FAFSA submitted with incomplete financial info - got SAI of 4800 without entering bank details?
I'm totally confused about what just happened with my FAFSA application. I started filling it out about a month ago but got stuck when it asked for my bank account information. Since I didn't have all those details handy, I hit save and figured I'd come back later. Today I finally logged back in to finish it, but after signing, it suddenly says "submitted"?? I somehow got an SAI score of 4800 which seems really low (good I guess?) but I'm freaking out because I never actually entered ANY of my financial information! Did the system just automatically pull everything from my 2022 tax return? My 2023 info would actually show a much lower income since I changed jobs - should I try to update it somehow or is it too late now? I'm so stressed about this!
17 comments
Join the conversation
Louisa Ramirez
Yes, the FAFSA is now using your tax information directly from the IRS through their auto-importing feature. It's part of the simplified FAFSA process for 2025-2026. The system linked to your tax return data when you provided your SSN and consent during the initial application steps. Your bank account balances actually don't affect your SAI calculation anymore under the new formula - they eliminated consideration of cash assets for most applicants. The SAI of 4800 is based on your 2022 tax information, which is the required tax year for this application cycle.
0 coins
Marilyn Dixon
•Wait so they just pulled everything automatically? That's both convenient and kinda creepy lol. But if my 2023 income is like 40% lower than 2022 (got laid off and found a lower paying job), should I try to fix this somehow? I don't want to miss out on more aid!
0 coins
TommyKapitz
same thing happened to me!! i thought i was going crazy cause i didnt remember finishing it either but got an sai number in my email. the new fafsa is weird af
0 coins
Angel Campbell
•Thought it was just me! The new system is sooooo confusing. I got an SAI too but I have NO IDEA if it's good or bad? Like what does 4800 even mean exactly??? Is that a lot of money we have to pay or what?
0 coins
Payton Black
What you're experiencing is normal with the new streamlined FAFSA. The system is designed to pull your tax information directly from the IRS Data Retrieval Tool automatically. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they're using 2022 tax information for everyone, regardless of any changes in 2023. Your SAI (Student Aid Index) of 4800 means your family is expected to contribute about $4,800 toward your education costs for the year. This will be used by schools to determine your aid package. Since your 2023 income is substantially lower, you should submit what's called a "Special Circumstances" appeal directly to each college's financial aid office. This is a formal process to request they consider your current financial situation rather than the 2022 data. Each school handles these differently, but typically you'll need: 1. Documentation of your job loss/change 2. Pay stubs showing current income 3. A written explanation of the change 4. The school's special circumstances form (check their financial aid website) Don't try to change your FAFSA - it's using the correct year. Focus on appealing directly to each school instead.
0 coins
Marilyn Dixon
•Thanks! That's super helpful info. When should I submit these appeals? Should I wait until I get acceptance letters, or start the process now? Also, does the $4,800 mean I'd potentially qualify for Pell Grants with an SAI that low?
0 coins
Harold Oh
the whole system is BROKEN!!! i had the exact same problem but my SAI was insanely high because they pulled my parents' business income wrong and counted it TWICE!! been trying to call fafsa for 2 WEEKS and can't get through to a real person. just endless holds and disconnects. this new system is a DISASTER and nobody can fix anything!!!!
0 coins
Amun-Ra Azra
•I had a similar issue trying to reach FSA about incorrect tax information. After 3 days of trying to get through, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to help me reach an actual person at Federal Student Aid. It basically holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration - here's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I got through, the agent was able to explain exactly what happened with my tax data and told me how to submit a correction. Definitely worth it for saving my sanity!
0 coins
Louisa Ramirez
To answer your follow-up question: With an SAI of 4800, you're likely eligible for some Pell Grant funding, though not the maximum amount. For 2025-2026, the full Pell Grant is available to students with an SAI of 0, with partial grants available for SAIs up to around 6206 (this threshold changes slightly each year). Regarding timing for appeals - I recommend starting the process as soon as you receive your acceptance letters. Some schools have specific deadlines for special circumstances appeals, and the financial aid offices get extremely busy in March-April. Having your documentation ready now is smart, but each school will want you to use their specific forms for the appeal.
0 coins
Marilyn Dixon
•This is so helpful, thank you! I'll start gathering my documentation now so I'm ready when those acceptance letters hopefully start coming in. At least it sounds like I'm in a decent position with that SAI for getting some aid.
0 coins
Summer Green
My son had this happen and we thought it was some kind of glitch! I kept telling him he needed to go back and finish it but he got an SAI too. I'm just worried because what if the information is wrong? How do you even check what income they used????
0 coins
Payton Black
•You can view exactly what information was used in your FAFSA calculation by logging into studentaid.gov and viewing your processed application. Look for the "View SAI Calculation" or "View FAFSA Summary" option. This will show all the tax data they imported from the IRS. If you find any errors, you can submit a correction to your FAFSA. However, if the information matches your 2022 tax return but your situation has changed since then, that's when you need to pursue the special circumstances appeal process with individual schools instead of changing the FAFSA itself.
0 coins
Angel Campbell
ok but does anyone know if the SAI number is like per semester or for the whole year?? cause if its 4800 for the whole year that's not bad but if its per semester YIKES
0 coins
Louisa Ramirez
•The SAI number is for the entire academic year (fall and spring semesters combined), not per semester. So an SAI of 4800 means your expected contribution for the whole year is $4,800 total, which works out to about $2,400 per semester. This is actually a relatively low SAI that should qualify you for decent financial aid at most institutions.
0 coins
Marilyn Dixon
UPDATE: Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I logged into studentaid.gov and found where I could see the tax info they pulled. It all looks accurate for 2022, but definitely doesn't reflect my current situation. I'm going to start preparing my special circumstances documentation now so I'm ready when I hear back from schools. Really appreciate all the insights - feeling much less stressed now that I understand what happened!
0 coins
TommyKapitz
•glad u figured it out! the whole process is so confusing and the new system is weird. good luck with your appeals!
0 coins
Adrian Connor
This happened to me too and I was so confused at first! The automatic tax data import really caught me off guard. Just wanted to add that when you do your special circumstances appeals, make sure to include a letter explaining the timeline of your job change and how it impacts your ability to pay. I did this last year when my dad got laid off, and most schools were really understanding about it. Also, some schools have online portals for submitting these appeals which is way easier than mailing everything. Good luck with your applications - an SAI of 4800 should definitely help you get some decent aid packages!
0 coins