FAFSA showing 'cannot calculate SAI' after submitting all documents - need help

Same thing is happening to me rn!! I applied like 10 days ago and mine says cannot calculate too. no idea what that means

The 'cannot calculate' message typically appears when there's a discrepancy in your application that the system flagged but didn't specify. Common issues include: 1. Income reporting inconsistencies between your tax forms and what you manually entered 2. Missing information in one of the sections (even with green checkmarks sometimes) 3. Dependent status verification issues 4. System processing delays (yes, they're running behind this year) I recommend checking that your parents' AGI on the application matches their actual tax returns exactly. Also make sure the number of people in your household is consistent throughout the application. If everything looks correct, you'll need to contact Federal Student Aid directly.

This happened to me!!! I panicked for DAYS but it actually resolved itself after about 3 weeks. Just randomly logged in one day and my SAI score was there. No explanation, nothing changed on my end. The whole FAFSA system is a MESS this year with all the changes they made to the formula. Some schools told me they're seeing lots of delays.

Check if you've been selected for verification. Log into studentaid.gov and look for any notices or requirements in your dashboard. The 'cannot calculate' message often appears when additional verification is needed, but the system doesn't always clearly indicate this. About 30% of FAFSA applications get flagged for verification each year, and the new system sometimes doesn't show the verification notice properly.

If you need to speak with someone at Federal Student Aid directly, I'd recommend using Claimyr to get through to an agent. I was trying for days to reach someone about my SAI calculation issue and kept getting disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in about 5 minutes who resolved my issue. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent told me the 'cannot calculate' message usually means either there's a data processing issue on their end or some slight discrepancy in your reported information. Either way, you need to talk to them directly to fix it.

My daughter had this exact same problem!! It turned out one of her W-2 entries had a typo in the employer identification number (EIN). Even though everything showed complete with green checkmarks, that tiny error was causing the SAI calculation to fail. We only found out after finally reaching someone at FSA by phone. Check all your numbers VERY carefully, especially tax ID numbers.

Update from an academic advisor perspective: The Department of Education confirmed there's a processing backlog affecting SAI calculations. For the 2025-2026 application cycle, they're experiencing delays of 3-4 weeks for some applicants, particularly when there are multiple contributors or complex income situations. If your application was submitted correctly, the SAI should eventually appear without you needing to take action. However, if it's been more than 4 weeks, definitely contact FSA directly.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know what happened in my case. After checking everything multiple times, I finally got through to FSA and found out the issue. Even though both my parents used the IRS data retrieval tool, there was a glitch where my dad's income information wasn't properly linked to my application. It showed as complete in the system, but the actual data wasn't there! The agent had me go back in with my dad and re-authorize the IRS retrieval, and my SAI showed up 24 hours later. So if you're having this issue, definitely don't wait - try to contact FSA directly. Thanks everyone for your help!