FAFSA SAI calculation showing 68% of my income - how is this even possible?

That definitely seems off. The SAI isn't supposed to be a straight percentage of income - it takes into account your assets, family size, number of students in college, and several other factors. Having twins in college should actually REDUCE your SAI since it's split between them. Did you accidently report some assets twice or include retirement accounts that shouldn't be counted? I'd double check your application entries.

omg the same thing happened to my cousins family last yr!!! their SAI was like crazy high too and they had 2 kids in college. turns out they put their house value in the asset section by mistake, FAFSA doesnt count your primary home as an asset!!! check that part maybe??

Your SAI calculation definitely seems unusually high. The $42,000 inheritance you mentioned would significantly impact your SAI, as the formula treats cash/savings assets much more heavily than income alone. With the recent FAFSA Simplification changes, here's what you should check: 1. Confirm you correctly listed BOTH daughters as attending college 2. Verify you didn't accidentally include retirement accounts (401k, IRA) 3. Double-check you didn't include any business assets if you're self-employed 4. Make sure you properly entered any untaxed income If everything is correct, you should immediately request a professional judgment review from your daughters' financial aid offices. They can adjust your SAI based on special circumstances.

FAFSA is COMPLETLEY BROKEN!!!! My SAI was 89% of my income last year and I called and called and NOBODY would help me. The system is rigged against middle class families. We make just enough to get ZERO help but not enough to actually afford college. I ended up taking a second mortgage just to pay for my kid's first year. This whole system is designed to force families into massive debt!!

I had a similar issue last year and discovered a calculation error in my FAFSA submission. Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center? It took me 17 attempts and 3 hours on hold before I finally reached someone who could help me identify where the mistake was in my application. After struggling with endless busy signals, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ My SAI went from about 70% of my income down to 28% after getting the error fixed. Definitely worth pursuing because your calculation sounds very wrong.

The SAI uses a complex formula that doesn't work as a simple percentage of income. For most middle-income families with typical assets, it generally works out to somewhere between 20-35% of income, though this varies widely based on family circumstances. Having $42,000 in additional assets would definitely increase your SAI, but 68% still seems unusually high. The formula includes: - Protection allowances based on family size - Different assessment rates for various income brackets - Asset protection allowances that vary by parent age - Special calculations for multiple students in college One important note: The new FAFSA formula eliminated the "sibling discount" that used to significantly reduce EFC when multiple children attended college simultaneously. Your twins now provide less of a reduction than in previous years, which could partly explain the high figure.

my friend said her parents college contributions were actually split between her and her brother so maybe the 48k is actually 24k per kid? still a lot but maybe thats whats happening?

If you've verified your FAFSA information is correct, here are your next steps: 1. Contact each college's financial aid office directly and request a Professional Judgment review based on the unrealistic SAI calculation 2. Prepare documentation showing your actual living expenses, debt obligations, and realistic ability to pay 3. Ask specifically about institutional aid options - many schools have separate funds they can offer outside of federal aid 4. Look into CSS Profile schools - they often use a different formula that may be more favorable in your situation with twins 5. Consider filing an appeal based on special circumstances if there have been any changes to your financial situation since the tax year used for FAFSA The 68% contribution rate is clearly unrealistic, and financial aid officers know this. They have discretion to adjust your aid package based on the full picture of your situation.

Did you remember to list both daughters separately on the FAFSA? A lot of people with twins only enter one child by accident

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - a 68% SAI is absolutely unreasonable! As someone new to navigating FAFSA, I've been reading through all these responses and they're incredibly helpful. That $42k inheritance you mentioned is likely the main culprit here. The FAFSA formula hits liquid assets (cash/savings) much harder than most people realize - I think it's around 5.64% of assets vs about 22-47% of income above certain thresholds. So that inheritance could be adding over $2,000 to your SAI right there, on top of the income calculation. Definitely pursue the Professional Judgment review that others mentioned - financial aid officers can often work with families when the standard formula produces unrealistic results like yours. Keep us posted on how the meetings with the colleges go!