Anyone's child get financial aid offers with a -1500 SAI? Need real cost examples

My son got -1680 SAI and we got his aid package from State University last week. They gave him full tuition plus $3200 for housing. Still leaves about $9k we need to cover for housing/meals/books but WAY better than we expected tbh

A -1500 SAI is excellent news! This generally places your daughter in the highest need category, which typically means she'll qualify for the maximum Pell Grant ($7,395 for 2025-2026) at all schools, regardless of cost. However, how schools handle the remaining need varies dramatically. Public universities will likely cover most tuition through a combination of Pell and state grants, but may leave significant gaps for room and board. Private colleges with good financial resources often offer much better packages - some meeting 100% of need. Based on recent packages I've seen for similar SAIs: - Public in-state: Typically $8,000-$12,000 remaining cost per year - Public out-of-state: Often $18,000-$25,000 remaining (less competitive for aid) - Private with good financial resources: Can be as low as $3,000-$7,000 per year - Private with limited aid: Still around $15,000-$20,000 even with the low SAI The good news is your daughter has excellent negotiating leverage with that SAI if aid offers don't meet expectations.

We had -1200 last year, kid got full ride at private college but they have huge endowment. State school only covered like 70% even with max Pell. Don't assume public is cheaper!!

With a -1500 SAI, your daughter will qualify for the maximum Pell Grant amount at any institution. Here's what you should be looking for in the financial aid packages: 1. Pell Grant ($7,395 for 2025-2026) 2. State grants (varies by state, but usually significant with your SAI) 3. Institutional grants/scholarships (this is where packages will differ dramatically) 4. Work study offers (typically $2,000-$3,500 per year) 5. Subsidized loans (interest doesn't accrue while in school) If you receive packages that seem insufficient given your SAI, you should absolutely appeal. With an SAI that low, your daughter should be receiving significant institutional aid at most schools, particularly private ones with decent endowments. One thing to watch for: some private schools will include Parent PLUS loans in the package as if they're meeting your full need. These should NOT be considered as meeting need - they're just loans available to anyone regardless of need.

My daughter also had a negative SAI (-1350) and we got really different packages from different schools. The most surprising thing was how the private university actually gave us the best offer - they covered everything except about $4,000 per year, which she can handle with work-study. The state university (which has a lower sticker price) actually would cost us over $12,000 out of pocket after all aid was applied! One tip: if you're having trouble getting through to the financial aid offices when you have questions about these packages (we were on hold for HOURS), try using Claimyr.com to get through to someone faster. They got us connected to the financial aid department within minutes instead of hours. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Saved my sanity during this process!

my brother got -2000 SAI and still pays like $11k at state u. private school asked for $22k!!! system is rigged man

We had a -1800 SAI last year and our daughter ended up going to the school that initially offered her the WORST package! But we appealed and showed them the better offers from other schools, and they matched it! Don't be afraid to negotiate! They increased her institutional grant by almost $9,000 per year just because we asked and had leverage from other offers. The financial aid offices expect this now.

DONT GET EXCITED YET. My son had -1400 and we still got stuck with $18k/yr at his state school. The whole "negative SAI means great aid" thing is MISLEADING!!! They use it to calculate Pell eligibility but each school still does whatever they want with institutional aid. Private schools sometimes hide huge parent loans in the "aid" package too. The whole system is designed to TRICK families!!!!

not to get off topic but make sure ur checking if schools require css profile too! my cousin missed out on so much $$$ because he only did FAFSA and didnt realize his private college needed css profile too for their institutional aid!!

I'd like to add a few more points about that -1500 SAI: 1. Always look for the "gift aid ratio" - what percentage of your package is free money (grants/scholarships) versus loans/work. With your SAI, you should expect at least 80-85% gift aid at most institutions. 2. Private colleges using the CSS Profile can sometimes offer more to students with low assets but moderate income than to those with very low income but some assets, even with the same SAI. This is because they collect more detailed financial information. 3. Keep in mind that your SAI only accounts for your financial situation when you applied. If anything has changed (job loss, medical expenses, etc.), you can request a professional judgment review. 4. Some selective private colleges have policies to meet 100% of demonstrated need with no loans for families under certain income thresholds. With your SAI, these could be worth considering even if they seem expensive initially.