FAFSA SAI under 25000 but colleges offering zero financial aid - how is this possible?

Unfortunately, this isn't unusual these days. Your SAI isn't as low as you might think for institutional aid purposes. Many schools reserve their need-based aid for SAIs under 15000, and merit scholarships are increasingly competitive. Did they tell you if your daughter qualified for any Pell Grant money? With an SAI of 21500, you're just outside the Pell eligibility range for 2025-2026, which is probably contributing to the issue.

same thing hapened to my son 2 yrs ago. we had SAI around 22000 and got NOTHING except loans. its all a scam tbh. the fafsa makes you think u might get help but colleges just use it to see how much they can get from you

The timing of your calls is actually important here. Most financial aid offices are still finalizing their institutional aid budgets for the 2025-2026 academic year, so what you're getting now are conservative estimates based on federal aid eligibility alone. The standard customer service response this early is often just to confirm federal loan eligibility. I'd recommend: 1. Wait for the official financial aid award letters (usually March-April) 2. Look into merit scholarships through individual departments (some aren't processed through financial aid) 3. Ask specifically about institutional grants, which might not be determined yet 4. Check if there are separate applications for school-specific scholarships With a 3.9 GPA and those extracurriculars, there should be some merit opportunities even if need-based aid is limited with your SAI.

my daughter got a full ride with 3.85 GPA last year but we had SAI of like 4000 so maybe thats the difference??

Colleges are SO WEIRD about financial aid timing. Last year I spent MONTHS trying to get through to my son's financial aid office about his package. The website kept showing $0 aid and the phone lines were constantly busy. When I finally got through after literally 30+ calls, they told me they were still processing and he ended up getting a decent package. Have you tried calling multiple times or just once? Sometimes you get different answers from different advisors.

THEY'RE LYING TO YOU!! Colleges play this game every year. They tell everyone there's "no money" hoping families will just accept the full price. You need to NEGOTIATE. Once you get actual award letters, make them compete against each other. Tell School A that School B offered more (even if they didn't lol). The financial aid system is totally broken and you have to be aggressive or you'll get nothing. Also, look for outside scholarships ASAP. Check Fastweb, local businesses, and professional organizations related to your daughter's intended major. Even small scholarships add up!

There's something called the "financial aid gap" that many families in your income bracket experience. With an SAI around 21500, you're in a challenging position - not demonstrating enough financial need for significant need-based aid, but still not able to comfortably afford full cost. A few technical points: 1. Your SAI of 21500 means the formula expects your family to contribute about that much per year toward educational costs 2. Pell Grant eligibility for 2025-2026 cuts off around an SAI of 19500, so you're just outside that range 3. Many state schools reserve their institutional grants for SAIs under 10000 4. Merit aid is separate from FAFSA and increasingly competitive I would recommend looking at schools known for generous merit aid, as they often use academic scholarships to attract students in your daughter's position. Also, consider if your financial situation has recently changed - job loss, medical expenses, etc. These can be grounds for a professional judgment review.

I went through this EXACT situation with my son last year. Here's the thing: what financial aid offices tell you over the phone in January/February is often their most conservative estimate. They don't want to promise aid they can't deliver. The actual award letters we received in March were MUCH better than what they initially told us. With your daughter's impressive stats, I'm surprised none of the schools mentioned merit scholarships. Those are often handled by admissions rather than financial aid. Have you checked with the admissions offices as well? Sometimes they have separate scholarship applications that aren't linked directly to FAFSA.