High SAI but Work-Study eligible - what does this mean for FAFSA aid?

The new SAI calculation is COMPLETELY different from the old EFC system, so you can't really compare them directly. Under the new FAFSA formula, most families are seeing higher numbers, but that doesn't necessarily mean less aid. Work-Study eligibility is definitely a positive sign! It indicates your son meets at least some criteria for need-based aid. Each school uses the SAI differently to develop their financial aid packages, so you'll need to wait for their official offers to see the complete picture.

my daughters SAI is 31k and she got work study too but NO grants at all. honestly the new system is terrible for middle class families were all getting SCREWED

Work-Study eligibility and other aid types use the same SAI number but with different thresholds. Generally, Pell Grants have the lowest SAI cutoff (currently $7,395 for full Pell), then subsidized loans, and Work-Study typically has the highest threshold. So it's entirely possible to qualify for Work-Study but not other forms of need-based aid. Also worth noting - the cost of attendance at each school affects eligibility too. If your son is applying to expensive private colleges, he might still get institutional grants even with that SAI.

I've been dealing with this FAFSA nightmare for weeks now! Have you been able to reach anyone at Federal Student Aid to explain the SAI calculation? I tried calling them about our situation (similar to yours - high SAI but some eligibility) and kept getting disconnected after waiting forever!

Try using Claimyr - it saved me SO much time getting through to FSA! It holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. I used it last week to ask about my daughter's SAI calculation and actually got through to someone who explained everything. Their video shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ or just go to claimyr.com. Much better than wasting hours on hold!

My daughter is in her sophomore year now. What I've learned is that the federal aid (like Pell Grants) is pretty strictly tied to your SAI/EFC, but individual colleges have A LOT of flexibility with their institutional aid. Even with our high SAI, two schools gave us decent aid packages because they really wanted my daughter. Don't panic until you see the actual financial aid offers from each school!

One more thing to consider - the Work-Study eligibility might also indicate that your school's financial aid office has some flexibility in their need-based calculation. Many schools have their own institutional methodology (like the CSS Profile) that may result in a different need assessment than the federal SAI. Having Work-Study eligibility gives the financial aid office a starting point to offer additional aid.

I really appreciate all the advice here. It sounds like we shouldn't read too much into the SAI alone, and that we need to wait for the actual financial aid packages. I'll try using that Claimyr service to get through to FSA for clarification on why our number jumped so much from last year. Just feels like we're in limbo until those aid packages start coming in!

I'm going through the exact same thing! My daughter's SAI came out to $26,800 (up from an EFC of $12,000 last year) and she also got Work-Study eligibility. I've been losing sleep over it thinking we won't qualify for any aid. Reading through all these responses is really helpful - it sounds like the Work-Study eligibility is actually a good sign and that we need to wait for the individual school packages to see what we're really dealing with. The new FAFSA system has definitely created a lot of confusion for families like us who are caught in that middle-income bracket.

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with a very similar situation! My son's SAI is $29,200 (compared to last year's EFC of around $16,500) and he also received Work-Study eligibility. After reading through all these responses, I'm feeling much more hopeful about the situation. It seems like the consensus is that the new SAI formula produces higher numbers across the board, but that doesn't necessarily translate to less aid - especially when you factor in institutional aid from individual schools. The Work-Study eligibility does seem to be a positive indicator that there's still some level of demonstrated need. I think I'll also try that Claimyr service to get through to FSA and ask about the calculation difference. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's really helpful to know we're not alone in this confusing transition to the new FAFSA system!

New to this community but going through the exact same stress! My daughter's SAI jumped to $27,800 from last year's EFC of $14,200, but she also got Work-Study eligibility. After reading everyone's experiences here, I'm feeling much more optimistic. It sounds like the Work-Study is actually a promising sign that she still has demonstrated need, and that we shouldn't panic until we see the actual aid packages from her schools. The whole SAI vs EFC comparison seems to be throwing everyone off - apparently they're just completely different calculations. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to get through to FSA and ask about the jump in our numbers. Thank you all for sharing your situations - it's such a relief to know we're not the only family confused by this new system!

I'm new to this community but facing the exact same situation! My son's SAI came out to $30,150 (up from an EFC of $17,800 last year) and he also received Work-Study eligibility. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like the Work-Study eligibility is actually a positive sign that there's still demonstrated need, even with these shocking SAI numbers. The consensus seems to be that the new SAI formula is producing much higher numbers across the board, but that doesn't necessarily mean less aid when you factor in institutional grants from individual colleges. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to get through to FSA and understand why our calculation jumped so dramatically. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's such a relief to know we're all navigating this confusing new system together and that there's still hope for meaningful financial aid packages!