FAFSA SAI jumped $45K higher than last year's EFC - same income, 3 kids in college

omg yes!!!! our SAI jumped by $38K and we literally have the EXACT same financials as last year. We also have multiple kids in college (twins) and somehow the new formula thinks we can pay waaaaay more. I've been crying for two days bc we were counting on similar aid packages to last year. This is a complete disaster for us.

I'm so sorry you're going through this too. Have you talked to any of your kids' financial aid offices yet? I'm trying to figure out if they have any workarounds for families caught in this mess.

The FAFSA Simplification Act significantly changed how multiple students in college are factored into the formula. Under the old system, having multiple students gave you a substantial discount via the \

Wait so the new fafsa doesnt even care if u have multiple kids in college at once?? that seems totally insane, like how do they expect families to handle that??

The official explanation is that they've adjusted the overall formula to be more generous for lower-income families. But you're right - the specific multiple-students-in-college adjustment that used to divide your EFC has been eliminated. This is hitting middle and upper-middle income families with multiple college students particularly hard.

This is unfortunately becoming a common issue, especially for families with multiple students in college. The FAFSA Simplification Act made several major changes to the formula:\n\n1. Eliminated the multiple-student division factor\n2. Changed how retirement contributions and small businesses are counted\n3. Adjusted income protection allowances (but not enough to offset other changes)\n\nFor families in your situation, I recommend three immediate steps:\n\n1. Contact each college's financial aid office directly - many schools are creating supplemental forms to identify families hit by these changes\n2. Look into CSS Profile schools, as many still factor in multiple college students\n3. Prepare documentation for a professional judgment appeal based on having multiple students in college\n\nDon't wait on this - many schools are already creating emergency funds for families caught in this situation.

Thank you for this detailed explanation. I didn't realize the multiple-student division was completely eliminated! No wonder our numbers changed so dramatically. I'll contact all three schools tomorrow morning.

My brother went thru the same thing and his SAI was like 30k higher for no reason. He tried calling the federal student aid number for 3 days and couldn't get through to anyone. The website was no help either. Not sure what happened with his situation because we don't talk much but just letting u know ur not alone!!

I've been trying to reach someone at FSA for DAYS to understand why our SAI calculation is so wildly different. Wait times are ridiculous or the call drops completely. After probably 20 attempts, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person in under 30 minutes. Worth every penny because the agent explained exactly why my SAI jumped (mainly the multiple student issue) and documented our situation for potential appeal. If you're desperate to talk to someone, check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Thanks for the tip - I've been trying to get through on the phone too with no luck. I'll check this out. Did the agent give you any hope about appealing based on having multiple students in college?

They said appeals are handled by individual schools, not FSA directly. But having the documentation that we discussed the multiple student issue specifically helps with the appeal process. The agent actually suggested asking schools about their

the whole system is RIGGED against middle class families!!! my cousin works at a college financial aid office and she said they're getting HUNDREDS of angry calls about this exact issue. the government doesn't care about regular working families trying to educate their kids. they just want us all in debt forever. total scam.

IKR?!? We're not rich enough to pay out of pocket but apparently not poor enough to get aid anymore. Like what are we supposed to do?? Tell one kid they don't get to go to college?? It's absolutely insane.

have u looked into parent plus loans? not ideal but might help get thru next year at least

I want to add some hope to this discussion. Several universities have already announced supplemental aid programs specifically for families with multiple students in college who were negatively impacted by the FAFSA changes. Schools like Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and several state universities have created special consideration pathways. \n\nAlso, don't forget that CSS Profile schools use a different methodology than FAFSA - many of them still consider multiple students in their institutional formula. If your kids are at or applying to any schools that use the CSS Profile, make sure to complete that form as well, as it might result in better institutional aid packages.

That's encouraging to hear! My oldest is at a state school, but the younger two are at private colleges that do use the CSS Profile. I'll definitely look into that and see if they have any special programs for multiple-student families.

One additional point that might help with appeals: Document exactly how much your SAI increased compared to last year's EFC. The change to the multiple-student factor is quantifiable - under the old system, your EFC would have been divided by the number of students in college. Now it's not. Financial aid offices can calculate exactly how much of your increase is due to this specific change, which can strengthen your appeal case.

my dad tried to appeal our fafsa and got nowhere...waste of time honestly. they act like having $120k household income means ur rich but they dont realize how expensive everything is these days especially in high cost areas. were in california and that income is barely middle class here.

There's an important distinction to make here: you don't appeal to FAFSA/Federal Student Aid directly. Appeals (officially called \

ohhh that makes sense, maybe thats where we went wrong. thanks for explaining!

Update: I spoke with the financial aid office at my middle child's college this morning. They were actually very understanding about the multiple-student issue and are implementing a special review process for families in our situation. They asked me to submit documentation showing that all three kids are enrolled, plus our tax returns from the last two years to verify that our financial situation hasn't changed. They said they can't promise anything, but they're trying to bridge at least part of the gap created by the formula change. I'll update again when I hear back from them. Going to call the other two schools next.

That's good news! Please keep us posted on what happens. I'm going to try the same approach with our schools tomorrow.

This is such a frustrating situation that so many families are facing right now. I'm a financial aid counselor and I've been seeing this exact scenario play out for dozens of families this year. The elimination of the sibling discount in the new FAFSA formula has created a real crisis for middle-income families with multiple college students. A few things that might help while you're working on appeals: 1. Ask each school about their "professional judgment" policies specifically for multiple-student families - many have developed these in response to the formula changes 2. Check if any of your kids' schools participate in institutional aid programs that still consider multiple students (some do this independently of FAFSA) 3. Look into state-specific aid programs - some states have created supplemental grants to help bridge this gap The good news is that colleges are very aware this is happening and many are actively working on solutions. Your update about the first school's response is encouraging - it shows they're taking this seriously. Don't give up on those appeals, and definitely don't make any drastic decisions like gap years until you've exhausted all options. The squeaky wheel often gets the grease in financial aid offices right now.

I'm going through the exact same nightmare! Our SAI jumped $42K with virtually identical financials and we also have 3 kids in college. What's really frustrating is that nobody warned us this was coming - we budgeted for this year based on last year's aid packages and now we're scrambling. I've been following this thread closely and I'm definitely going to try calling each school's financial aid office directly like @Luca Russo did. Has anyone had luck with private scholarships or work-study programs as a way to help fill this gap? I'm exploring every possible option at this point because taking on massive Parent PLUS loans feels like it would bury us financially for decades.

Just wanted to chime in as another family dealing with this exact situation. Our SAI went up $39K this year with two kids in college and nearly identical income. What's been most helpful for us is creating a spreadsheet documenting the exact differences between our old EFC and new SAI to present to financial aid offices. I also discovered that some schools have "sibling enrollment verification" forms that weren't required before but can trigger additional institutional aid review. One of our schools actually proactively reached out after we submitted this form. Also, don't overlook your state's higher education agency - ours has a emergency grant program specifically for families caught in the FAFSA transition that wasn't widely publicized. It's only $2500 per student but every bit helps right now. Hang in there everyone - it sounds like schools are really trying to find solutions even if the federal formula isn't helping us.