FAFSA SAI jumped from 30,000 to 87,000 for both kids in college - what happened?

The new FAFSA is COMPLETELY BROKEN!!! I've heard dozens of similar stories from other parents in my Facebook groups. The formula changed dramatically with the FAFSA Simplification Act and it's screwing over middle-class families like yours. They're now counting retirement assets differently and the multiple-student discount got slashed. It's NOT your mistake - it's the government changing the rules without properly explaining it to families. My daughter's SAI went up by $25K this year and we're in the EXACT same financial situation!

yeah this is happening to everyone. my cousin works in financial aid and she says they're getting bombarded with calls about this exact problem. the new formula is WAY more harsh on families with multiple kids in college

This is definitely related to the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. The biggest impact for families with multiple children in college is that the "sibling discount" was dramatically reduced. Previously, having two students in college roughly cut your Expected Family Contribution (now called SAI) in half for each student. Under the new formula, the reduction is much smaller. Other factors that might be affecting your SAI: 1. Changes to how retirement assets and small businesses are assessed 2. Different treatment of untaxed income 3. Adjustments to the income protection allowance 4. Changes in how home equity is considered I'd recommend you: - Request a professional judgment review from both schools' financial aid offices - Specifically mention if you had any unusual expenses (medical bills, job loss, etc.) - Compare your 2023 tax return (used for this FAFSA) with your 2022 return (used for last year's) to spot any differences The formula changes were implemented to simplify the process but have resulted in some dramatic shifts in aid eligibility.

We had the exact opposite happen! Our SAI dropped from 42,000 to 18,000 with the new formula, and we have only one child in college. I think the new formula really benefits families with just one student but hurts those with multiple kids. Have you tried running the numbers through the Federal Student Aid Estimator tool to see if you get the same result? Sometimes there can be technical glitches in the actual FAFSA submission.

I work in financial aid at a university, and I can explain what's happening. The FAFSA Simplification Act made several major changes to how the SAI is calculated, but the most significant impact for your situation is the change to the multiple-student benefit. In the old system, having multiple children in college would essentially divide your EFC by the number of students. So if your EFC was 30,000 with one child, it would become approximately 15,000 each with two children. The new formula significantly reduces this benefit. Now, instead of dividing the contribution, there's a much smaller adjustment factor. This is why many families with multiple students are seeing dramatic increases. I strongly recommend you contact both schools' financial aid offices and request a professional judgment review. Bring documentation of any special circumstances (medical expenses, job loss, etc.) that might help your case. While they can't change the federal formula, they have some discretion with institutional aid.

Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly to ask about this? I spent TWO WEEKS trying to get through to someone to explain a similar situation with my daughter's SAI calculation (ours went up by 40k!). The wait times are absolutely insane - I kept getting disconnected after waiting for 2+ hours. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual person at FSA. Their service held my place in line and called me when an agent was available. Saved me hours of frustration. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The FSA agent was able to explain exactly which parts of the formula had changed for us and confirmed it wasn't an error in our submission. At least knowing WHY it happened helped us plan our next steps with the schools.

When my son's SAI came back really high, we found out we'd accidentally reported our retirement accounts as cash assets! Double-check all your entries, esp on that assets page. The new form is really confusing about which assets count and which don't. Maybe you accidentally included something that should've been excluded?

Based on what others have shared, it sounds like the multiple students in college change is the culprit. My suggestion is to look into alternative funding sources now to be prepared. Have your students check for departmental scholarships at their schools - many aren't widely advertised but can be substantial. Also, some schools have emergency aid funds for situations like this where aid unexpectedly decreases. Don't wait until fall to start making these inquiries!

After you verify all your information was entered correctly, I recommend taking these steps: 1. Prepare a well-documented appeal letter for both financial aid offices explaining your situation 2. Include a side-by-side comparison of your financial information from last year and this year to demonstrate consistency 3. Calculate exactly how much additional burden this places on your family budget 4. Request a meeting with a financial aid counselor (not just a front desk staff member) 5. Ask specifically about supplemental institutional grants to offset the federal formula changes Many colleges anticipated these issues and have set aside additional institutional funds to help families caught in this situation. But you need to be proactive and specific in your requests.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's incredibly stressful when aid packages change so dramatically without warning. Based on what everyone has shared here, it really does sound like the reduced sibling discount from the FAFSA Simplification Act is the main culprit for your SAI jump. One thing I'd add to the excellent advice already given: when you contact the financial aid offices, ask specifically if they have any institutional aid programs designed to help families affected by the new FAFSA formula changes. Some schools have quietly created "transition funds" or adjusted their own aid formulas to partially offset the federal changes, especially for continuing students who were counting on similar aid levels. Also, if either of your kids has strong academic performance, this might be a good time to ask about merit-based aid that wasn't previously offered. Sometimes when need-based aid decreases, schools can find merit awards to help bridge the gap. Document everything from your conversations with financial aid offices - names, dates, what was discussed. If one school offers more help than the other, you can sometimes use that information to advocate for similar treatment at the second school. Hang in there - you're definitely not alone in this situation, and there are still options to explore!

I'm dealing with something very similar! My twin daughters are both juniors and our SAI went from around $28,000 to $71,000 this year. Like you, our financial situation hasn't changed at all - same jobs, same income, no windfalls or anything. It's been such a shock and honestly really scary thinking about how we're going to manage this. From what I've been reading and hearing from other parents, it really seems like the new FAFSA formula is hitting families with multiple kids in college the hardest. The "sibling discount" that used to help us is basically gone now. It feels so unfair that they made such a massive change without better communication to families who were counting on consistent aid. I've started reaching out to both schools' financial aid offices but haven't heard back yet. One thing I'm planning to do is also contact our state's higher education agency to see if they have any resources or advice for families in our situation. Some states have emergency aid programs that might help bridge the gap. Hang in there - reading through all these responses gives me hope that there are still options to explore. We're definitely not alone in this mess!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately not new to this problem! My family just went through the exact same shock - our SAI jumped from around $32,000 to $78,000 for my two kids (junior and freshman). Like many others have mentioned, it's definitely the changes to the sibling discount that's causing most of these dramatic increases. One thing I learned that might help: when you call the financial aid offices, ask to speak specifically with a "professional judgment coordinator" or "appeals specialist" rather than general financial aid staff. These people have more authority to make adjustments and are usually more knowledgeable about the formula changes. Also, I discovered that some schools are quietly allowing families to submit additional documentation about their "pre-FAFSA change" financial aid expectations when requesting professional judgment reviews. Basically, you can show them what your previous aid packages looked like and explain how the family budgeted based on that consistency. The whole situation is incredibly stressful, but I'm encouraged by how many people in this community are sharing helpful strategies. We're all figuring this out together!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's absolutely devastating when aid expectations change so drastically! Based on everyone's responses, it's clear that the FAFSA Simplification Act has created a nightmare for families with multiple students in college. One additional resource I haven't seen mentioned yet: check if your state has a College Savings Plans office or similar agency. Many states are tracking these FAFSA issues and some have created emergency grant programs specifically for families caught off-guard by the formula changes. Also, don't forget to check with your employer's HR department - some companies have educational assistance programs or emergency hardship funds that could help bridge the gap. I'd also suggest documenting the total cost difference this creates for your family and presenting it as a "special circumstances" case to both schools' financial aid offices. When they see the concrete dollar impact on your family budget, they may be more motivated to find institutional aid solutions. This situation is infuriating because it blindsided so many families who planned responsibly based on consistent aid formulas. You're doing all the right things by researching options and advocating for your family. Keep us posted on what solutions you're able to find!

I'm so sorry you're experiencing this - what a shock that must have been! Your situation sounds exactly like what my neighbor went through last month. Her SAI for her two college kids jumped from around $35k to $85k with no major financial changes either. From reading all these responses, it's clear the FAFSA Simplification Act really hurt families with multiple students. The reduced sibling discount seems to be the main culprit. But don't give up hope - there are still options! A few things that helped my neighbor: - She found out her state (Ohio) actually has a special emergency grant program for families affected by the FAFSA changes - One of her daughter's schools had set aside extra institutional aid specifically for this situation - She discovered her employer had an educational assistance program she didn't know about I'd definitely recommend starting with those professional judgment appeals at both schools, but also cast a wide net - check with your state's higher education office, your employer, and even local community foundations. Some are creating emergency scholarship funds specifically for families blindsided by these formula changes. You've got a solid action plan from everyone's advice here. Keep advocating for your family - you're not asking for a handout, you're asking for help navigating a system that changed the rules mid-game without proper notice to families!

This is such a frustrating situation that so many families are dealing with right now! As a newcomer to this community but unfortunately not new to FAFSA struggles, I wanted to share what I've learned from helping my sister navigate a similar SAI shock last year. One thing that really helped her was creating a detailed timeline showing her family's financial consistency over the past few years alongside the dramatic aid changes. She presented this to both schools as evidence that their financial circumstances hadn't changed, only the federal formula had. Both financial aid offices were much more receptive when they could see the clear data. Also, I'd suggest asking the financial aid offices specifically about "FAFSA transition assistance" or "formula change mitigation funds" - apparently many schools have created these but don't advertise them widely. You have to ask directly. The advice about speaking with professional judgment coordinators is spot-on. Regular financial aid staff often can't do much beyond explaining the changes, but the coordinators have actual authority to make adjustments. Don't lose hope - this formula change has affected so many families that schools are increasingly finding ways to help. The squeaky wheel really does get the grease in these situations, so keep advocating! Your kids are lucky to have a parent fighting so hard for their education.

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare - the stress of seeing your SAI nearly triple must be overwhelming! As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through all these responses and it's clear that the FAFSA Simplification Act has created chaos for families with multiple students in college. From what everyone has shared, it sounds like you have a solid action plan forming. I'd add one more suggestion: when you're preparing for those financial aid office meetings, consider bringing a "family impact statement" that shows exactly how this SAI increase affects your household budget. Include things like your monthly expenses, other financial obligations, and how you've been planning your finances based on previous aid levels. Also, don't forget to ask about work-study opportunities for your kids if they're not already participating. Sometimes when federal aid decreases, schools can offer additional campus employment to help bridge the gap. The fact that so many families are experiencing this exact same problem suggests that schools and policymakers will eventually have to address the unintended consequences of these formula changes. In the meantime, keep pushing for every available resource - institutional aid, state programs, employer benefits, and community scholarships. You're clearly a dedicated parent who's willing to fight for your kids' education. With all the great advice shared here, I'm optimistic you'll find some solutions. Please keep us updated on your progress!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's absolutely devastating when financial aid changes so dramatically without warning! As someone new to this community, I've been following similar stories and it's clear the FAFSA Simplification Act has created major problems for families with multiple kids in college. From reading all the excellent advice here, it sounds like the reduced sibling discount is likely the main culprit for your SAI jump. The old system essentially divided your contribution when you had multiple students, but the new formula provides much less relief for families in your situation. Here's what I'd recommend based on what others have shared: 1. Contact both schools' financial aid offices immediately and specifically ask for a "professional judgment coordinator" or "appeals specialist" - they have more authority than regular staff 2. Prepare a detailed comparison of your financial information from last year vs. this year to demonstrate consistency 3. Ask specifically about "FAFSA transition assistance" or institutional funds set aside for families affected by the formula changes 4. Consider creating a "family impact statement" showing exactly how this increase affects your household budget Don't give up hope! Many schools anticipated these issues and have resources available, but you often have to ask specifically. The fact that so many families are experiencing this exact problem means schools are becoming more equipped to help. You're absolutely right to feel frustrated - changing the rules mid-game without adequate communication to families was really unfair. Keep advocating for your kids and please update us on what solutions you're able to find!