FAFSA SAI dropped 5000 points but can't download report - only print option showing

print to PDF! thats what i did when mine came thru. just hit print then look for 'save as PDF' option instead of sending to a printer. works the same way

Congratulations on your SAI reduction! Yes, a lower SAI (Student Aid Index) is definitely better as it means you're eligible for more need-based aid. It's strange your Pell Grant didn't increase though, since those are usually directly tied to your SAI. There might be a threshold you need to cross before seeing an increase. Regarding your question, there is no direct download button on the studentaid.gov portal. The "print" option is actually how you save it. When you click print, you can select "Save as PDF" instead of sending to a physical printer. This creates a digital copy you can save anywhere on your computer or cloud storage. Make sure to save it with a clear filename like "FAFSA_2025_2026_Confirmation" so you can find it easily later.

congrats on the lower SAI! mine went up this year and i'm still mad about it 😡

I had this EXACT same problem last week and spent 2 hours trying to find a download button that doesn't exist!! The FAFSA website is SO frustrating and poorly designed. I tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline to ask about this and other questions, but kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for 45+ minutes. TWICE!! I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person at the FSA helpline. They confirmed there is NO download button - you HAVE to use the print function and save as PDF. Such a waste of my time!! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ BTW - about your SAI vs Pell question - the agent explained that Pell Grants have specific thresholds, so you can have a significant SAI drop but if you don't cross the next threshold, your Pell amount stays the same. So frustrating!

A 5000 point drop is pretty significant! Congrats! But just curious - did your family income change a lot from last year? That's usually what causes big SAI shifts.

Just to add some clarity here about the SAI and Pell Grant relationship: For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, Pell Grant eligibility follows specific thresholds based on your SAI number. The maximum Pell Grant (approx $7,395) is available to students with an SAI of -1500 or lower. As your SAI increases, your Pell Grant decreases at certain fixed intervals. So if your SAI dropped from, say, 4200 to 2700, but both values fall within the same Pell Grant threshold bracket, your award amount would remain unchanged despite the 5000 point improvement. You need to cross a threshold boundary to see your Pell amount change. Regarding the PDF issue - yes, the Department of Education's system is designed to use the print function as the download mechanism. This is standard across many government systems. When you select print, choose "Save as PDF" from your browser's print dialog. This creates a digital file that's exactly what a download button would provide.

my financial aid office told me to take screenshots of everything too just in case! the whole system is weird

wait I just remembered something - check your email! I got a PDF copy emailed to me like 2 days after my FAFSA was processed