Can't find my FAFSA SAI number on studentaid.gov account - where exactly is it located?

Your SAI (Student Aid Index) will show up in your FAFSA confirmation page and also in your Student Aid Report (SAR). To find your SAR, log into studentaid.gov, click on "My Documents" in the menu, then look for your most recent Student Aid Report. Open that PDF and you'll find your SAI number on the first or second page, usually in a box near the top. It's a specific number like 00000 or 02500 that helps determine your aid eligibility.

same thing happnd to me last mnth! took almost 4 weeks for my SAI to show up anywhere on my account. check ur email too cuz they sent me somethin there before it showed up on the website

The SAI number is SUPPOSED to be available within 3-5 days after your application is processed, but the Department of Education has been COMPLETELY overwhelmed with the new FAFSA rollout. Some people are waiting 4+ weeks because their system is such a disaster. And don't bother calling their helpline because you'll be on hold for HOURS only to get disconnected. The whole system is broken!!

I had this exact issue last month! When I logged in, I went to the FAFSA Status section and clicked on "View Processed FAFSA" but nothing was showing the SAI. But then I realized you need to click on "view Student Aid Report (SAR)" and download the PDF. It should be right on the first page where it used to show the EFC. If you don't see that option yet, your application is still processing. Mine took 26 days to process even though they said 3-5 days!

Financial aid advisor here. You should absolutely contact your school's financial aid office to let them know you're waiting for your SAI. Most schools are aware of the processing delays with the new FAFSA system and have procedures in place for students in your situation. They may be able to extend their internal deadline or put a placeholder in your file until your SAI arrives. Make sure to document all your communication with them. The SAI appears in your Student Aid Report (SAR), which is generated after your FAFSA is fully processed. Under normal circumstances, this takes 3-5 days, but many students are experiencing delays of 3-4 weeks with the new system. You'll find it on the first page of your SAR, where it says "Student Aid Index" followed by a number.

I went through this exact same thing trying to find my SAI number! I actually had to call Federal Student Aid to get help because my SAR wasn't showing up either. I tried calling for days and kept getting busy signals or disconnected. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me hours of waiting on hold! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ When I finally talked to an agent, they confirmed my FAFSA was still processing but gave me a temporary confirmation number I could give to my school's financial aid office until my official SAI was ready. Might be worth trying!

Meanwhile the colleges expect us to meet THEIR deadlines even when the federal government can't get their act together?? This is EXACTLY what happened last year with the FAFSA rollout - total disaster and students missed out on thousands in aid because of these delays. It's not YOUR fault the SAI isn't available yet. Take screenshots of your submission confirmation as proof you did everything on time!

One more thing to try - check if you received an email with subject line "Your FAFSA® Form Status Has Changed" from noreply@studentaid.gov. This email sometimes contains a link directly to your SAR, even if it's not showing up in your account yet. Also, double-check your spam/junk folders. If you still can't find it, when you contact your financial aid office, provide them with: 1. Your FAFSA submission date (with confirmation email if possible) 2. Your FSA ID username (not password) 3. The confirmation number from your FAFSA submission Most schools have procedures for this exact situation given the widespread delays.

Great news! Just so you're prepared for when your SAI does show up, remember that the number might look different than you expect. The SAI can range from -1500 to 999999. Lower numbers (especially negative ones) indicate higher financial need. Don't be alarmed if you see a negative number - that's actually potentially good for your aid eligibility. The SAI replaced the old EFC calculation and uses a slightly different formula.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Submitted my FAFSA on March 5th and still no SAI showing up anywhere. I've been checking my studentaid.gov account daily and there's literally nothing in the My Documents section except the initial confirmation. My school's financial aid office told me they're seeing this with tons of students this year - apparently the new FAFSA system is causing major delays. They actually suggested I bring them my FAFSA confirmation email and they'll note in my file that I'm waiting on federal processing. Might be worth asking your school if they'll do the same while you wait for your SAR to finally appear!