Got FAFSA SAI number of 20972 - what does this actually mean for college costs?

The SAI (Student Aid Index) is basically what replaced the old EFC (Expected Family Contribution). It's a number colleges use to determine how much need-based aid you qualify for. The lower your SAI, the more need-based aid you might receive. Colleges will automatically receive this information when your FAFSA is processed - you don't need to send it anywhere. Each school will use your SAI number to calculate your "financial need" by subtracting it from their Cost of Attendance (COA). So if a college costs $40,000/year total (including tuition, room, board, books, etc.), and your SAI is $20,972, then your demonstrated financial need would be $19,028. Schools will try to meet this need with a combination of grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans.

that SAI is actually not bad!! my kids SAI came back as 32456 and we are dEFINITELY not rich lol. don't freak out, different colleges handle this differently. some give great aid even with higher SAIs

To add to what others have said, an SAI of 20972 means a few things: 1. Each college will receive this number automatically once your FAFSA is processed 2. Most colleges won't expect you to pay exactly $20,972 - the actual cost will depend on their specific financial aid formula and available aid budget 3. Public universities typically don't meet 100% of demonstrated need, while some selective private colleges might 4. Your SAI may qualify you for some federal grants, but likely not the full Pell Grant (which typically requires an SAI under 7000) Most importantly, you should now log into each college's financial aid portal (if they have one) to see if they require any additional forms. Many private colleges require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, which collects more detailed financial information.

CSS Profile deadlines vary by school, but many have priority deadlines in February-March for the upcoming fall. Some have earlier deadlines for early decision/action applicants. Check each school's financial aid website immediately to confirm their specific requirements and deadlines!

OMG this whole system is SUCH A SCAM!!! an SAI of 20972 means the govt thinks your family can afford to pay $21K PER YEAR for college?!?! what planet are they living on?? most families i know can barely afford groceries right now let alone drop $21k on tuition. and the colleges will use this number to justify giving you less aid. its all designed to force people into massive student loans that you'll never pay off!!

lol i didnt even check my SAI. whats the point? just gonna take out loans anyway 🤷‍♂️

When my son got his SAI back (it was called EFC back then but same thing), I spent HOURS trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid to explain what it meant for his aid package. Kept getting disconnected or stuck on hold forever. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 10 minutes who explained everything. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent explained that our SAI was just one factor colleges use, and some schools would still offer good aid even with our high SAI. That turned out to be true - my son got a half-tuition scholarship at his top choice despite our high SAI!

my daughter had similar SAI as yours and still got decent financial aid at 3 of her 5 schools! the public university gave mostly loans but the smaller private colleges gave her some good scholarship money. just wait for the financial aid letters before panicking

To answer your follow-up question: Most schools don't cover 100% of demonstrated need. There are only about 60-70 colleges nationwide that claim to meet full need, and even those may include loans and work-study in their packages. For a $65k private college with your SAI of $21k, you might expect: 1. Some merit scholarships (if your daughter has strong academics) 2. Some institutional grants based on need 3. Federal direct loans ($5,500 for freshmen) 4. Possibly work-study ($2-3k) 5. Then potentially a remaining gap that you'd need to cover with Parent PLUS loans or other resources The difference between colleges is enormous. Some might offer $40k in grants/scholarships, while others might offer just $10k. This is why it's crucial to apply to colleges with a range of price points and strong aid programs.

Most schools send financial aid packages either with admission decisions or shortly after. For Regular Decision applicants, this typically means March or early April. Early Decision/Action applicants usually receive aid info in December or January. If you don't receive aid information within 2-3 weeks of an acceptance, don't hesitate to contact the financial aid office directly.

When we got my son's SAI last year, it was about 23000. What actually happened was totally different at each school! - State university: They basically expected us to pay exactly the SAI amount plus took off about $5k for scholarships - Private college #1: Gave him $32k in grants even though our SAI was high - Private college #2: Only offered $12k despite having a similar sticker price to #1 - Private college #3: Gave merit scholarship that made it cheaper than the state school! Moral of the story: the SAI is just a starting point. Wait for the actual financial aid packages before ruling any school out.

Yes! We actually appealed the financial aid offer at Private #2 by showing them the better offer from Private #1. They ended up adding another $8k in institutional grants. Definitely worth asking, especially if you can show better offers from similar schools.

As someone who just went through this process with my youngest, I wanted to share that an SAI of 20972 is actually pretty manageable! Don't let the number scare you. What really matters is how individual colleges interpret and work with that number. A few practical tips based on our experience: - Apply to schools with strong endowments if possible - they often have more flexibility with aid - Don't overlook state schools with honors programs - sometimes they offer merit aid that can bring costs below your SAI - Keep all your financial documents organized because some schools may ask for additional verification Also, if your family's financial situation has changed since you filed (job loss, medical expenses, etc.), make sure to contact each school's financial aid office directly. They can often make adjustments that the FAFSA formula doesn't capture. Good luck!