FAFSA required for college but SAI score too high - how to explain to disappointed student?

Your situation is actually super common - the middle-income squeeze is real with FAFSA. First, even with a high SAI, make sure your daughter's school still gets the FAFSA information because many merit scholarships (not need-based) still require it. Second, you can absolutely file a special circumstances appeal directly with the financial aid office! They call this 'professional judgment' and can adjust for things like medical expenses, care for elderly parents, or other circumstances the FAFSA doesn't capture. Bring documentation of all these extra expenses. Many schools have discretionary funds they can award even with higher SAI scores, especially for strong students.

we r in the EXACT same boat!! sai of 32k but theres NO WAY we cn afford that. colleges think were made of money lol. my son was so upset he almost didnt want to go to college at all. what helped us was private scholerships from local businesses, churches, etc. apply to EVERYTHING even the small ones they add up fast

I went through this with both my kids. The FAFSA system is deeply flawed for middle-income families. Here's what worked for us: 1) Appeal directly to the financial aid office with SPECIFIC documentation of all expenses not captured by FAFSA (medical bills, elder care, etc) 2) Look into whether your daughter qualifies for departmental scholarships in her major 3) Consider starting at community college for 2 years then transferring (saved us over $40,000) 4) Compare financial aid packages from multiple schools - sometimes your daughter's second or third choice might offer significantly better packages The Parent Plus loan exists, but I'd be cautious about taking on too much debt at your age when you should be focusing on retirement.

THIS IS WHY THE FAFSA SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!!! They look at your income from TWO YEARS AGO and don't consider your actual situation NOW. The middle class gets CRUSHED while people with lower incomes get everything paid for and the truly wealthy don't even care. It's designed to force people into loans. My daughter graduated with $87,000 in debt because the system decided we could "afford" to pay when we absolutely could not. Tell your daughter the harsh truth - either choose a cheaper school or prepare for debt. The system is NOT designed to help families like ours.

I feel your pain - we went through this last year. One resource that saved us was calling Federal Student Aid directly to discuss special circumstance appeals. I spent DAYS trying to get through on their phone line before I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me connected to an actual FSA agent in under 5 minutes who walked me through exactly what documentation we needed for our appeal and how to present our case. There's a good video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent gave us insider tips on how to structure our appeal that made all the difference - we ended up getting an additional $7,500 in aid after our appeal was approved.

have u looked into css profile schools? some of them give way better aid for middle income families than the regular fafsa ones. my niece got way more money from schools that use both systems

Don't forget to look into tax strategies for the coming years too! The FAFSA uses the prior-prior year income (so for 2025-2026 aid, they're looking at your 2023 tax return). If your daughter has more years of college ahead, you might be able to structure your income differently to show greater need in future FAFSA applications. Things like maximizing retirement contributions, timing capital gains/losses, and business expense timing can all impact your AGI, which directly affects your SAI score. Talk to a tax professional who specializes in college planning.

One thing that helped us was having a very direct conversation with the financial aid office at my son's school. We literally made an appointment, showed up with all our documentation, and said "We want to make this work but here's our financial reality." The woman actually walked us through all our options including some institutional scholarships we didn't know about. Many schools have funds they can distribute at their discretion that aren't part of the federal aid system. Sometimes you just need to be persistent and show them you're serious about wanting to attend but have legitimate financial constraints.

btw has ur daughter checked if her school has any payment plans? my sons school let us split the payments into monthly chunks which made it waaaaay more managable than one huge bill

I'm going through almost the exact same situation with my son! Our SAI came back at 31,200 and I felt like crying when I saw it. What's helped us so far is creating a comprehensive appeal package - I made a spreadsheet showing our actual monthly expenses vs. what the FAFSA thinks we can afford, plus documentation for everything (medical bills, elder care costs, etc.). Also, don't overlook work-study opportunities at the school - they often have more flexibility with those positions than you'd think. My son's school increased his work-study award by $2,000 after we explained our situation. The financial aid counselor told me that persistence is key - keep following up politely but regularly. Hang in there, and don't let your daughter give up on her dream school yet!

I'm in a similar situation with my daughter and it's so frustrating! One thing that's helped us is looking into employer tuition benefits - I didn't realize my company offers up to $5,250/year in tuition assistance for dependents. Also, check if your daughter's major has any professional associations that offer scholarships - we found three smaller ones ($500-$1,500 each) through nursing organizations that she qualified for. The amounts seem small but they really do add up. Another tip: if your daughter is considering grad school eventually, some schools offer "pipeline" programs where undergrads can get guaranteed admission plus scholarship money for continuing there. It might not solve this year's problem, but it could help with future planning. Don't give up - there are so many funding sources that aren't obvious at first glance!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - the "middle income squeeze" is absolutely real and heartbreaking for families like yours. One thing that helped us was requesting a "professional judgment review" for unusual circumstances. The key is being very specific about your additional expenses that FAFSA doesn't capture. For your $16,500 in medical expenses and $9,000 supporting your parents, make sure you have detailed documentation - not just receipts, but a letter explaining how these are ongoing obligations that impact your ability to pay. Also, don't overlook state-specific aid programs! Many states have grants that use different formulas than federal aid. And definitely have your daughter apply for departmental scholarships in engineering - many of these have later deadlines and smaller applicant pools. I know it feels overwhelming, but there are often more options than appear at first glance. Your daughter worked hard to get into her dream school, and that dedication will serve her well in finding creative funding solutions too!

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress - the SAI calculation really doesn't reflect the reality of middle-class family finances. One thing that worked for my family was creating what I called a "financial reality packet" for the appeals process. I included a detailed monthly budget showing actual expenses, documentation of all medical costs and elder care expenses, and a cover letter explaining how these circumstances weren't captured in the FAFSA. The key was being very specific about ongoing vs. one-time expenses. Also, don't forget to check if your daughter's school participates in any consortium programs with other colleges - sometimes you can take gen ed courses at a cheaper community college during summers and transfer the credits back. This helped us save about $8,000 over four years. The appeals process can take time, but many schools have emergency aid funds they can tap into while you're waiting for the formal review. Stay persistent and document everything!