FAFSA SAI changed from negative to zero - will this reduce my daughter's financial aid package?

same happened 2 me last yr and we ended up owing like $3000 more than the first yr it sucked

SAI changes can definitely affect your aid package, but the impact varies widely by institution. The change from -$1,500 to $0 is relatively small in the grand scheme of things, so the effect may be minimal. Remember that schools using both FAFSA and CSS Profile have their own institutional methodology for calculating need. The CSS Profile collects more detailed financial information than FAFSA does, and many schools put more weight on the Profile for their institutional aid decisions. I'd recommend reaching out directly to your daughter's financial aid office to discuss your concerns. They can often give you a preliminary estimate of how your package might change based on the new SAI.

didn't your daughter's college send you an email explaining how the new SAI calculations work? my son's school sent us this whole pamphlet thing about the changes to FAFSA and how it affects aid packages

I'm a financial aid counselor (not at your daughter's school). A change from -$1,500 to $0 SAI is actually relatively minor in terms of overall aid impact. The exact effect depends on: 1. Your daughter's school's specific aid formula 2. Whether they have any SAI cutoffs for certain grants 3. How they balance federal vs. institutional aid For federal aid, this change shouldn't affect Pell Grant eligibility much, if at all. For institutional aid, it varies widely. Some schools might reduce grants by roughly the SAI difference, others might use a multiplier effect. I'd suggest doing two things: 1. Contact the financial aid office directly 2. Check if the school has an online net price calculator that lets you input your new SAI to estimate changes Most importantly, don't panic! This is a very small change in the overall financial aid landscape.

I've been dealing with FAFSA for 3 yrs now with my two kids in college, and trying to reach someone at the Federal Student Aid office to explain these changes is IMPOSSIBLE. I spent 4 hours on hold last week before getting disconnected. When our SAI changed last year, I had so many questions about how it would affect different types of aid, but couldn't get answers until AFTER the packages were released. I finally found something called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a live FAFSA agent in about 8 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent explained that small SAI changes typically have modest effects on overall packages, but it really depends on your school's policies. They'll have much more specific answers than the general FAFSA people.

u should tell ur daughter 2 go talk to the financial aid ppl in person!!! my roommate did that last semester and they found her an extra scholarship that wasnt on the website

The whole FAFSA system is rigged anyway. They make minor adjustments to your SAI and suddenly schools think you can afford thousands more. My brother's SAI went from -2000 to 1500 and his tuition bill went up by $8000!!! Make sure you appeal whatever they give you - sometimes they'll add more money if you push back hard enough.

Quick clarification on something important: SAI (Student Aid Index) is not the same as your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) from the old FAFSA system. The calculations are different, and schools are adjusting how they use SAI in their aid formulas. Some schools are applying a direct substitution (treating SAI similar to how they treated EFC), while others have developed new institutional methodologies. This is why contacting your specific school is so crucial - they're the only ones who can tell you exactly how they're using the new SAI number in their aid calculations.

i don't understand why these colleges can't just TELL US ahead of time what our kids' aid will be!!! We have to make decisions about next year NOW but won't know what we're paying until May?? It's insane. Good luck OP hope your change doesn't hurt your wallet too much

I'm going through something similar with my son who's a junior. Our SAI went from -$800 to $400 this year - a bigger jump than yours. I called his school's financial aid office last week and they were actually pretty helpful. They explained that while federal aid (like Pell) has specific SAI thresholds, their institutional grants are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. They said changes under $1000 in SAI typically don't dramatically impact their aid decisions, but they encouraged me to submit any documentation about unchanged circumstances (like medical expenses or job situation) when I turn in the CSS Profile. Maybe worth asking your daughter's school if they have a similar policy?

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I wanted to share what happened with us. Our SAI went from -$1,200 to $200 (so a slightly bigger change than yours), and I was really worried about losing aid. Turns out the impact was much smaller than I feared - our daughter's aid package only decreased by about $800 total. The school explained that they look at the overall financial picture, not just the SAI number in isolation. Since our income and family size were basically the same, they didn't see it as a major change in our need. The key thing that helped us was being proactive - I called the financial aid office as soon as I saw the SAI change and explained our situation. They were able to walk me through how they use SAI vs other factors in their calculations. Definitely recommend reaching out to them before the packages are finalized rather than waiting to see what happens.

I'm in a very similar boat - our SAI went from -$900 to $150 this year and I've been losing sleep over it! Reading through these responses has been so helpful, especially hearing from people who've actually been through this. It sounds like the key takeaway is that most schools look at the bigger picture beyond just the SAI number, which is reassuring. I'm definitely going to call my daughter's financial aid office this week to discuss it proactively like several people suggested. Has anyone had luck getting preliminary estimates from their school's aid office before the official packages come out? I'm hoping they might be able to give us some idea of what to expect rather than waiting until May to find out.

I went through this exact same worry two years ago when my son was a sophomore! Our SAI changed from -$1,100 to $0, and I was convinced we'd lose thousands in aid. The reality was much less dramatic - his package only decreased by about $600 total. What really helped was understanding that most schools don't just plug your SAI into a formula and call it a day. They look at trends in your financial situation, family circumstances, and academic performance. Since your income only went up $2,800 and everything else stayed the same, you're showing consistency rather than a major change in financial capacity. One thing I wish I'd known earlier: some schools have "SAI bands" rather than using exact numbers. So a change from -$1,500 to $0 might not even move you into a different aid category at your daughter's school. Definitely worth asking about when you call their financial aid office!