FAFSA SAI doesn't account for multiple kids in college - now facing $100K cost

You're absolutely right to be confused and frustrated. The new FAFSA/SAI system eliminated the adjustment for multiple children in college that existed in the old EFC formula. It was one of the most significant and problematic changes. This means families with multiple children in college simultaneously are getting hit HARD. What's happening is that your SAI is calculated based on your family income and assets, but unlike before, it's no longer divided by the number of college students in your household.

We're in the same boat!!! Got $52k SAI for my twins EACH. That's $104,000!!! Who has that kind of money laying around?? The financial aid officer literally laughed when I asked if there was an adjustment for multiple students. She said "that's what Parent PLUS loans are for" 🤬

The multiple children in college adjustment was eliminated during the FAFSA Simplification Act. While the intent was to streamline the process, this particular change has created significant hardship for families like yours with multiple students. Here are your options: 1. File a special circumstances appeal with each college's financial aid office specifically citing the multiple students issue 2. Look into merit scholarships that aren't need-based 3. Consider whether one student might benefit from starting at a community college 4. Compare your financial aid packages carefully - some schools may offer institutional aid to offset this issue Importantly, each school has discretion to adjust your aid package through professional judgment. Be persistent about requesting adjustments based on the multiple student issue.

I spent 4 HOURS on hold with the Federal Student Aid hotline trying to get clarification on this exact issue, and when I finally got someone, they couldn't give me a straight answer. Then got disconnected when they transferred me to a "specialist." Total waste of time!!

Have you considered that maybe this is actually MORE accurate? If you think about it, having two kids in college doesn't actually reduce your income or assets. The old system essentially gave a discount that wasn't really justified by financial reality. The new system simply recognizes what you can actually contribute based on your financial position, regardless of how many children you have enrolled. I know that's not what you want to hear, but the FAFSA is designed to calculate what you CAN pay, not what you WANT to pay.

I want to add that while the federal methodology no longer accounts for multiple students, some colleges will still consider this in their institutional methodology. Private colleges that use the CSS Profile often have more flexibility. Even if your kids aren't at schools that use CSS Profile, ask specifically about institutional adjustments for multiple children in college. Schools have the authority to make professional judgment adjustments to your aid package based on special circumstances, which can include having multiple students in college. The key is to be specific and persistent in your requests.

my cousin had to take a gap year because of this exact issue. his sister was already a junior and they couldn't afford both at once with the new sai system. its totally messed up tbh

Here's a practical strategy that's working for some families: If your SAI is inequitable due to the multiple children issue, approach your financial aid offices with competing offers. Colleges have discretionary funds they can use to match or beat offers from peer institutions. This strategy works best when: 1. Your students have strong academic profiles 2. You're transparent about your multiple-student challenge 3. You have an offer from a comparable institution Collect all your aid offers, then schedule appointments with financial aid officers (not just emails) to discuss adjustments. Be specific about what would make attendance possible. Many schools are aware of this FAFSA deficiency and have internal policies to address it.

I heard they're going to fix this in the next FAFSA update but who knows when that will actually happen. Too late for us anyway!

The irony is that the FAFSA simplification was supposed to make things MORE equitable and accessible. Instead, they've created a system that's actually LESS fair to families with multiple students. And don't get me started on how they now completely ignore medical expenses when calculating SAI. My husband has chronic health issues with $18k in annual out-of-pocket costs, and that's not considered either!

This is exactly why I joined this community - to connect with other families going through the same nightmare. We're facing a $95K combined SAI for our twins (both juniors in high school, so this is just a preview of what's coming). I've been researching this issue extensively, and what I've found is that some state schools are actually creating their own institutional policies to address this gap. For example, several state university systems are now offering "multiple enrollment grants" specifically to offset the federal formula's shortcomings. It might be worth reaching out to your state's higher education office to see if they have any programs in development. Also, I've heard that starting the appeals process early in the financial aid cycle (like January/February) gives you better chances than waiting until summer when discretionary funds are depleted. The whole system is broken, but at least we're not alone in fighting it!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's absolutely maddening! We're in a similar situation with our two kids and the SAI numbers are just completely unrealistic. What really gets me is how the financial aid offices act like this is totally normal and reasonable. "Just take out Parent PLUS loans for $100K!" they say, as if that's not completely insane. I've been documenting everything for our appeals - screenshots of the old EFC vs new SAI calculations, our actual monthly expenses, everything. One thing I learned is to ask specifically for the "Director of Financial Aid" when you call, not just whoever answers the phone. The front desk staff often don't have the authority to make adjustments, but directors usually do. Also, if you have any competing offers from similar schools, definitely mention those in your appeals. Some schools will match or beat offers from peer institutions. This whole situation is forcing families to make impossible choices, and it's heartbreaking to see so many kids having to delay or change their college plans because of this flawed formula.

I'm new to this community but facing the exact same nightmare with my two kids! Our SAI came back at $51K for each child - that's $102,000 total that they think we can just magically produce each year. Like everyone else here, I'm completely baffled by how they eliminated the multiple children adjustment. It's not like our income doubled overnight just because we have two kids in college! I've been lurking here reading all your advice and it's both terrifying and comforting to know we're not alone. The suggestion about asking for the Director of Financial Aid specifically really resonates - I've been getting nowhere with the general financial aid staff who just keep parroting "that's the new system." I'm going to start making those calls tomorrow and push for special circumstance reviews at both schools. This whole situation is keeping me up at night wondering how we're supposed to afford this without completely decimating our retirement savings or taking on crushing debt. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and strategies - it's invaluable for families like mine who are just starting to navigate this broken system.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue and it's absolutely infuriating! Our SAI came back at $47K for my oldest (junior) and $46K for my youngest (incoming freshman) - nearly $94K total. What really burns me up is that under the old EFC system, we would have had maybe $25K each after the sibling adjustment. Now they're essentially telling us our family contribution should nearly QUADRUPLE just because they decided to eliminate a completely reasonable adjustment? I've started reaching out to both schools' financial aid offices but like everyone else here, I'm getting the runaround. One officer actually told me "well, you could always consider community college for one of them" - as if that's a solution after these kids worked their tails off to get into their dream schools! I'm going to try the strategy mentioned about asking specifically for Directors of Financial Aid. Has anyone had success getting schools to acknowledge that this change creates genuine hardship for families who planned their college financing based on the previous system? It feels like we're being punished for having kids close in age and for doing everything "right" in terms of saving and planning ahead.

I'm brand new to this community but unfortunately not new to this nightmare! Just got our SAI results yesterday - $53K for my daughter (sophomore) and $51K for my son (incoming freshman). That's $104,000 they expect us to contribute in one year! I literally had to sit down when I saw those numbers because I thought there had to be some mistake. Under the old EFC system, we were looking at maybe $28K each after the sibling adjustment. Now they've more than DOUBLED what they think we can pay, with the same income and assets! I've been reading through all your posts and it's both validating and terrifying to see so many families in identical situations. The advice about asking specifically for Directors of Financial Aid instead of general staff is exactly what I needed to hear - I called both schools today and got the usual "that's the new formula" brush-off from front desk staff. Tomorrow I'm calling back and demanding to speak with directors about special circumstances appeals. What really gets me is that we did everything financial planners told us to do - saved in 529s, lived below our means, planned for college costs based on the existing system. Now they've pulled the rug out from under families like us who played by the rules. Thank you all for sharing your strategies and experiences. It helps to know we're not fighting this alone!

I'm completely new to this community but unfortunately very familiar with this exact nightmare! Just received our SAI results and I'm still in shock - $48K for my junior and $49K for my incoming freshman, totaling $97,000 they think we can magically produce each year. Like so many others here, our old EFC would have been around $26K each after the sibling adjustment, so this represents more than a 85% increase with zero change in our financial situation! What really frustrates me is that we specifically chose to have our kids close together so they'd overlap in college and we could benefit from the sibling discount that had existed for decades. Now that careful planning has backfired spectacularly. I've already started calling both schools but got the usual dismissive responses from general staff. After reading everyone's advice here, I'm going back tomorrow to demand meetings with the actual Directors of Financial Aid and armed with documentation showing the comparison between old and new calculations. It's both comforting and infuriating to see so many families facing identical situations - this isn't a few isolated cases, this is a systematic failure that's devastating middle-class families who did everything right. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and strategies. At least we're not fighting this broken system alone!

I'm also new to this community but sadly very experienced with this exact nightmare! Just got our SAI results last week - $52K for my daughter (senior) and $50K for my son (incoming freshman), for a jaw-dropping total of $102,000 they expect us to pay annually. Under the old EFC system, we would have been looking at around $27K each with the sibling adjustment, so this represents nearly a 90% increase overnight! What's particularly galling is that we specifically structured our finances and college timeline around the existing system that had been in place for decades. Now all that careful planning feels like a cruel joke. I've already made initial calls to both schools and predictably got the standard "that's just how the new formula works" responses from front-line staff. But after reading through all the incredibly helpful advice shared here, I'm going back tomorrow armed with documentation and demanding to speak with Directors of Financial Aid about special circumstances appeals. The consistency of everyone's experiences here is both validating and terrifying - this isn't affecting just a few unlucky families, it's systematically devastating responsible middle-class families who saved diligently and planned ahead. Thank you all for creating this supportive community and sharing your strategies. Knowing we're not alone in fighting this broken system gives me hope that persistence might actually lead to some relief!