FAFSA SAI of 18,422 - Why is my son not eligible for Pell Grant?

The Pell Grant cutoff for the 2025-2026 aid year is an SAI around 7,395. With your SAI at 18,422, you're well above that threshold unfortunately. Your income as educators likely isn't the only factor - the SAI formula also considers assets, number of college students in the household simultaneously, and other factors. If you have retirement savings, home equity, or other assets, those might be pushing your SAI higher than you expected.

We were in the same boat last year!! Our SAI came in at 16,000 and no Pell either. Try looking into state grants! Some states have special grants for middle income families that FAFSA doesn't tell you about.

The SAI calculation is frustrating for many middle-income families, especially educators. Here's how it works: 1. Your adjusted gross income is the starting point 2. They subtract allowances for taxes paid and basic living expenses 3. They factor in the number of family members and number in college 4. They assess a percentage of your remaining income and assets With an SAI of 18,422, your family falls into what's often called the "financial aid gap" - too "wealthy" for Pell Grants but not wealthy enough to easily pay out of pocket. I'd recommend: 1. Have your son apply for merit scholarships (academic, leadership, etc.) 2. Look into work-study programs at his chosen schools 3. Consider having him start at community college to save on the first two years 4. Check if his specific school offers institutional grants for education majors' children

just wanted to say FAFSA is BS honestly. we make decent money on paper but EVERYTHING goes to bills and kids and taxes. how do they expect us to just have 18k sitting around for college???

Have you tried calling Federal Student Aid directly to ask them to explain your SAI calculation? Sometimes they can walk you through exactly why you're not qualifying and might suggest corrections you could make. I tried calling for weeks and kept getting disconnected, but then I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual human within 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. The agent I spoke with found a mistake in our income reporting that lowered our SAI by almost 5,000 points once corrected!

Have u considered subsidized loans? They dont accrue interest while ur kid is in school at least. Not ideal but better than private loans or parent plus

One more thing to consider - if your family situation changes (job loss, medical expenses, another child entering college), you can submit a Professional Judgment request (sometimes called a Special Circumstances form) directly to the financial aid office at your son's school. They have discretion to adjust your SAI based on current circumstances that weren't reflected in your FAFSA.

This is why the new FAFSA is SO frustrating. Under the old formula, having multiple kids and being in education might have qualified you for some aid. The new SAI calculation actually made things worse for many middle-income families with multiple children, despite all the "simplification" promises. Definitely contact the school directly - sometimes they have institutional funds they can offer that aren't tied to federal formulas. My friend's daughter got an additional $8,000 in school-specific grants just by having a meeting with the financial aid officer and explaining their situation in detail.

I'm in a very similar situation as a new parent navigating this process! We're also educators with an SAI that put us just above the Pell Grant threshold. One thing I learned recently is to double-check if you reported any untaxed income correctly - things like employer-paid health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, or even certain retirement contributions can sometimes be entered incorrectly and artificially inflate your SAI. Also, make sure you didn't accidentally include assets that should be protected (like your primary residence equity, which isn't counted in the FAFSA). It might be worth reviewing your submission line by line to see if there are any errors that could be corrected. The financial aid gap for middle-income families is real, but sometimes there are small mistakes that can make a big difference in your final number.

As someone who just went through this exact same situation last year, I completely understand your frustration! Our SAI was 17,800 and we also fell into that terrible middle-income gap. A few things that helped us: First, definitely appeal to the school directly - many have emergency or hardship funds that aren't widely advertised. Second, look into your state's 529 college savings plan tax benefits if you haven't already - even starting one now can provide some tax relief. Third, check if your son qualifies for any teacher-family scholarships specifically - the NEA Foundation and some state teacher unions offer grants for educators' children. Also, consider having your son take a gap year to work and save if his dream school is really unaffordable this year. Sometimes deferring enrollment for a year gives you more time to find funding sources and can actually strengthen scholarship applications. The financial stress is real, but there are more options than just federal aid. Don't give up!

I'm facing a very similar situation with my daughter! We're also educators (I'm a high school math teacher, my husband teaches elementary) with a combined income around $88,000 and our SAI came back at 16,890. Like you, we were shocked to not qualify for any Pell Grant money. What's particularly frustrating is that the FAFSA doesn't seem to account for the reality that teacher salaries, while steady, don't leave much room for college savings after supporting a family. I've been doing a lot of research since getting our results, and one thing I discovered is that many colleges have specific scholarships or grants for children of educators that aren't automatically applied - you have to seek them out separately. Also, some schools offer payment plans that spread the costs over 10-12 months instead of requiring large lump sum payments, which might help with cash flow even if it doesn't reduce the total amount. Have you looked into whether your son's school participates in any tuition exchange programs for educator families? Some state universities have reciprocity agreements that can significantly reduce out-of-state tuition if he's considering schools in neighboring states. It's not ideal that we have to jump through so many hoops, but every little bit helps when you're trying to avoid crushing debt for your kids' education.