Got -1500 SAI score on FAFSA - what's next with college financial aid offers?
Just got our FAFSA processed and we have a -1500 SAI (Student Aid Index)! I'm honestly shocked because I didn't expect it to be negative. From what I understand, that's really good for financial aid, right? But now I'm confused about next steps. Do we just wait for schools to build their financial aid offers? My daughter applied to 6 colleges and I'm anxious about timeline. How long do schools typically take to send financial aid packages after they have your SAI? And does a negative SAI definitely mean we'll get substantial aid from all schools or does it vary a lot? This whole process is so stressful!
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Adriana Cohn
Congrats on the negative SAI! That's definitely good news for potential aid. Yes, now you wait for schools to build their financial aid packages based on that number. Each school has their own timeline though - some are quick (like 2-3 weeks) while others might take a couple months. And while a negative SAI generally means good aid potential, the actual packages can vary DRAMATICALLY between schools. Some might offer full need coverage, others might leave huge gaps, especially if they're not your daughter's top choice schools.
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Brandon Parker
•Thank you! Do you think I should contact the financial aid offices to make sure they received our FAFSA info? I'm worried about missing deadlines or something getting lost in their system.
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Jace Caspullo
a negative SAI is great, means ur eligible for max pell grant!! but each school has different $ they can give u beyond that. private schools usually give more aid than state schools btw
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Melody Miles
•This isn't always true!! My son had negative SAI and the private school we wanted actually gave LESS aid than our state university. Always compare actual packages not just school type!!
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
Yes, now you wait for schools to send their aid packages. But there's a misunderstanding I see frequently - a negative SAI means you'll likely qualify for the maximum Pell Grant (around $7,395 for 2025-2026), but the rest of your financial aid package varies WIDELY between institutions. Public universities often have limited institutional funds beyond federal aid, while private colleges may offer significant additional grants to cover more of your need. Review each aid package carefully when they arrive - look at the gift aid (grants/scholarships) vs. loans ratio, and don't assume all schools will meet your full demonstrated need just because of the negative SAI.
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Brandon Parker
•Thank you for explaining the differences! I didn't realize there could be such big variations. Do most schools include the Pell Grant as part of their total "aid" number? I want to make sure I'm comparing packages correctly when they come in.
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Eva St. Cyr
my daughter got -1700 SAI this year and we're STILL waiting on 2 schools to send financial aid packages!! its been 6 weeks and nothing from them while other schools sent aid info weeks ago. i've called like 20 times and keep getting bounced around or disconnected. so frustrating!!!
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Kristian Bishop
•Have you tried using Claimyr to reach FAFSA directly? I was in the same boat - couldn't get through to anyone about my son's application for weeks. Claimyr connected me to a Federal Student Aid agent in about 15 minutes when I couldn't get through on my own after days of trying. The agent was able to confirm my FAFSA was properly transmitted to all our schools and gave me the exact dates each school downloaded our info. Super helpful for peace of mind! You can see how it works at claimyr.com or watch their demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ
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Kaitlyn Otto
A negative SAI is excellent news, but please be aware that this is just the beginning of the financial aid process. Schools use the SAI as a starting point for building their aid packages, but each institution has different available resources and priorities. You should expect your daughter to receive the maximum Pell Grant at all schools, but beyond that, you'll see significant variations. While waiting, I recommend creating a spreadsheet to compare offers when they arrive - categorize each award as either free money (grants/scholarships) or money that must be repaid (loans). Some schools will prominently display a large "financial aid" number but bury the fact that most of it is loans. Be particularly wary if you see Parent PLUS loans included in the initial package - these are not awarded based on need and should not be counted as part of meeting your demonstrated financial need.
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Brandon Parker
•That's a great tip about creating a spreadsheet! I'll definitely do that. How do I identify which parts of the aid package are loans vs grants? Do they label them clearly or use confusing terminology?
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
They should label everything, but sometimes the formatting can be confusing. Look for these terms: - Grants (Pell Grant, SEOG, state grants, institutional grants) = free money - Scholarships = free money - Federal Direct Subsidized Loans = must be repaid, but no interest while in school - Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans = must be repaid, interest accrues immediately - Parent PLUS loans = parent debt, not student debt, typically higher interest - Federal Work-Study = earned through working, not free money upfront Some schools will lump everything together as "aid" to make the gap look smaller. Always calculate your actual out-of-pocket cost by subtracting ONLY grants and scholarships from the total cost.
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Jace Caspullo
•also watch out for schools that give u big scholarships for freshman year that disappear later!! my brother lost half his aid sophomore year cuz the "welcome scholarship" was 1st yr only! read the fine print!!!
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Melody Miles
My nephew had a -2200 SAI last year and got COMPLETELY different packages from different schools. One private college covered almost everything with grants while a state university left a $15,000 gap even with the negative SAI. It's ridiculous how inconsistent the system is!!! And some schools took FOREVER to send aid packages. The financial aid system is just broken.
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Kaitlyn Otto
•This is unfortunately common. Many public institutions have limited institutional aid funds compared to wealthy private colleges. While the federal methodology (FAFSA) provides a standardized need assessment via the SAI, each school's ability to meet that need varies dramatically. This is why comparing final aid packages is crucial rather than making assumptions based solely on sticker price or institution type.
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Brandon Parker
Thank you all for the helpful information! I feel much better prepared now. I'll wait for the aid packages to arrive and carefully compare them using the spreadsheet method. I'm relieved to hear the negative SAI is good news for the Pell Grant at least. I'll also check out Claimyr if we end up waiting too long for any schools to respond. Will update here when we start getting packages!
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Adriana Cohn
•Good plan! And don't hesitate to contact financial aid offices directly if you have questions about specific offers. Sometimes they can adjust packages if you have special circumstances not captured on the FAFSA. Good luck to your daughter!
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