FAFSA SAI score of 38812 - are we completely out of aid eligibility?
Just got our SAI score back and it's 38812. I'm freaking out because everything I've read says that's way too high to qualify for any need-based aid. My daughter is about to start her freshman year and we were counting on at least some financial assistance. We're definitely not wealthy - combined household income around $115k but with three kids and living in an expensive area. Does an SAI this high automatically disqualify us from ALL federal aid? Or are there still options we should be pursuing? Feeling really discouraged right now.
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Laila Prince
That SAI is definitely on the higher side, but it doesn't necessarily mean you'll get nothing. Federal student loans are still available regardless of SAI - those aren't need-based. Your daughter should qualify for at least $5,500 in Direct Loans for her freshman year. But yeah, Pell Grants are probably off the table with that SAI.
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Drew Hathaway
•Thanks for clarifying about the loans. I guess I was really hoping for grants or work-study options. Do you know if there's any chance for work-study with this SAI number?
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Isabel Vega
Colleges also have their own institutional aid that might not be tied directly to your FAFSA SAI. Has your daughter received her financial aid package from the school yet? Some private schools have much more generous aid policies than what the federal formulas suggest. Don't lose hope until you see the actual offers.
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Drew Hathaway
•She's been accepted to 3 schools but we've only received one aid package so far, and it was pretty disappointing. Waiting on the others and crossing fingers they'll be better.
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Dominique Adams
my sai was 41k and i still got merit scholarships at my college so dont give up!!!! the fafsa is just part of the picture. some schools have automatic merit scholarships based on gpa/test scores that dont care about your sai at all
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Drew Hathaway
•That's reassuring to hear! Her GPA is pretty good (3.8) so hopefully that helps with merit aid. Did you do anything special to get those scholarships?
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Marilyn Dixon
The SAI of 38812 means you'll likely not receive Pell Grants or subsidized loans, but your daughter is still eligible for: 1. Unsubsidized Direct Loans ($5,500 for freshmen) 2. Parent PLUS loans (up to cost of attendance) 3. Work-study in some cases (school-dependent) 4. Merit-based aid (completely separate from SAI) 5. School-specific grants and scholarships Make sure to complete any supplemental financial aid applications required by each school, like the CSS Profile for private institutions. Many schools have their own methodology that differs from FAFSA.
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Drew Hathaway
•This is really helpful, thank you! We did submit the CSS Profile for one school but not the others - I'll double check if they require it too. Didn't realize work-study might still be an option depending on the school.
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Louisa Ramirez
THE FINANCIAL AID SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN!! My family had an SAI of 35k and we got ABSOLUTELY NOTHING except loans that will put my daughter in debt for DECADES!! Meanwhile families making way more than us somehow game the system and get thousands in aid. The middle class gets CRUSHED by these ridiculous formulas!!!
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Dominique Adams
•sorry that happened to you :( did you try appealing? sometimes schools will give you more $ if you explain your situation especially if you have unusual circumstances they didnt consider
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TommyKapitz
Did you try calling the Federal Student Aid office to see if anything can be done? I was in a similar situation last year, spent 3 hours trying to get through to someone on their helpline before giving up. Then my advisor told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it helped me skip the wait and get through to an actual FSA agent in about 10 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. The agent explained some nuances about our SAI calculation that actually helped us appeal to one of the colleges successfully.
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Drew Hathaway
•I haven't tried calling FSA directly - didn't think they could do anything about the SAI calculation. But maybe they could explain if there were errors or options for appealing. I'll check out that service, because waiting on hold for hours isn't something I can do with my work schedule.
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TommyKapitz
•Definitely worth a call - the agent I spoke with explained that sometimes there are elements in the calculation that can be reviewed, especially if your financial situation has changed since the tax year they're using for the FAFSA.
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Angel Campbell
I work in a college financial aid office. Your SAI of 38812 doesn't necessarily mean you'll get nothing. Every school has a different methodology for distributing their institutional aid. Some schools can be very generous even with higher SAIs. You mentioned a family income of $115k - are there any unusual circumstances that might warrant a professional judgment review? Medical expenses, job loss, multiple children in college?
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Drew Hathaway
•We do have significant medical expenses from last year (about $18k out of pocket) that weren't fully reflected in our tax returns, and we will have two in college starting next year. Would those factors help with a professional judgment review?
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Angel Campbell
•Absolutely! Both significant medical expenses and multiple children in college are classic reasons for a professional judgment review. Contact each school's financial aid office directly and ask about their process for professional judgment appeals. You'll need to document those medical expenses, so gather all receipts and explanation of benefits statements. This could potentially lower your SAI considerably.
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Payton Black
have u looked at the net price calculators for each school? they can give u a better estimate than just the SAI alone. my daughter's SAI was like 42000 but she still got decent aid at her top choice bc they had more institutional money. some schools have way more money than others to give out
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Drew Hathaway
•I tried one calculator but it wasn't very detailed. I'll go back and try running the numbers for each school specifically. That's encouraging your daughter still got aid with an even higher SAI than ours!
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Louisa Ramirez
One thing nobody mentioned: check if your state has any grants or scholarships that might be available regardless of your FAFSA SAI. Our state has a program for students with over 3.5 GPA that offers partial tuition coverage at in-state public universities, and it doesn't use the federal methodology at all.
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Drew Hathaway
•That's a great suggestion, thank you! I'll look into our state options right away. She does have a good GPA so that might be helpful.
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Harper Hill
Don't give up hope! I was in a very similar situation last year - SAI of 36,500 with a household income around $120k. While we didn't qualify for Pell Grants, my son still received a decent aid package from his school. Here's what helped us: 1) Applied to schools known for generous merit aid, 2) Had him apply for every local scholarship we could find (even small $500 ones add up!), 3) Contacted financial aid offices directly to explain our situation. The key is casting a wide net - some schools surprised us with institutional grants we weren't expecting. Also, don't forget about work-study opportunities and look into your state's aid programs. The sticker price isn't always what you'll end up paying!
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•This gives me so much hope! Your situation sounds almost identical to ours. Can I ask which types of schools ended up being most generous with merit aid? Were they private or public universities? And did you have any luck with the local scholarships - where did you find those? I feel like I need to be more strategic about where my daughter applies and focus on schools that might offer better institutional aid packages.
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