FAFSA processed but 'Couldn't calculate SAI' error message - how long to wait?

We had exactly this issue with my daughter's application two weeks ago. It took 8 days for the SAI to finally show up. The system is definitely overwhelmed this year with all the changes to the form. I would suggest checking for errors just to be safe (look specifically at the income section and make sure all your W-2 info matches exactly), but in our case, there wasn't actually anything wrong - it really was just the system being slow.

same thing happend to my sons fafsa too!! been waiting for 2 weeks now and still says cant calculate SAI. Called the school twice but they just say wait. so annoying when tuition deposit is coming up soon and we dont know what we can afford!!!!

Financial aid counselor here. The "couldn't calculate SAI" message is unfortunately common this application cycle. A few important points: 1. This is typically a processing delay on FSA's end, not an error in your application 2. The average resolution time we're seeing is 5-12 days 3. You should still check for errors (particularly in the tax/income sections) as a precaution 4. If it's been more than 14 days, I would recommend contacting Federal Student Aid directly Regarding your housing deposit concern - contact your school's financial aid office and explain the situation. Many schools will extend deposit deadlines when there are FAFSA processing delays, especially this year with the widespread issues.

I had this problem last month and I found a solution that worked for me! Try using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual Federal Student Aid agent on the phone. They have this service that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is ready. I was stuck with that same error message for almost 3 weeks, and the agent was able to fix it on the spot! They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent told me that sometimes there are small discrepancies in how income information was entered or how the system is reading your tax information, and they can override it manually. Definitely worth a try instead of just waiting!

I'm dealing with this exact issue right now and FREAKING OUT. My daughter is a first-gen college student and we have no idea what we're doing. Does the SAI calculation affect Pell Grant eligibility? We really need that grant or she can't attend. What happens if they never calculate it??? Will she lose her spot at school??

The financial aid system is COMPLETELY BROKEN this year. They had THREE YEARS to prepare for the FAFSA simplification and still messed it up. My daughter's SAI was finally calculated after 10 days, but then it was clearly wrong - showed she wasn't eligible for Pell when our income definitely qualifies. Had to submit a correction and now waiting AGAIN. Meanwhile deadlines are passing and schools don't care.

One thing that might help - make sure you're checking your son's FAFSA portal, not your parent portal. Sometimes the SAI will appear in the student's view before it shows up in the parent's view. Also, check your email (including spam folder) regularly. Sometimes you'll get an email notification that the SAI has been calculated even when the portal still shows the error message.

my cousins roomates brother had this happen in 2023 and he had to start his whole fafsa over because there was some kind of glitch. might be better to just start over now than wait for weeks. just a thought.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know that our SAI finally calculated this morning! It took exactly 9 days from when we first saw the error message. We didn't do anything special - just checked daily and suddenly today it was there. Our EFC is higher than I expected, but at least now we can move forward with planning. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

Thanks for sharing the update! This is really helpful for everyone dealing with the same issue. 9 days seems to be pretty typical based on what I'm seeing in this thread. For those still waiting, it sounds like patience is really the key here - the system is just overwhelmed but it does eventually work itself out. I'm glad you were able to get your SAI calculated before your housing deposit deadline!

As someone who went through this nightmare last year with my oldest, I can confirm the waiting game is brutal but it does resolve! We ended up waiting 11 days for the SAI calculation. What helped us during the wait was creating a backup plan - we contacted the financial aid offices at all the schools my daughter was considering and explained the FAFSA delay. Most were very understanding and either extended deadlines or provided preliminary aid estimates based on our submitted information. Also, don't forget you can still submit CSS Profile (if required by your schools) while waiting for the FAFSA SAI - that helped move things along with some of the private schools. Hang in there, the system is definitely broken this year but your son won't lose his spot over this processing delay!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now with my youngest son's FAFSA! We're on day 7 of the "couldn't calculate SAI" message and I was starting to really worry about our timeline. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like 8-12 days is pretty normal this year, which is both frustrating and reassuring at the same time. I especially appreciate the tip about checking both the parent and student portals separately - I had no idea they might show different information! Also going to follow the advice about contacting the school directly for a possible deadline extension on our housing deposit. It's good to know we're not alone in dealing with this mess of a system. Fingers crossed ours resolves soon like everyone else's eventually did!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My daughter's FAFSA has been showing the "couldn't calculate SAI" message for 6 days now and I was starting to panic about all the upcoming deadlines. Reading everyone's experiences has been so reassuring - it sounds like 8-12 days is pretty typical this year, which gives me hope that ours will resolve soon too. I had no idea about checking both the parent and student portals separately - that's such a useful tip! Also definitely going to contact her school's financial aid office tomorrow to explain the situation and see if they can extend any deadlines or provide a preliminary aid estimate while we wait. The advice about being proactive with the schools instead of just waiting helplessly has been a game changer for my stress level. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and timeline - it's so comforting to know we're not alone in this mess and that it does eventually work out!