FAFSA shows SAI of 690 - What does this mean for my daughter's college financial aid?
Just got my daughter's FAFSA processed and she received an email saying her SAI is 690. I'm completely confused about what this number actually means! Is this good or bad? I know lower is better but is 690 considered low enough for decent financial aid? Should I start contacting all the admissions offices at her schools to let them know her FAFSA is complete? I'm worried because I heard the schools were getting incomplete information while the forms weren't fully signed. Anyone know if I need to do anything special to make sure they get her updated SAI? This whole process is so frustrating!
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Norah Quay
690 is actually a really good SAI (Student Aid Index). The lower the number, the more financial aid you'll qualify for. With an SAI that low, your daughter will likely qualify for significant aid including possibly the full Pell Grant amount. You don't need to call the schools - they automatically receive the FAFSA information electronically once it's fully processed. Just make sure your daughter's school list in the FAFSA portal includes all the schools she applied to.
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Kelsey Chin
•Thank you! That's a relief. I wasn't sure if 690 was considered low or high in the grand scheme of things. Do you know roughly how much aid she might qualify for with this number? And how long does it typically take for schools to receive the updated information?
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Leo McDonald
congrats!! my son got an SAI of 3400 so yours is way better!! we didnt get much financial aide but with your number you should get alot more
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Jessica Nolan
•same here!! my twins got 4200 each and we're basically getting nothing from state schools ðŸ˜
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Angelina Farar
An SAI of 690 is very good news! This is what used to be called the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) and was renamed for the 2024-2025 FAFSA. With that number, your daughter will qualify for substantial aid: 1. She'll likely receive the maximum Pell Grant (around $7,395 for 2024-2025) 2. She'll probably qualify for significant need-based aid from most colleges 3. State grants often have favorable treatment for low SAI students The schools will automatically receive this information - you don't need to contact them. However, if any schools requested the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, make sure that's completed too as some private schools use both for aid determinations.
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Kelsey Chin
•Oh wow! I had no idea she might qualify for that much in Pell Grants. She applied to two private schools that did request the CSS Profile, so I'll double-check that we've completed those as well. Thank you for the detailed information!
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Sebastián Stevens
BE CAREFUL!!! The schools DO NOT always get updated info automatically!! My daughter's SAI changed after a correction and THREE of her schools never got the update. We had to call each financial aid office individually to get them to pull the new info. The whole system is BROKEN this year with all the FAFSA changes!!!
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Bethany Groves
•This is actually good advice. While schools should receive updated information automatically, there have been numerous technical issues with the new FAFSA system this year. If you don't see updated aid packages within 2-3 weeks of your FAFSA being processed, it's worth contacting the financial aid offices.
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KingKongZilla
I had the same issue with my son's FAFSA last month. When we finally got his SAI (which was much higher than yours, you're lucky!), I was worried about the schools getting the info too. Ended up trying to contact FSA to confirm everything was sent correctly and spent forever on hold. When I finally got to someone they were super helpful but it took literally ALL DAY waiting.
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Rebecca Johnston
•If you're having trouble getting through to FAFSA on the phone, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They basically hold your place in line and call you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of waiting on hold. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - definitely worth it when you need to talk to someone about FAFSA issues.
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Jessica Nolan
your daughter will probably get full pell grant with that SAI!! i think the cutoff is like 3000 or something now... my niece had an 800 and got almost everything paid for at her state school
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Norah Quay
•The Pell Grant eligibility for 2024-2025 maxes out around an SAI of 6656, with the maximum award going to those with an SAI of 0. At 690, OP's daughter will qualify for a substantial portion of the maximum award ($7,395), if not the full amount.
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Bethany Groves
To address your original question about contacting schools: I recommend waiting about 10-14 days after receiving your SAI before checking with schools. This gives their systems time to process the FAFSA data. You can then email (don't call) the financial aid offices with your daughter's name, DOB, and confirmation that her FAFSA is complete with an SAI of 690. Ask them to confirm they've received her information and when she might expect to receive her financial aid package. This proactive but patient approach works better than immediately flooding them with calls, especially during their busy season.
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Kelsey Chin
•That's really helpful, thank you! I'll wait two weeks and then send a polite email to each school. Just knowing there's a plan makes me feel better about the whole process.
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Leo McDonald
also make sure you look at the actual award letters when they come in!!! my sons SAI was similar (around 750) but the actual offers from different schools varied by like $15k!! some schools are way more generous than others even with the same fafsa info
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Angelina Farar
•This is excellent advice. The SAI is just a starting point that schools use in their aid calculations. Each institution has its own methodology for awarding institutional aid beyond federal programs. Private colleges with large endowments often provide more generous packages than state schools, despite having higher sticker prices. Always compare the final net cost after all grants and scholarships, not just the initial tuition amount.
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StarSeeker
That's fantastic news! An SAI of 690 puts your daughter in an excellent position for financial aid. Just to add some perspective - you might also want to check if your state has additional grant programs for students with low SAI numbers. Many states offer their own need-based grants that stack on top of federal aid. Also, don't forget to have your daughter apply for the work-study program at her schools if she's interested - with her SAI, she'll likely qualify and it can help cover personal expenses. The key thing now is just being patient while the schools process everything. You're doing great navigating this process!
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Ella Harper
•Thank you so much for mentioning state grants! I hadn't even thought about those. I'll definitely look into what our state offers for students with low SAI numbers. The work-study suggestion is great too - my daughter has been worried about having spending money for college, so that could be a perfect solution. It's reassuring to hear from so many people that we're in a good position. This whole process has been so overwhelming but this community has been incredibly helpful!
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