FAFSA SAI score came back twice as high as estimator predicted - what happened?

This happened to me too! Our SAI came in about $7k higher than the estimator showed. After panicking for a day, I figured out the issue - the estimator doesn't handle certain types of income the same way the actual FAFSA algorithm does. In our case, I had some self-employment income and untaxed retirement contributions that were treated differently. Check if you have any of these situations: - Self-employment income - Multiple properties - Retirement accounts/contributions - Recent inheritance or gifts - Small business assets The estimator is really just a rough guide. You can request a detailed breakdown of your SAI calculation from your school's financial aid office.

the esimator is garbage tbh. mine was off by like 5k. just how the system works lol

Financial aid counselor here - this discrepancy is actually quite common with the 2025-2026 FAFSA, especially with the new formula changes. The estimator doesn't capture several important aspects of the actual SAI calculation: 1. Business income is treated differently in the actual formula than in the estimator 2. The asset protection allowance calculations were updated 3. The treatment of multiple properties is more nuanced in the full calculation 4. Retirement contributions are handled differently I recommend requesting a "professional judgment review" (sometimes called a "special circumstances review") from your daughter's school. They can potentially adjust your SAI based on circumstances the FAFSA doesn't adequately capture. Bring documentation of any unusual expenses, changes in income since your tax return, or special circumstances. Don't panic yet - many schools have institutional funds they can use to bridge gaps like this.

This is EXACTLY why the financial aid system is completely broken!! The government creates these estimator tools to help families plan, then pulls the rug out with the actual calculations. My son's SAI was nearly $12K higher than the estimator showed us. We called and emailed FSA for THREE WEEKS trying to get an explanation. When we finally got through, they just said "the estimator is only an approximation" and refused to explain the specific differences. The entire system is designed to confuse families and extract more money from the middle class while the truly wealthy have their accountants figure out loopholes. Sorry for the rant, but I'm still bitter about our experience last year.

Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid hotline? If you can get through, they can actually walk you through exactly where your calculation differs from what you expected. When my nephew had this issue, we spent like 2 days trying to reach someone.

did you check if you entered something wrong on the actual FAFSA? we realized we accidentally put an extra zero on one of our investment accounts 🤦‍♀️ took weeks to get it fixed but our SAI dropped by like $5k

One more thing to consider - for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, many colleges are offering additional institutional aid to offset some of the issues with the new SAI calculation. Even with a higher-than-expected SAI, your daughter might still receive a workable aid package. Make sure to: 1. Compare her complete aid packages (not just the SAI) 2. Look for institutional scholarships and grants specific to her major 3. Consider appealing for additional aid based on the discrepancy between estimated and actual SAI 4. Check if her program offers departmental scholarships Many families are finding that despite SAI shocks, the final aid packages are actually comparable to previous years due to schools trying to compensate for the formula changes.

After you figure out why the SAI is higher, definitely submit an appeal to your daughter's school. Here's what worked for us when we had a similar situation: 1. We created a detailed spreadsheet comparing our financial info from the estimator vs. actual FAFSA 2. We wrote a clear, concise letter explaining why we believed our EFC should be lower 3. We included documentation of all financial hardships not reflected in the FAFSA (medical bills, care for grandparents, etc.) 4. We met in person with the financial aid officer (much better than just emailing) Many schools have discretionary funds specifically for these situations. The key is to be organized, persistent, and polite. Our appeal resulted in an additional $8,500 in grants that made attendance possible.

same thing happened to my cousin and they ended up at community college instead lol

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress! As someone new to the FAFSA process, I'm finding it really eye-opening (and terrifying) to read about these discrepancies between the estimator and actual SAI. It sounds like you're getting some really solid advice here about contacting the financial aid office and requesting a professional judgment review. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that once you get the full aid package, it won't be as bad as you're fearing right now. The fact that schools are apparently trying to compensate for the new formula issues gives me some hope for all of us dealing with this. Please keep us updated on how it goes - I have a feeling a lot of families are going to be in similar situations this year!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! Our SAI came back $6,800 higher than the estimator predicted, and I've been losing sleep over it for the past week. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful though. I had no idea about the professional judgment review process or that schools might have additional institutional funds to help bridge these gaps. The advice about creating a comparison spreadsheet and gathering documentation of medical expenses or other hardships is something I'm definitely going to do. We also have some unusual circumstances (caring for my elderly father) that the FAFSA doesn't really capture well. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it's reassuring to know we're not alone in this, even though the whole process is incredibly stressful. I'm going to start making calls to our school's financial aid office tomorrow morning!