FAFSA gave my daughter $29k SAI on $40k income - can I appeal this?

somethings definitely wrong. i'm a single mom with 45k income and my sons SAI was like 7,000. did u maybe accidentally put an extra zero somewhere on the form? or list some retirement account as regular savings? that happened to my cousin and it totally messed up their numbers

This definitely sounds like you have grounds for an appeal. The SAI formula shouldn't produce a number that high based on your income level. The insurance settlement you mentioned in your comment is likely the culprit - that money should be reported differently. Here's what you need to do: 1. Contact the financial aid office at your daughter's school and specifically request a "Professional Judgment Review" or "Special Circumstances Appeal" based on the one-time insurance settlement. 2. Provide documentation showing this was a one-time payment for medical expenses/damages and not recurring income. 3. Ask them to recalculate your SAI without counting this as regular income. Most schools have a specific form for this type of appeal. The financial aid administrator has the authority to make adjustments to your FAFSA in situations like this.

I'm confused... isn't SAI supposed to be LOW if you want more aid?? My kid's SAI was $14,000 and we got hardly anything. If yours is $29,000 that means youre expected to pay more right? Maybe I'm misunderstanding something.

I had a similar issue with the FAFSA last year! It was calculating an insane SAI based on income that wasn't really available for college costs. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid who could actually help. After getting hung up on repeatedly and waiting on hold for hours, I finally discovered Claimyr.com. They got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 15 minutes. The agent was able to explain exactly what was wrong and how to fix it. Definitely worth checking out their video demo (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ) to see how it works. Saved me so much frustration!

THE NEW FAFSA IS A COMPLETE DISASTER!!! I'm seeing these kinds of posts everywhere. Single parents are getting absolutely SCREWED by the new formula. My sister is in the same situation - $38k income and they expect her to pay $22k for her son's education? It's RIDICULOUS and shows how completely out of touch these bureaucrats are with reality. And good luck getting anyone on the phone - the system is designed to frustrate you until you give up.

Financial aid advisor here. The insurance settlement is definitely the issue. The new FAFSA treats one-time payments as if they're recurring income unless properly categorized. Here's what happened: 1. Your $18,500 settlement got added to your base income, making the formula think you earn $58,500 annually 2. The formula applies various allowances and multipliers to calculate your SAI 3. Since the formula assumes this higher income is your normal earnings, it produced an unrealistically high SAI You can absolutely appeal this. Gather documentation about the settlement (court documents, insurance paperwork, etc.) and specifically note it was a one-time payment for damages/medical expenses. Submit a formal appeal letter explaining these are not recurring funds available for education expenses. If your appeal is approved, your SAI would likely drop to around $4,000-$6,000 based on your actual income, which would qualify your daughter for significantly more aid.

ok so heres what i dont get...why are they asking u to pay 29k when your income is only 40k??? doesnt the govt realize people need to pay for rent and food too??? the whole system is broken

My daughter went through the same thing last year. We appealed directly to the school and they adjusted her financial aid package based on our actual situation, not just what the FAFSA calculator said. Don't give up! Also look into outside scholarships - my daughter found about $5k in local scholarships that really helped.

Just wanted to follow up - after you submit your appeal, make sure to check both your email and your student aid account regularly. Sometimes they'll request additional documentation, and if you miss those messages, it can delay the process significantly. Also, if your daughter is considering any state schools, contact your state's higher education agency as well. Some states have supplemental aid programs specifically for situations where the federal calculation doesn't reflect reality.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! As someone who went through a similar situation, I can tell you that the insurance settlement is almost certainly what threw off your calculation. The FAFSA system doesn't automatically recognize one-time payments like settlements as different from regular income, which is why your SAI came out so high. Here's what worked for me: I contacted the financial aid office and asked specifically for a "Special Circumstances Review" form. I had to provide documentation showing the settlement was for medical expenses/damages from the accident and that it wasn't recurring income. I also wrote a letter explaining our actual financial situation and how the settlement was already mostly spent on medical bills and car repairs. The key is to be persistent but polite. Don't let them brush you off with "that's what the formula calculated" - they have the authority to make adjustments for situations exactly like yours. Most schools want to help students attend, they just need the proper documentation to justify the aid increase. Good luck with the appeal process!

I'm a financial aid administrator and want to add some clarity about appeals timing. Most schools process Special Circumstances appeals within 7-14 business days, but complex cases involving settlements can take up to 30 days. Each school evaluates independently - they don't share appeal decisions, so you'll need to submit documentation separately to each institution. One thing to emphasize in your appeal letter: explain how the settlement funds were actually used. If they went toward medical bills, vehicle replacement, or other expenses related to the accident, include receipts if you have them. This shows the money isn't available for educational expenses. Also, don't wait for one school's decision before submitting to others. Start the appeal process immediately at all schools where your daughter was accepted. Many have April deadlines for special circumstances reviews, and you want to give yourself maximum time before her May 1 enrollment deadline. The good news is that with proper documentation, your case should be relatively straightforward to resolve. Insurance settlements are a common issue we see, and most aid administrators are familiar with how to handle them.