copy (cc) the admissions office on the email Documenting your communications this way creates accountability and often gets faster results.
i just called my brothers school again and they finally admited they have the list but said there understaffed and processing in alphabetical order... his last name starts with W so were probably screwed lolol
Alphabetical order?! I've never heard of that approach before. That seems incredibly unfair to students with last names at the end of the alphabet. I wonder if that's even allowed under Department of Education guidelines? Maybe someone with more knowledge about financial aid regulations can weigh in on whether schools can prioritize alphabetically or if they need to use other criteria like financial need or application date.
Thank you all for the helpful suggestions! I'm going to try negotiating with the financial aid office and will check out those resources for finding schools with better aid policies. My son and I are sitting down this weekend to look at all his options, including potentially starting at community college. It's frustrating that the system is so complicated, but at least I feel like we have some paths forward now.
The student loan forgiveness you're seeing is ONE TIME relief for people who've been paying for DECADES on predatory loans with interest rates that meant they owed MORE than they borrowed even after years of payments. It's not like people are just getting free money while your son gets nothing. But yeah, the FAFSA this year is a DISASTER. My daughter's application has been "processing" for over 2 months with no explanation. The schools can't package aid without the FAFSA data and the May 1 deposit deadline is coming up fast. HOW are families supposed to make decisions with no financial information??? The whole system needs to be rebuilt from scratch. Until then, we're all just trying to navigate a broken system the best we can.
Mei Wong
just wait till u get the packages and see how TERRIBLE they are!!! my daughter got into her dream conservatory and they expect us to pay $42k a year!!! with a household income of $95k!!! make it make sense!!!!!
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Liam Sullivan
•This is unfortunately common with many performing arts programs, especially private conservatories. Their institutional funds are often more limited than larger universities. I always recommend students apply to a mix of public and private institutions for this reason. Public universities with strong arts programs often provide better overall value. Have you tried appealing the offer? Many schools have special appeal processes specifically for arts students where they can review your financial situation again.
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Jamal Harris
just checked my daughters portal and now it says "pending verification" what does that even mean?? more delays??
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Zoe Stavros
•Pending" verification means your FAFSA was selected for verification, which is like an audit of the information you provided. About 25-30% of all applications get selected randomly each year. The school will request additional (documentation typically tax transcripts, W-2s, or household size)verification . Once you submit those documents,'they ll review and complete your financial aid package. This will add some time to your process - typically 2-3 weeks after you submit all requested documents. I recommend uploading any requested verification documents as soon as possible to minimizedelays.
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