FAFSA SAI changes after processing - anyone else see major differences?

Mine increased by like $2k and I have no idea WHY?? The formula is supposed to be more generous this year but I'm seeing the opposite. Something is wrong with their calculations

Exactly! I thought the new formula was supposed to help more people qualify for aid. Did you try calling FSA to ask about the discrepancy?

This is actually happening to a lot of people. The preliminary SAI estimate you received was based on the information you entered, but during processing, the system compares it to other data sources (like your tax returns via the IRS DRT). Any discrepancies might lead to an adjusted SAI.\n\nThe most common reasons for increases are:\n1. Tax information differences that weren't caught in the initial estimate\n2. Asset reporting miscalculations that got corrected\n3. Household size/number in college verification issues\n4. Untaxed income that wasn't initially accounted for\n\nI'd recommend checking your Student Aid Report (SAR) carefully to see what changed from your initial submission. You can also request a professional judgment review from your school's financial aid office if you believe the SAI doesn't accurately reflect your financial situation.

Thank you for this detailed explanation. I did use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, so I'm surprised there would be discrepancies with my tax info. I'll check my SAR right now to see if I can spot what changed. I didn't realize the initial estimate wasn't final - they should really make that clearer on the website!

mine went DOWN by about 1200 which was awesome but i have no clue why. not complaining tho lol

Same! Mine dropped by $800. I think they must be doing something with the calculations behind the scenes. You got lucky!

The estimated SAI and final SAI discrepancies are a known issue this year. The Department of Education has acknowledged that the estimator tool wasn't perfectly aligned with the final calculation system. About 40% of applicants are seeing changes (both increases and decreases) between their estimated and final SAI figures.\n\nBefore panicking, contact your school's financial aid office. They have the ability to conduct a professional judgment review if your financial circumstances warrant it. Also, remember that your SAI is just one component of how aid is distributed - institutional methodology might still result in a good aid package depending on the school.\n\nIf you need to speak directly with Federal Student Aid about why your numbers changed, be prepared for long wait times. I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an FSA agent in under 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. It was genuinely helpful for getting someone to explain the specific changes to my SAI calculation.

Thank you for the info! I didn't realize this was affecting so many applicants. I'll definitely reach out to my school's financial aid office to see if they can help. And thanks for the tip about Claimyr - I tried calling FSA yesterday and gave up after being on hold for 45 minutes. I'll check out that service.

Does that Claimyr thing actually work? I've been trying to get through to FSA for WEEKS about a similar issue. Their hold times are insane.

Yes, it worked for me. I was skeptical too but was desperate after trying for days to reach someone. They connected me much faster than waiting on my own. The agent was able to pull up my application and explain exactly which fields had caused the SAI change.

MY SAI WENT UP BY $6,500!!! I'm LIVID! I spent hours making sure every single field was filled out correctly. Used the IRS data retrieval. Triple-checked everything. And now I might lose my Pell Grant eligibility because of some mysterious calculation change they won't explain? This is absolutely unacceptable. The whole Better FAFSA thing is a DISASTER. \n\nI've called 12 times and either get disconnected or wait on hold forever. The schools have no answers. We're all just left hanging while our college plans implode. I'm about ready to give up on college altogether.

I feel your pain! It's so frustrating when you do everything right and still end up worse off. Have you had any luck getting through to someone at FSA for an explanation?

No! It's impossible to talk to anyone who can actually help. I've tried at different times of day, different days of the week. The whole system is broken and nobody cares that students are suffering. I'm going to try appealing directly to my school, but I'm not hopeful.

My daughter's SAI actually decreased by about $1,200 from the estimate. We were surprised but obviously pleased. I think they're adjusting some calculations on the back end based on feedback they're getting. The new FAFSA has been really problematic with all the delays and technical issues.

After checking your SAR, if you can't identify what changed, you should specifically request a

Thank you! I checked my SAR and it looks like they recalculated some of my parent's retirement savings as available assets, which wasn't counted in the initial estimate. They were planning to use some of that money for home repairs, not education. Would that qualify for a professional judgment review?

Yes, that could potentially qualify for professional judgment! The key is documentation - your parents would need to provide evidence of the planned home repairs (contractor quotes, etc.) and explain why those repairs are necessary. Each school handles these reviews differently, but if the repairs are essential (like roof replacement or fixing structural issues), many financial aid offices will consider removing those assets from the calculation.

wait i'm confused, is SAI the same thing as EFC?? i thought they just renamed it but it sounds like the formula is completely different?

Great question! SAI (Student Aid Index) replaced EFC (Expected Family Contribution) in the 2024-2025 FAFSA, and while they serve similar purposes in determining aid eligibility, the underlying formula has changed significantly. \n\nThe SAI uses updated income protection allowances, handles multiple children in college differently, and has new treatment of certain assets. It can even go as low as -$1,500 (unlike EFC which couldn't go below zero), potentially helping the neediest students qualify for more aid.\n\nSo it's not just a name change - it's a completely revised calculation method, which is why many people are seeing unexpected differences from previous years.

oh wow thanks for explaining! that makes more sense now. i wish they would make this stuff clearer instead of just throwing new acronyms at us lol

I heard the Department of Education is looking at all the complaints about SAI changes and might make adjustments. My financial aid counselor told me to wait a few weeks before panicking because they might fix the calculation issues.

Update: I called my school's financial aid office and they were actually really helpful! They said they're seeing this issue with lots of students and are being more flexible with professional judgment reviews this year because of all the FAFSA problems. They're going to review my case next week. \n\nI also filed a correction on studentaid.gov to clarify that portion of my parents' savings that's earmarked for home repairs. The financial aid officer said that might help lower my SAI.\n\nFingers crossed this gets resolved before I have to make my enrollment decision. Thanks everyone for your advice and commiseration!

That's great news! I'm glad your school is being accommodating. Many institutions are indeed being more flexible this year given all the FAFSA implementation issues. Please update us when you hear back about your professional judgment review!

You're lucky your school is being helpful. Mine just keeps saying \

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this too! As someone new to this whole process, it's honestly terrifying to see how many people are experiencing these dramatic SAI changes. I haven't submitted my FAFSA yet (I know, I'm cutting it close), but now I'm wondering if I should wait to see if they fix these calculation issues, or just submit and hope for the best? Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key is having a backup plan and being ready to work with your school's financial aid office if your numbers don't make sense. @Aisha Khan, I'm really glad to hear your school is being flexible - that gives me some hope that not all institutions are just shrugging their shoulders at this mess. For those of you who had increases, have any of your schools indicated whether they might adjust their aid packages to account for the FAFSA problems, even if the professional judgment reviews don't work out?

As someone who's completely new to the FAFSA process, this thread is both helpful and absolutely terrifying! I'm a first-generation college student and my family has been relying on online calculators and estimates to plan for college costs. Seeing that so many people are experiencing these dramatic SAI changes after processing makes me wonder if we've been planning based on completely wrong numbers. I'm particularly concerned because my family's financial situation is pretty complicated - my parents are self-employed and we have some assets that I'm not even sure how to report correctly. Reading @Yuki Ito's explanation about how the system compares your entered information to other data sources during processing makes me think we might be in for a rude awakening. For those who've been through this before, is there anything specific I should double-check or document before submitting to avoid these kinds of surprises? I'm already stressed enough about affording college without having to worry about my aid estimate being completely wrong!

I'm also completely new to this and honestly feeling pretty overwhelmed after reading through all these experiences! My FAFSA was just processed last week and thankfully my SAI only went up by about $300 from the estimate, but seeing some of you with increases of $4,000+ is making me realize how lucky I got. What's really concerning me though is that I'm seeing people mention they used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and STILL had discrepancies. I thought that was supposed to eliminate errors by pulling directly from tax records? @Yuki Ito, when you mentioned that the system compares to "other data sources" during processing, what other sources are they using besides the IRS data? I'm also wondering if anyone knows whether these calculation issues are more common for certain types of families? Like are self-employed families or those with more complex financial situations seeing bigger discrepancies? Trying to figure out if there's a pattern so I can warn my friends who haven't submitted yet. Really hoping the Department of Education gets this sorted out soon because the stress of not knowing if your aid estimate is even close to accurate is just brutal when you're trying to make college decisions! 😰

This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening for me as someone who just started the FAFSA process! I submitted mine about two weeks ago and it's still showing as "in review" on studentaid.gov, but now I'm genuinely nervous about what my final SAI is going to look like compared to the estimate. What's really striking me is how many different experiences people are having - some seeing decreases like @Carmen Lopez and @Andre Dupont, others facing massive increases like @Jamal Wilson. It seems almost random which direction the changes go, which makes it impossible to predict or prepare for. I'm particularly grateful for @Yuki Ito's detailed explanations about why these discrepancies happen and the professional judgment review process. I had no idea that was even an option! And @QuantumQuasar, thanks for mentioning that this is affecting about 40% of applicants - somehow knowing it's widespread makes it feel less like a personal failing and more like a systemic issue. For those of us still waiting for processing, it sounds like the key takeaway is to have all our documentation ready and be prepared to advocate with our schools' financial aid offices if needed. @Aisha Khan, really hoping your professional judgment review works out well - please keep us posted! This whole situation is definitely adding stress to an already overwhelming process, but at least we're all in it together. Fingers crossed the Department of Education gets these calculation issues sorted out soon! 🤞

Wow, reading through all these experiences is both validating and terrifying! I'm another newcomer who submitted my FAFSA about 10 days ago and it finally showed as processed yesterday. My SAI increased by $2,100 from the estimate, which isn't as dramatic as some of the increases mentioned here, but it's still enough to potentially impact my aid package. What's really frustrating is that I was super careful with my application - double-checked everything, used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, and even had my parents review it before submitting. Yet somehow the numbers still changed! @Yuki Ito, your explanation about the system doing additional verification checks during processing really helped me understand what might have happened. I'm going to pull up my SAR today to see if I can identify what changed, and I'll definitely reach out to my school's financial aid office if needed. @Aisha Khan, I'm really hoping your professional judgment review goes well! It's encouraging to hear that your school is being flexible given all the FAFSA issues this year. Please keep us posted on how it turns out. This whole situation just reinforces how unpredictable the financial aid process has become this year. At least we're all navigating this chaos together! 🤞

As someone completely new to this process, I'm honestly shocked by how widespread these SAI discrepancies seem to be! I just submitted my FAFSA two days ago after reading horror stories online, but this thread is making me realize the problems are even more common than I thought. The fact that people who were super careful with their applications - using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, double-checking everything - are still seeing these dramatic changes is really concerning. It makes me wonder if there's any point in being meticulous with the application if the final numbers might be completely different anyway! @Yuki Ito, your explanations about why these changes happen have been incredibly helpful for understanding the process. I had no idea the system did additional verification beyond what you initially submit. @Aisha Khan, I'm really rooting for your professional judgment review to work out - it gives me hope that there are solutions even when the numbers don't make sense. What's particularly scary as a newcomer is not knowing whether to trust ANY of the estimates or calculators out there. How are we supposed to make informed decisions about college affordability when even the official FAFSA estimate might be off by thousands of dollars? At least it sounds like many schools are being more understanding this year given all the technical issues. Keeping my fingers crossed that by the time my application processes, maybe some of these calculation problems will have been resolved! 🤞

This thread has been so incredibly helpful as someone who just submitted their FAFSA last week! I had no idea these SAI discrepancies were so common - when I first heard about it from a friend, I thought it was just bad luck, but seeing all these stories makes it clear this is a major systemic issue. What's really giving me anxiety is that my family situation is pretty complex (divorced parents, small business income) so I'm expecting my application to trigger all kinds of verification issues. Reading @Yuki Ito's explanation about how the system cross-references multiple data sources during processing makes me think I should probably start gathering documentation now rather than waiting to see what happens. @Aisha Khan, I'm really hoping your professional judgment review works out! It's encouraging to see that schools are being more flexible this year. For those of us still waiting for processing, do you have any advice on what we should be prepared to provide if we need to request a review? I'm definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service @QuantumQuasar mentioned - after reading @Jamal Wilson's frustration with trying to reach FSA, it sounds like having a way to actually talk to someone could be crucial if things go sideways with my SAI. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's making this whole nightmare feel a lot less isolating! 🤞

As someone who literally just created an account to ask about this exact issue, I cannot tell you how relieved I am to find this thread! My FAFSA processed three days ago and my SAI jumped from an estimated $2,400 to $6,900. I've been spiraling thinking I somehow messed up my application catastrophically. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both comforting (I'm not alone!) and terrifying (this is happening to SO many people). The randomness of it all is what's really getting to me - some people seeing decreases, others seeing massive increases, seemingly regardless of how careful they were with their applications. @Yuki Ito, thank you for the detailed explanations about why these discrepancies happen. I had no idea the system did additional verification beyond the initial submission. I'm definitely going to pull up my SAR today to see what might have changed. @Aisha Khan, I'm really hoping your professional judgment review works out well! It gives me hope that there are solutions available even when the numbers seem completely wrong. Please keep us posted on how it goes! For anyone else in the same boat - I called my school's financial aid office yesterday and they said they're seeing this issue with tons of students this year. They're scheduling appointments specifically to help people understand their SAI changes and file appeals if needed. So don't panic (easier said than done, I know) - it sounds like the schools are aware this is a widespread problem and are trying to help!

Welcome to the club, @PixelWarrior! 😅 I just joined this community specifically because of this FAFSA nightmare too. My SAI went up by $3,200 from the estimate and I was absolutely panicking until I found this thread. It's honestly both reassuring and infuriating to see how widespread this issue is. Like you said, the randomness is the worst part - there seems to be no rhyme or reason to who gets increases vs decreases. I keep refreshing studentaid.gov hoping maybe it was just a glitch that will magically fix itself, but no such luck! That's really encouraging that your school's financial aid office is being proactive about helping students with SAI discrepancies. Mine hasn't been as responsive yet, but I'm definitely going to push harder for a meeting after seeing @Aisha Khan's success with her professional judgment review. @Yuki Ito's explanations have been a lifesaver for understanding what might actually be happening behind the scenes. I never realized the initial estimate was just that - an estimate that could change dramatically during processing. They really should make that clearer on the website! Fingers crossed we all get this sorted out before enrollment deadlines. At least we're not suffering through this chaos alone! 🤞