Does SAI of 6883 qualify for Pell Grant or PHEAA in Pennsylvania?

Unfortunately, that information from the school is correct. For the 2025-2026 aid year, the max SAI to qualify for ANY Pell Grant is around 6656. Your daughter's 6883 is just above that cutoff. For Pennsylvania's PHEAA grant, they use the FAFSA's SAI calculation but have their own thresholds that can vary by school type (public vs private). For most PA schools, PHEAA eligibility typically cuts off around 6500 SAI for full-time students. It's frustrating when you're so close to the cutoffs!

my son had a 7100 SAI and didnt get pell either. the cutoffs are super strict. its really annoying becuz we're not rich but apparantly not poor enough for help lol

Have you checked directly with the PA state grant program (PHEAA)? Sometimes schools don't have the most updated information about state grants. When I was trying to figure out my son's aid package, Penn State initially told me he wouldn't qualify for PHEAA, but when I contacted PHEAA directly, they had different information. Their website is pheaa.org - might be worth checking there too.

Financial aid counselor here! You absolutely CAN appeal your SAI calculation based on job loss. This is called a Professional Judgment (PJ) review or Special Circumstances appeal. Since you lost your job after the tax year used for FAFSA calculations, this is exactly the kind of situation that qualifies for reconsideration. Contact Penn State's financial aid office and ask specifically for a "Special Circumstances Form" or "Professional Judgment Review." You'll need to provide documentation of your job loss and current income. This could potentially lower your SAI enough to qualify for both Pell and PHEAA grants. Also, the SAI cutoffs for Pell are exactly: - 0 to 3000 = Maximum Pell ($7,395) - 3001 to 6656 = Partial Pell (decreasing as SAI rises) - Above 6656 = No Pell So you're right that you're frustratingly close to the cutoff!

This is EXACTLY why the whole financial aid system is GARBAGE! They create these arbitrary cutoffs and if you're $1 over, too bad so sad! The middle class gets CRUSHED by this system. My daughter's SAI was 6700 and she got a whopping $300 in Pell for the ENTIRE YEAR. Wow, thanks government, that'll cover her textbooks for maybe one class! Meanwhile families who know how to work the system get thousands in aid. The whole thing is rigged against working families who actually reported their income honestly.

Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid office directly? They can sometimes explain exactly why you don't qualify and might catch errors in your application. The problem is their phone lines are constantly busy and you can wait for hours only to get disconnected. I was having this exact issue until someone recommended using Claimyr.com - it holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of waiting. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Random thought but did ur daughter apply to any other schools? Sometimes diff schools have institutional grants they can give even when fed/state grants don't come through. My brother had almost the same SAI as your daughter but got way better packages from smaller private schools than from Penn State

One more thing to consider - while your appeal is being processed (which you should definitely do based on your job loss), also look into the PA Target Industry Program (PA-TIP) if your daughter is going into certain high-demand fields. It provides additional funding outside the regular PHEAA program and has different eligibility requirements. Worth checking if her major qualifies.

To answer your timeline question - Professional Judgment reviews typically take 2-4 weeks to process, but many schools will extend your deposit deadline if you have a pending appeal. Be sure to explain your situation and ask for an extension. Also, regarding the PA-TIP program mentioned - veterinary science unfortunately isn't on their current list of eligible programs (which focuses more on advanced manufacturing, energy, and some healthcare fields). However, Penn State does have its own institutional grant programs you might qualify for with the adjusted SAI after your appeal.

Just wanted to add that you should also ask Penn State about their Emergency Aid Fund while you're going through the appeal process. Many students don't know about these smaller institutional funds that can help bridge gaps while waiting for federal/state aid decisions. They're usually need-based and can provide a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars for situations exactly like yours. The application is usually much simpler than the FAFSA appeals process and can be processed faster. Worth asking the financial aid office about when you submit your Special Circumstances paperwork!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and reading through this thread has been both helpful and terrifying! My son will be starting college next year and I'm realizing I have no idea how any of this works. Can someone explain what SAI actually stands for and how it's different from the old EFC? I keep seeing people mention these numbers but I don't understand how they're calculated or what makes a "good" vs "bad" SAI. Also, is there a resource that explains all these different types of aid (Pell, PHEAA, institutional grants, etc.) in simple terms? I feel like I'm already behind and my son hasn't even submitted his FAFSA yet!

Don't give up hope yet! I went through something very similar with my daughter last year. Her SAI was 6,950 and we initially got the same response from our state school. However, after filing a Professional Judgment appeal due to my husband's reduced work hours (he's in construction and winter was brutal), they recalculated her SAI to 5,200 and she ended up qualifying for about $2,800 in Pell Grant plus some state aid. The key is having solid documentation - pay stubs showing the income change, any unemployment documentation if applicable, and a clear letter explaining how your circumstances changed after the tax year used for FAFSA. Also, don't just rely on the school's financial aid office - call PHEAA directly at 1-800-692-7392. Sometimes the school's information isn't current or they miss things. One more tip: if Penn State doesn't work out financially even after appeals, consider having your daughter start at a community college for prerequisites and then transfer. Many vet programs accept community college credits and it can save thousands while you work on improving your aid situation for her junior/senior years.