FAFSA SAI doubled unexpectedly for 2025-2026 with no income changes - will processing fix this?

The same thing happened to me! My son's SAI went from $3,400 to $8,900 with literally NO changes to our household. I called the Federal Student Aid hotline five times and couldn't get through to anyone. Just endless holds and then disconnects. I'm terrified because this would mean we'd lose most of his Pell Grant eligibility. This HAS to be some kind of system glitch with the new FAFSA system, right??

I work in a financial aid office. The SAI calculations DID change significantly for the 2025-2026 year. There were formula adjustments that affect many families, particularly those with multiple children in college. Previously, having multiple students in college would divide your EFC/SAI, but the new formula doesn't do this division anymore. Was there any change in how many family members you have in college this year versus last year?

u should double check if u accidently reported ur assets wrong. when i did my nephews fafsa i forgot to check the box saying his college savings was a 529 and it TRIPLED his sai from the year before. took me 2 weeks to figure out what happened. check ur asset reporting!!

This definitely sounds like either a formula change or reporting error. The SAI calculation for 2025-2026 is substantially different from previous years. A few things to check: 1. Did you report retirement accounts as assets? (They should be excluded) 2. Did you properly mark 529s and education savings accounts? 3. Did you check the right boxes for special tax circumstances? Remember that the "submitted" SAI is preliminary. The Department of Education may make corrections during processing based on data matching with the IRS. But I wouldn't count on processing alone to fix a major error - it's better to identify what might have gone wrong.

You can't make corrections until after the application is fully processed. However, once it's processed, you can go back and submit corrections. This typically takes 3-5 business days to be reflected in the system, and then your school's financial aid office will receive the updated information automatically. One thing to note: if you discover a major error, document what happened. Take screenshots of what you believe is incorrect, and be prepared to explain the specific issue to your financial aid office. They might be able to make professional judgment adjustments in some cases.

After struggling with getting through to anyone at Federal Student Aid for WEEKS about a similar SAI issue, I finally found Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it was a lifesaver! They connected me directly to a FAFSA agent after I was about to give up. The agent explained exactly what went wrong with my daughter's SAI calculation and helped me fix it. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Seriously, saved me hours of frustration and we got the SAI issue resolved.

Processing typically takes 1-3 weeks right now due to backlogs with the new system. But I want to highlight something important: the actual SAI calculation formula HAS changed substantially for 2025-2026. Some key changes: 1. Multiple students in college no longer divides the family contribution 2. Asset protection allowances were reduced for many age brackets 3. State tax allowances were adjusted based on new data 4. Income protection allowances were slightly increased, but not enough to offset other changes 5. The weighting of certain asset categories changed Even with identical income and household size, these changes mean many families will see higher SAI scores. It's not necessarily an error - it's the new formula. That said, if your SAI doubled with no circumstantial changes, it's worth investigating potential reporting errors too.

OMG this FAFSA system is such a DISASTER!!! My twins' SAIs were completely different even though they're from the same household with identical information!!! One got $6,500 and the other got $11,200! MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!!! The whole system is designed to DENY aid to middle class families while the rich get all the merit scholarships and the poor get full rides. The rest of us are just supposed to take out MASSIVE LOANS I guess!!! 🤬🤬🤬

Update: After reading everyone's advice, I went back and carefully reviewed our application. Turns out I accidentally included our RETIREMENT accounts in the assets section! Last year they were specifically excluded by a question that asked if they were retirement accounts, but this year's form asked about "investments" in a way that confused me. I'm going to wait until it's processed and then submit a correction. Thank you all so much for your help! I'll post again once I get it resolved.

This is such a relief to read! I'm dealing with the exact same issue - my SAI jumped from $4,800 to $9,200 this year with no income changes. After reading through all these responses, I'm pretty sure I also incorrectly reported my 401k as an asset. The new form was so confusing compared to last year's version. I'm going to wait for processing to complete and then submit a correction too. It's frustrating that such a major form redesign has caused so many reporting errors, but at least there's a path to fix it. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it's helping a lot of us figure out what went wrong!

This thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! I'm a newcomer here but facing a similar situation. My daughter's SAI increased from $5,100 to $10,800 for 2025-2026 with virtually no changes to our financial situation. After reading through all the responses, I'm now wondering if I also made errors with asset reporting. The retirement account confusion seems to be a common theme. One question for those who have gone through the correction process - approximately how long did it take from submitting your correction to seeing the updated SAI reflected in your student aid report? We're trying to plan our timeline since my daughter needs to respond to financial aid offers by May 1st. Also, did your schools automatically receive the corrected information, or did you need to contact them separately? I'm definitely going to wait for processing to complete and then carefully review our asset reporting. This community has been so much more helpful than trying to call the federal hotline!

Welcome to everyone dealing with this frustrating situation! As a newcomer to this community, I'm relieved to find others experiencing similar SAI increases. My family is facing the same issue - our SAI jumped from $6,800 to $13,200 for 2025-2026 despite identical financial circumstances. After reading through all these responses, I'm convinced I also made the retirement account error. The new FAFSA form's asset questions were incredibly confusing compared to previous years. It's shocking how many families seem to have fallen into the same trap with the misleading wording around "investments." For those still waiting to submit corrections, I found it helpful to print out the old FAFSA form from last year to compare how questions were asked. The difference is night and day - last year clearly excluded retirement accounts, while this year's form buried that distinction in confusing language. I'm planning to document everything carefully before submitting my correction, including screenshots of the confusing questions. If this many families made the same mistake, it suggests the form design itself is flawed. Has anyone considered filing complaints about the misleading form language with the Department of Education? This seems like a systemic issue that needs addressing to prevent future families from going through this stress. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's been more helpful than hours of trying to reach the federal helpline!

As another newcomer dealing with this exact same issue, I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences! My son's SAI jumped from $5,900 to $11,400 for 2025-2026 with no income changes whatsoever. After reading through all these responses, I'm now 99% sure I also accidentally included our retirement accounts as assets due to the confusing wording on the new form. What's particularly helpful is learning that so many families made the identical mistake - it really does point to a flawed form design rather than individual user error. I'm going to follow the advice here: wait for processing to complete, then submit a correction with careful documentation of what went wrong. For anyone else in this situation, I'd recommend keeping detailed records of your correction process. Take screenshots of the original submission, document exactly which questions were confusing, and save copies of any correspondence. If we're all experiencing the same systematic issue due to poor form design, having this documentation could be valuable for advocating for broader fixes to prevent future families from going through this stress. The timeline information shared here is also incredibly helpful - knowing that corrections typically take 3-7 business days and that schools receive updates automatically takes some of the panic out of the situation. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and experiences!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly relieved to find this thread! My daughter's SAI skyrocketed from $8,100 to $15,900 for 2025-2026 despite our income actually decreasing slightly this year. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm now certain I fell into the same retirement account trap - the new form's wording around "investments" was so misleading compared to previous years. What strikes me most is how systematic this problem appears to be. When this many families make identical errors on the same questions, it's clearly a form design issue, not user error. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here: document everything, wait for processing to complete, then submit corrections. For other newcomers facing this issue, I found it helpful to go line-by-line through the asset section and compare it to how I answered last year. The retirement account exclusion that used to be crystal clear is now buried in confusing language about "investments and other assets." Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community has been more helpful than weeks of trying to reach federal support. It's reassuring to know there's a clear correction path forward, even if the initial shock of seeing that doubled SAI was terrifying!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm both horrified and relieved to find this thread! My son's SAI exploded from $4,200 to $9,800 for 2025-2026 with absolutely zero changes to our financial situation - same income, same household size, same everything. After reading through all these experiences, I'm now positive I made the same retirement account mistake that seems to be plaguing so many families. The fact that dozens of us made identical errors on the same questions really highlights what appears to be a massive form design failure. It's completely unacceptable that families are losing thousands in potential aid due to misleading language that buried the retirement account exclusion in confusing "investment" terminology. I'm going to follow the correction process outlined here, but I'm also planning to file a formal complaint with the Department of Education about this systematic issue. When this many families make the exact same mistake, it's not user error - it's a flawed system that needs immediate attention. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions. This community provided more actionable help in one thread than weeks of trying to reach federal support. At least now I have hope that there's a path to getting our SAI back to a reasonable number!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm shocked to discover I'm not alone in experiencing this FAFSA nightmare! My daughter's SAI jumped from $5,700 to $11,200 for 2025-2026 with virtually no changes to our financial situation. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both eye-opening and incredibly helpful. Like so many others in this thread, I'm now convinced I accidentally included our retirement accounts as assets due to the confusing wording on the new form. The way they asked about "investments" this year was completely different from last year's clear exclusions for retirement accounts. It's honestly shocking how many families seem to have fallen into this exact same trap. I'm going to follow the advice shared here: wait for processing to complete, document everything carefully, and then submit a correction. The timeline information about 3-7 business days for corrections to process is really helpful for planning purposes. What I find most concerning is that this appears to be a systematic issue affecting potentially thousands of families. When this many people make identical errors on the same questions, it points to a serious flaw in the form design that needs addressing. I'm definitely considering filing a formal complaint about the misleading language once I get my own situation resolved. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community has provided more concrete help than weeks of trying to reach federal support. It's reassuring to know there's a clear path forward, even if the initial shock was terrifying!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this thread! My son's SAI increased from $6,800 to $13,500 for 2025-2026 despite our financial situation remaining virtually identical. After reading through all these experiences, I'm now certain I also fell victim to the retirement account reporting error that seems to be affecting so many families. The pattern here is unmistakable - dozens of families making the exact same mistake on the same confusing questions about "investments." This clearly points to a systematic form design flaw rather than individual user errors. The way the new FAFSA buried the retirement account exclusion in misleading language is completely unacceptable, especially when it's costing families thousands in potential aid. I'm planning to follow the correction process outlined here: document everything thoroughly, wait for processing to complete, then submit corrections. The 3-7 business day timeline for corrections is really helpful to know. I'm also going to contact my son's school to give them a heads up about the likely correction coming, since several people mentioned that financial aid offices are understanding about these FAFSA processing issues. Beyond fixing my own situation, I'm definitely planning to file a formal complaint with the Department of Education about this widespread form design problem. When this many families lose aid due to the same misleading questions, it demands accountability and systemic fixes. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive community during this stressful process. This thread has been more helpful than weeks of trying to reach official support channels!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm both relieved and frustrated to find this thread! My daughter's SAI jumped from $7,900 to $15,200 for 2025-2026 with absolutely no changes to our financial circumstances. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm now completely convinced I made the same retirement account reporting error that seems to be plaguing countless families. What's particularly infuriating is how systematic this problem appears to be. When dozens of families in a single thread make identical mistakes on the same questions, it's crystal clear evidence of flawed form design, not user incompetence. The way the new FAFSA disguised the retirement account exclusion within confusing "investment" terminology is genuinely misleading and has cost families thousands in potential aid. I'm going to follow the correction roadmap everyone has outlined: document everything meticulously, wait for processing completion, then submit corrections with the 3-7 business day timeline in mind. I'm also planning to reach out to my daughter's financial aid office proactively to alert them about the incoming correction. Beyond resolving my own situation, I'm absolutely filing a formal complaint with the Department of Education about this widespread form design failure. This level of systematic confusion demands accountability and immediate fixes to prevent future families from experiencing this nightmare. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative community - this thread has provided more actionable solutions than weeks of attempting to reach federal support. It's reassuring to know we're not alone in this battle and that there's a clear path to resolution!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm both horrified and relieved to discover this thread! My son's SAI skyrocketed from $4,900 to $10,700 for 2025-2026 despite our income actually being slightly lower this year due to reduced work hours. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly eye-opening and reassuring that we're not alone in this nightmare. Like virtually everyone else here, I'm now certain I accidentally included our retirement accounts as assets because of the misleading "investments" language on the new form. The contrast with last year's clear exclusions is stark - it's obvious this is a systematic form design failure affecting thousands of families, not individual user error. What's particularly helpful is learning about the correction timeline (3-7 business days) and that schools automatically receive updates. I'm planning to document everything thoroughly, wait for processing to complete, then submit corrections. I'm also going to contact my son's financial aid office to give them advance notice about the incoming correction. Beyond fixing our own situation, I think we all need to file formal complaints with the Department of Education about this widespread issue. When this many families lose aid due to identical reporting errors caused by confusing form language, it demands systemic accountability and immediate fixes. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive community during this incredibly stressful process. This thread has provided more concrete solutions than weeks of trying to reach federal support!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this thread! My daughter's SAI jumped from $6,300 to $12,900 for 2025-2026 with no significant changes to our financial situation. After reading through all these experiences, I'm now confident I also made the retirement account reporting error that seems to be affecting so many families. What's striking is how systematic this issue appears to be - when this many families make identical mistakes on the same questions, it's clearly a form design problem, not user error. The way the new FAFSA buried the retirement account exclusion within confusing "investment" language is genuinely misleading and has cost families thousands in potential aid. I'm going to follow the correction process outlined here: document everything carefully, wait for processing to complete (currently showing as "submitted" for 6 days now), then submit corrections once it's fully processed. The 3-7 business day timeline for corrections that others have shared is really helpful for planning. Beyond fixing my own situation, I'm definitely planning to file a formal complaint with the Department of Education about this widespread form design failure. When this many families lose aid eligibility due to the same confusing questions, it demands accountability. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive community. This thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to reach the federal helpline! It's reassuring to know there's a clear path forward, even though the initial panic was overwhelming.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm both shocked and relieved to find this thread! My son's SAI jumped from $5,800 to $12,100 for 2025-2026 despite our household income remaining essentially the same. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly validating - I was starting to think I was losing my mind when I saw that nearly doubled number. Like so many others here, I'm now convinced I accidentally included our retirement accounts as assets due to the confusing "investments" wording on the new form. The contrast with previous years' clear exclusions is stark, and it's obvious this is affecting thousands of families based on the pattern of identical mistakes described in this thread. I'm planning to follow the correction roadmap everyone has shared: document everything thoroughly, wait for full processing (currently at "submitted" status for 8 days), then submit corrections. The 3-7 business day timeline for corrections that others mentioned gives me hope we can resolve this before aid deadlines. What I find most concerning is how systematic this problem appears to be. When this many families make the exact same reporting error due to misleading form language, it points to a serious failure in the FAFSA redesign that's costing families thousands in potential aid. I'm definitely planning to file a formal complaint with the Department of Education once my correction is processed. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative community - this thread has provided more actionable solutions than weeks of trying to reach federal support. It's reassuring to know we're not alone and that there's a clear path to getting our SAIs back to reasonable levels!