FAFSA SAI score of 11754 - Will I qualify for any financial aid?
Just got my SAI score from FAFSA and it's 11754. I have NO IDEA if this is good, bad, or what??? My parents make around $89K combined, but we have a lot of debt. I'm looking at state schools in Florida. Will I even get anything with this score or am I wasting my time? Been on hold with the financial aid office for hours and no one picks up. This whole process is driving me insane.
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Mae Bennett
Your SAI (Student Aid Index) is in the middle range - not super high but not super low either. I went through this last year with my daughter. You'll probably qualify for some unsubsidized federal loans at minimum, but actual grants will depend on each school's cost of attendance. Florida state schools often have decent aid packages even with mid-range SAIs. Don't give up hope yet!
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Pedro Sawyer
•Thanks for explaining! Do you know roughly how much I might get? Just trying to plan if I'll need to work full-time while in school or if I can manage part-time.
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Beatrice Marshall
my SAI was 12100 and i got $5,500 in fed loans and like $1k in grants at UCF. your mileage may vary obvs but thats what i got with similar #s
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Pedro Sawyer
•That's super helpful, thanks! UCF is actually one of my top choices. Did you have to do anything special to get that package?
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Beatrice Marshall
•nope just submitted fafsa early. also applied for a bunch of scholarships after i got accepted. forgot to mention i got $1500 in school scholarships too. definitely worth applying for those!!!
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Melina Haruko
With an SAI of 11754, here's what you should expect: 1. Unsubsidized Direct Loans ($5,500 for first-year dependent students) 2. Possible small Pell Grant (but don't count on it with that SAI) 3. State-specific aid like Florida Student Assistance Grant if you're a FL resident 4. School-specific grants/scholarships depending on the institution Florida has relatively affordable state schools, so your SAI isn't terrible for in-state tuition. Each school will calculate your "need" by subtracting your SAI from their total Cost of Attendance.
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Pedro Sawyer
•This is exactly what I needed to know! I am a FL resident, so I'll look into the Florida Student Assistance Grant too. Thank you so much.
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Dallas Villalobos
UGH the waiting is THE WORST!! I've been trying to get answers about my FAFSA for TWO WEEKS and the website keeps giving me errors and no one picks up the phone!!!
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Reina Salazar
•I had the same problem with endless holds until I used Claimyr to reach an actual person at Federal Student Aid. Their service connected me to an agent in under 30 minutes when I'd been trying for days. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ or just go to claimyr.com. It's the only thing that actually worked for me when trying to get answers about my verification issues.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
Your SAI is definitely NOT a full cut-off from aid. I work in financial aid at a community college in another state. Here's what you should know: - SAI of 11754 will likely disqualify you from Pell Grants (cutoff is usually around 6000) - BUT you'll still qualify for Direct Unsubsidized Loans ($5,500/year for dependent 1st year) - Florida has good state programs - look into Bright Futures Scholarship if you have the GPA/test scores - Individual schools have institutional aid that isn't tied to FAFSA Don't get discouraged! A lot of students focus only on Pell when there are many other aid sources.
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Pedro Sawyer
•Thank you for the detailed info! I don't qualify for Bright Futures (my SAT scores weren't high enough), but I'm definitely going to look into institutional aid. I appreciate you breaking this down for me.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•You're welcome! Also ask each school about payment plans - many will let you spread tuition payments throughout the semester instead of paying all at once. And don't forget to check with each financial aid office about work-study opportunities. Those jobs often have flexible schedules designed around classes.
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Demi Lagos
I hate to be negative, but with an SAI of 11754 you're not going to get much. My daughter's SAI was 9200 and she only qualified for loans, no grants AT ALL. The whole system is RIGGED against middle class families. We make too much to qualify for grants but not enough to actually PAY for college!! They expect us to go into massive debt or sell our homes. It's RIDICULOUS.
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Melina Haruko
•While I understand your frustration, aid eligibility varies significantly between schools. A $9200 SAI might not qualify for Pell Grants, but many institutions offer their own need-based and merit aid. Did your daughter apply to multiple schools to compare aid packages? Sometimes schools with higher sticker prices actually offer better net prices after institutional aid.
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Beatrice Marshall
dont 4get to check if ur eligible for work study too, that's separate from loans and grants
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Pedro Sawyer
•Good point! I'd definitely be interested in work study. Do you know if that's something that would show up in my aid package automatically, or do I need to specifically apply for it?
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Mae Bennett
•It should show up in your financial aid package if you're eligible, but it's always good to ask the financial aid office specifically. Work study positions can fill up fast, so once you're awarded it, apply for positions early!
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Dallas Villalobos
My cousin got an SAI of like 12000 something and still got a scholarship from his school for being first generation student. Do your parents have college degrees? If not you might qualify for some first-gen scholarships!!!
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Pedro Sawyer
•My mom has an associate's degree but my dad didn't go to college. I'm not sure if that makes me first-gen or not? I'll definitely look into it though. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Melina Haruko
•First-generation status definitions vary by institution. Some schools consider you first-gen if neither parent has a bachelor's degree, while others only count if neither parent attended college at all. Definitely worth checking with each school's financial aid office about their specific definition and available programs.
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Mae Bennett
Just wanted to add - make sure to fill out the CSS Profile too if any of your schools require it! Some schools use both FAFSA and CSS Profile to determine institutional aid, and you might qualify for more money through that route even with your SAI score.
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Pedro Sawyer
•I had no idea about this! I just checked and one of the private schools on my list does require the CSS Profile. Going to complete that tonight. Thank you!
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Ravi Gupta
Hey Pedro! I'm in a similar situation - my SAI came out to 10,896 and I was panicking too. After reading through all these responses, I feel a lot better about the whole thing. One thing I'd add is to also look into community college for your first two years if money is really tight. I know it's not the "traditional" college experience, but you can knock out your general eds for way less money and then transfer to a state school. My older brother did this and saved like $15k total. Plus a lot of Florida community colleges have guaranteed transfer agreements with the state universities. Just another option to consider if the numbers don't work out at your first choice schools!
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Javier Cruz
•That's actually a really smart strategy, Ravi! I hadn't seriously considered the community college route before, but you're right about the savings. Do you know if the credits transfer pretty seamlessly to the state universities? I'm worried about losing time if some classes don't count toward my major requirements.
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