FAFSA SAI jumped from 130 to 11k despite lower household income - what happened?

Sounds like there might be an asset reporting issue. Did your family maybe have a retirement account distribution, sell any property, or have any investments that showed unusual gains? Sometimes that stuff gets counted as income even when it's not regular income.

This happened to me! The new FAFSA formula is weighing parental income differently. If your mom's income went up even slightly while your dad became unemployed, it might be calculating things strangely. Did you perhaps forget to check the box indicating job loss or change in income? There's a specific section for that on the new form.

chek ur reported asssets section!! my SAI jumped by 8k becus I accidently reported my parents home equity as an investment asset lol. if u have any savings or investments make sure theyre entered in right category

I work in financial aid, and I've seen many cases like yours this year. Three things to check: 1. The retirement distribution might have been reported as income rather than as an emergency withdrawal 2. The new SAI formula gives different weights to certain income types 3. The actual job loss information needs to be reported in the "Special Circumstances" section I recommend requesting a professional judgment review from your school's financial aid office. Bring documentation of your father's unemployment and the circumstances of any retirement withdrawals. They can adjust your SAI to reflect your current financial reality.

I went through something similar when trying to contact FSA about my SAI calculation. After dozens of failed attempts to reach someone, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human at Federal Student Aid. They have this service that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me HOURS of frustration. Check out their demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent explained that the new SAI calculation has some quirks, especially with reporting job loss. They were able to flag my application for review and explain exactly which sections needed correction.

The new FAFSA is a DISASTER. My daughter's SAI went up by 9k despite us making LESS money than last year. The entire system is rigged against middle class families who are struggling. They changed the formula to look like they're giving more aid while ACTUALLY giving less. Your best bet is to file an appeal with your schools and hope they actually read it. This whole system needs to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch.

After you verify all the income and asset information is correct, you should immediately submit a Special Circumstances form to your school's financial aid office. This is different from an appeal - it's specifically for situations like job loss that happened AFTER the tax year used for FAFSA. Every school has their own form for this. They can do a "professional judgment" review and adjust your SAI based on your current situation.

Did you check if the new formula is counting untaxed income differently? Things like 401k contributions and health insurance premiums can now affect your SAI calculation in ways they didn't before. The 2025-26 FAFSA made major changes to how these are weighted.

Update your FAFSA with the correct information first, then pursue the professional judgment review. Don't wait - aid is often distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, when you speak with your financial aid office, use the term "special circumstances review due to change in income" rather than "appeal" - it will trigger the correct process.

Great to see you got the corrections submitted! Just wanted to add that when you meet with those financial aid offices, bring copies of your father's unemployment documentation (termination letter, unemployment benefits paperwork) and any records showing the timeline of when his job loss occurred. The more specific documentation you can provide about the change in circumstances, the stronger your case will be for the professional judgment review. Also ask each school about their timeline for processing these reviews - some take weeks while others can turn them around much faster. Good luck with those appointments!