FAFSA gave my daughter $0 SAI with max Pell Grant - is this correct?

a zero SAI is actually really good! it means she qualifies for max financial aid. dont worry about it, my son got the same last year and we make around 49k.

A $0 SAI is definitely possible and not necessarily an error. The new FAFSA formula (which started with the 2024-2025 aid year) expanded Pell Grant eligibility significantly. As a single parent with $53,000 income, you could absolutely qualify for a $0 SAI, especially if you have limited assets or other children in college. The $0 SAI means your daughter will receive the maximum Pell Grant ($7,395 for the 2025-2026 aid year) and will be in the best position for other need-based aid from her college. This is good news! If you're still concerned, double-check that you correctly reported: - Your household size (you and your daughter, plus any other dependents) - All income sources (including untaxed income if applicable) - Assets (checking/savings accounts, investments) But honestly, this sounds like a correct determination based on what you've shared.

my daughter also got $0 SAI and we make about 60k with 2 kids. i think the new fafsa calculations are way more generous than before. we were shocked too!!! just be happy and take the money lol

BE CAREFUL!! My nephew had the same thing happen (showed $0 SAI) but then got selected for verification and they found income that wasn't reported correctly. The college financial aid office made him pay back some of his Pell Grant mid-semester and it was a NIGHTMARE!!! Make absolutely sure you've included ALL income sources and that your tax information is 100% accurate. The new FAFSA is full of glitches!!

I was in a similar situation last year when my son's FAFSA showed $0 SAI and max Pell, but I kept getting disconnected when trying to call Federal Student Aid to confirm if it was correct. I finally used Claimyr.com to get through to a FAFSA agent without waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed that our $0 SAI was correct based on our income, household size, and other factors. Definitely worth checking if you're really concerned, but from what you've described, it sounds legitimate.

congrats!! $0 SAI is the best possible outcome! my daughter got this too and ended up with AMAZING financial aid packages from several schools. don't question it, just be happy lol

A $0 SAI is absolutely possible for a single parent with $53,000 income and multiple dependents. The 2024-2026 FAFSA formula includes higher income protection allowances and changed how they calculate need. If you want to double-check your results, you can use the Federal Student Aid Estimator tool on studentaid.gov, which will give you a preliminary calculation. Also important to note: While your daughter will get the full Pell Grant, the SAI is also used by colleges for institutional aid. So this $0 SAI will potentially help her qualify for additional grants and scholarships directly from colleges, beyond just the federal Pell Grant.

dont overthink it!!! just take the money and run haha. seriously tho my niece got a full ride scholarship at her state university with a $0 SAI so this is GOOD NEWS

just make sure u keep all ur tax documents n stuff in case they do verification. my sons school asked for like a million forms after we got the $0 SAI. took forever but they eventually confirmed it was right

Congratulations on the $0 SAI! That's actually fantastic news for your daughter. As others have mentioned, the updated FAFSA formula is much more generous, especially for single-parent households. With your income level and household size of 3, this result makes perfect sense. I'd recommend creating a folder to organize all your financial documents (tax returns, bank statements, etc.) in case your daughter gets selected for verification. It happens to about 1 in 4 students, but it's usually routine paperwork rather than an indication of errors. The best part is that this $0 SAI will help her qualify for maximum aid at whatever college she chooses. Many schools use the SAI for their own need-based grants too, so she could receive even more aid beyond the Pell Grant. You should definitely celebrate this outcome rather than worry about it!