FAFSA SAI score disappeared then reappeared - same number! What does this mean?
Has anyone had their SAI score just randomly vanish and then show up again later? I submitted my FAFSA on January 5th, and it was processed March 16th. When it first processed, I saw my SAI score appear on my dashboard. Then it completely disappeared for about a week, which sent me into a panic thinking something went wrong. Now it's back showing the exact same number as before! No explanation, no emails, nothing. Is this normal? Should I be concerned that there might be verification issues coming? My financial aid packages from colleges are due soon and I'm freaking out that this glitch might delay everything.
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Ravi Sharma
yep happened to me too! submitted in December, processed in February, SAI appeared then vanished for like 10 days. came back with same number. i called the school and they said they had the SAI the whole time even when i couldnt see it. probably just a website glitch tbh
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Isabella Ferreira
•That's a relief to hear! Did you have to do anything special, or it just fixed itself? I'm worried about my aid packages getting delayed because of this.
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Freya Thomsen
This is actually a fairly common issue with the studentaid.gov portal this year. The SAI calculation is done on the backend and sometimes the display functionality has temporary glitches. What's important is that your FAFSA is fully processed (which it appears to be since you have a processing date), and your colleges can still access your information through their institutional portals even when you can't see it on your dashboard. The same SAI reappearing is a good sign - it means nothing changed in your actual application status.
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Omar Zaki
•is there anyway to check if the schools actually got it tho? like some kind of confirmation number? my daughters SAI did this last week
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Freya Thomsen
•Yes, there are two reliable ways to confirm your schools received your FAFSA data: 1. Log into your studentaid.gov account and check the "My FAFSA" section to see which schools are listed. If they show as "processed" rather than "pending," the information was sent. 2. Contact your school's financial aid office directly. They can confirm receipt of your FAFSA data and tell you if anything else is needed. Most schools have an online student portal where you can check your financial aid document status as well.
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AstroAce
The WHOLE fafsa system is a JOKE this year!!! My SAI disappeared THREE TIMES, then when it came back the third time it was a completely different number!!! Called FSA and was on hold for 2 HOURS only to be told they "couldn't explain the discrepancy" and I would need to "wait for further processing" whatever that means. This entire process has been a nightmare with the new system. Your colleges probably haven't even received your information yet - mine didn't until weeks after my "processing date.
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Chloe Martin
•While there have definitely been issues with the new FAFSA rollout, having your SAI change is actually a different situation than what the original poster described. When an SAI changes, it usually means either: 1. Your application was selected for verification and adjustments were made 2. You or someone submitted a correction to your FAFSA 3. There was a calculation error that was fixed For the original poster who saw the same SAI disappear and reappear, that's typically just a display issue in the portal, not an actual change to their application status.
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Diego Rojas
After spending hours trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid about this exact issue (SAI disappearing), I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connected me to an FSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of the 3+ hours I was waiting before. The agent confirmed this is a known display issue on their end and not something that affects your actual FAFSA processing or what schools can see. You can check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - saved me a ton of stress just getting an official answer.
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Omar Zaki
•does this actually work?? ive been trying to get thru to someone for dayssss
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Diego Rojas
•Yes, it actually worked for me! I was skeptical too but I was desperate after multiple failed attempts to reach someone. Definitely worth it if you're in a time crunch or need answers quickly about your application status.
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Anastasia Sokolov
my cousin had something similar happen and it turned out fine. probably just website stuff
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Chloe Martin
This is a known issue with the studentaid.gov portal this year. The key points to understand: 1. Your SAI calculation occurs during initial processing (March 16 in your case) 2. Schools receive your information regardless of whether the SAI displays on your dashboard 3. The reappearance of the same SAI number confirms no changes were made to your application 4. This display issue will not impact or delay your financial aid packages The new FAFSA system has had several UI/UX issues, but these display problems don't affect the underlying data processing. Since your SAI came back with the same number, your application is stable. If you're concerned about verification, that's a separate process - you would receive an explicit notification if selected.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! That makes me feel a lot better. I think I'm just hyper-sensitive to any changes after hearing about all the FAFSA problems this year. I'll stop panicking now!
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Ravi Sharma
btw what was ur SAI if u dont mind me asking? wondering if im in the high or low range compared to others. mine was 4290
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Sean O'Donnell
•Just FYI - SAI numbers aren't really comparable between people because they're based on your specific financial situation, family size, number of college students in family, etc. A "good" or "bad" SAI is relative to your own circumstances.
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Isabella Ferreira
Update: I just called my top choice school's financial aid office and they confirmed they've had my FAFSA information since March 18th (2 days after processing) and can see my SAI just fine on their end. They said they've seen this display issue a lot this year and it doesn't affect anything on their side. So relieved!
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Freya Thomsen
•This is excellent news! It's always a good idea to verify directly with your schools. The financial aid offices are usually much more accessible than trying to reach Federal Student Aid directly. Glad you got confirmation that everything is on track!
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