FAFSA's new SAI calculation drastically increased our contribution from 7K more income - losing grants & scholarships

yep the new formula is BRUTAL on families with multiple kids who aren't all in college at the same time. my daughter lost almost $18k in aid when her brother graduated last year. its like they punish you for having educated one kid already!!

The change from EFC to SAI has indeed created some significant shifts in the formula. The biggest impact comes from the multiple-children-in-college adjustment, which now provides less benefit than before. While your income only increased by $7,800, having one fewer dependent student in college can easily cause the dramatic jump you're seeing. Here are some options to consider: 1. File a Professional Judgment appeal with your financial aid office based on special circumstances (be specific about hardship) 2. Look into CSS Profile schools, as they often have institutional methodologies that may be more favorable 3. Consider private scholarships that aren't tied to FAFSA calculations 4. Check if your son qualifies for any department-specific scholarships in his program

The transition from EFC to SAI was specifically designed to adjust how families with multiple children are evaluated. The old system gave a much larger discount for multiple children in college simultaneously, which many policy experts felt was overly generous to higher-income families. I successfully appealed a similar situation by documenting specific expenses that weren't captured in the FAFSA - ongoing medical costs, support for elderly parents, and essential home repairs. Your financial aid office should have a "Special Circumstances" or "Professional Judgment" form - don't just write a letter, use their official process. Also, check whether your son's school has any supplemental institutional aid that isn't strictly tied to the federal methodology. Many schools have discretionary funds for exactly these situations.

Dealing with the same nightmare! Our SAI jumped from $22k to $55k with only a $9k income increase because our older daughter graduated. I've been on hold with FSA for HOURS trying to get an explanation. The website keeps crashing when I try to check if there's an error in our application. I finally reached a human after trying for two weeks by using Claimyr (claimyr.com). It basically holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed there was nothing wrong with our application - it's just the new formula. But at least I didn't waste more hours on hold to find that out. Now working with my son's financial aid office on appeal options.

As a financial aid advisor, I can tell you that we're seeing this issue with many families. The new SAI calculation significantly reduced the benefit for having multiple students in college simultaneously. Where the old formula essentially divided your contribution among the number of students, the new formula provides a much smaller adjustment. For your specific situation, I strongly recommend filing a Professional Judgment appeal with documentation of any special circumstances not reflected in your FAFSA. This might include: - Unreimbursed medical expenses - Loss of income since filing the tax return used - Essential major home repairs - Care expenses for elderly family members - Educational costs for parents Approximately 40% of properly documented appeals result in adjusted aid packages. The key is providing detailed documentation of expenses and explaining why these create financial hardship despite what the SAI formula shows.

omg these comments r super helpful my family is literally going thru THE SAME THING rn!!! our SAI went up by like $30k when my brother graduated even tho my dads actualy making LESS money this year cause of his job change??? i dont understand how they expect families to just come up with tens of thousands more dollars out of nowhere its insane

Update: My son's university agreed to review our aid package after we appealed! We had to provide a ton of documentation, but they acknowledged that the new SAI formula was creating hardships for many families. They couldn't change the federal aid calculation, but they're providing an additional $7,500 in institutional grant funding to partially offset what we lost. Still not back to where we were, but it helps. Our financial aid officer explained that many schools received additional institutional aid funds specifically because they anticipated these issues with the new formula. It seems some schools are more willing to use these funds than others.

This is BS! Why did the government even CHANGE the formula??? My twins are heading to college next fall and now I'm terrified about what our SAI will be. We make about 95K combined and own a home - is that going to make us "too rich" for aid now??? The whole system is designed to crush the middle class!

Circle back to your financial aid office and specifically request a meeting with a senior financial aid counselor, not just whoever answers the phone. Bring documentation of: 1. Any change in income since the tax year used for FAFSA 2. All medical expenses not covered by insurance 3. Any retirement contributions you've made 4. Home repair costs or other major essential expenses 5. Documentation of how much aid your son is losing compared to previous years Be direct about requesting an institutional adjustment to offset the SAI increase. Many schools have discretionary funds specifically for retaining students in your son's situation - students who have been successful but suddenly face financial barriers to continuing. The most successful appeals I've seen focus on the student's academic achievements and contributions to the university community, not just the family's financial situation.

another option nobodys mentioned - have your kid take a semester off, work full time, establish independence, then reapply to fafsa as an independent student. my nephew did this and his SAI dropped to almost nothing becuase they only counted HIS income not the parents. took him an extra year to graduate but saved like $40k in loans

Update: We had our appeal meeting with financial aid yesterday. We brought all the documentation suggested here, especially focusing on medical expenses and my son's academic achievements. Good news! While they couldn't adjust the SAI itself, they're providing an additional $12,000 in institutional grant funding to partially offset what we're losing from the formula change. They said they've been dealing with this issue for many families and have allocated special funds to help bridge the gap. They also helped us identify two departmental scholarships my son can apply for that could cover another $5,000. We're still going to have to take out more loans than before, but it's manageable now. Thanks everyone for the guidance - the appeal process was definitely worth it!

That's fantastic news, Fatima! Your success story gives me so much hope. The $12,000 in institutional grants plus the potential for departmental scholarships shows that persistence really pays off. I'm definitely going to follow your approach - gathering all the medical documentation and emphasizing my daughter's academic record when we meet with financial aid next week. It's encouraging to hear that schools are recognizing these SAI formula issues and actually setting aside funds to help families navigate the transition. Thanks for sharing your update - it's exactly what so many of us needed to hear right now!

Welcome to the community, Julian! Don't feel overwhelmed - you're already taking the right steps by researching your options here. The appeals process might seem daunting, but as you can see from everyone's experiences, many schools are genuinely trying to help students navigate these SAI formula changes. Since you're facing a similar sibling graduation situation, I'd recommend starting by gathering documentation of any special circumstances (medical expenses, job changes, etc.) and scheduling a meeting with your financial aid office ASAP. Many schools have deadlines for appeals, so don't wait too long. Also, ask specifically about departmental scholarships in your major - these are often overlooked but can provide significant funding that isn't tied to FAFSA calculations. Good luck with your appeal!