High SAI (60633) but no federal loans offered - only Parent PLUS? Can't afford EFC!

This sounds like there might be an error in how your FAFSA was processed or how the school interpreted your information. Federal Direct loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized) should be available regardless of your SAI - they're not need-based in the same way as grants. First thing I'd do is contact the financial aid office directly to ask why federal student loans weren't included. Your daughter should be eligible for at least $5,500 in Direct loans as a freshman (more if she's in a higher grade). Also, double check that you didn't accidentally opt out of federal loans when completing the FAFSA or any supplemental forms the school sent. Sometimes there's a checkbox that people miss.

i had the same thing happen!!!!! our SAI was like 58K and they only gave my son parent plus loans. turns out we checked some box wrong about "interested in loans" on the college's supplemental form. call financial aid and ask about federal direct loans specifically and say you want to "accept" them. they fixed it for us in like 2 days

Wait, are you sure you're looking at this right? The SAI isn't necessarily what they expect you to pay. Each school has its own formula for calculating your actual Expected Family Contribution. Did the letter specifically say you need to pay $45K out of pocket, or is that the total cost minus what they offered?

There's definitely something wrong here. While the new SAI calculation under the FAFSA Simplification Act works differently than the old EFC, federal Direct Loans are still considered part of the standard financial aid package and should be offered before Parent PLUS loans. Here's what might have happened: 1. The school made an error in your aid package calculation 2. There's a flag on your FAFSA that needs resolution (verification, citizenship, etc.) 3. There was an issue with your FAFSA submission that affected loan eligibility 4. Your daughter's grade level was entered incorrectly Call the financial aid office immediately. If they're difficult to reach, you might want to try the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID to verify your FAFSA was processed correctly. Also, if your income has decreased significantly since the tax year used for the FAFSA, ask about a "Professional Judgment" review or "Special Circumstances" appeal. This can adjust your SAI based on current financial situation.

I've been trying to reach the Federal Student Aid Information Center for days about a similar issue and keep getting disconnected or stuck on hold forever. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they got me connected to a real person in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for hours on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ But definitely talk to your school's financial aid office first. In my case, it turned out there was a verification flag on our FAFSA that was preventing the loans from being processed, and we had no idea until we finally got through to someone.

THEY DO THIS ON PURPOSE!!! The whole system is designed to make u think u can't afford college so you'll just give up!!! They WANT to push parent plus loans because the interest rates are HIGHER and they make more $$$$. My daughter's friend had almost EXACTLY the same SAI as you and got DENIED any help except parent loans! Its all a SCAM!!!

have u tried checkin the studentaid.gov portal directly? sometimes u can see if theres any issues or flags on ur application there. also make sure ur daughter is listed as a dependent not independent, that can mess things up too

One more thing that might be worth checking - make sure your daughter's grade level is correctly listed. I've seen cases where incoming freshmen were accidentally classified as 5th-year students, which can mess up loan eligibility. Also, verify your school's cost of attendance figures are accurate in their system. When you talk to financial aid, ask specifically about Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, not just "loans" generally. Sometimes the terminology confusion can lead to misunderstandings. A freshman should typically be eligible for up to $5,500 in Direct loans ($3,500 subsidized maximum + $2,000 unsubsidized).

Any update on your situation? Were you able to get through to financial aid?

That's such great news! I'm so glad you were able to get it resolved. It's crazy how a simple processing error can cause so much stress and confusion. Your story will definitely help other families who might run into the same issue - knowing to specifically ask about being marked as "not interested in federal loans" could save someone a lot of headache. Good luck with the appeal process for additional aid based on your current income situation!