How to find your SAI number on the FAFSA portal? Can't locate it anywhere!

The SAI number doesn't appear directly on your dashboard. You need to view your Student Aid Report (SAR) to find it. Here's what to do: 1. Log into StudentAid.gov 2. Click on "You Are Here: My Aid" on the dashboard 3. Select "View your Student Aid Report (SAR)" 4. Look for a section that says "Student Aid Index" or "SAI" If your FAFSA was just processed, your SAI might not be calculated yet. It typically takes 3-5 business days after processing for your SAI to appear on your SAR.

Hate to break it to you but SAI doesn't show up for everyone right away. Mine took almost three weeks after submission to appear. Call the financial aid office at your college and tell them you're waiting for your SAI but FAFSA is taking forever. They can usually work with you if you explain the situation.

I was literally just dealing with this last night! The SAI number is the replacement for what used to be called the EFC (Expected Family Contribution). It's super important because schools use it to determine your aid package! One thing to try - sometimes it shows up in the email confirmation they send when your FAFSA is processed. Check your spam folder. Also, not all scholarship applications actually need the official SAI number. Some will accept your estimated contribution based on the financial info you entered. Worth asking them if that's possible.

LOL same thing happened to me 🙄 The website is SO confusing! I ended up having to call Federal Student Aid to get my SAI number because it wasn't showing up online. Took like 2 hours on hold tho so be prepared!

Financial aid advisor here. The SAI (Student Aid Index) is found on your Student Aid Report (SAR). However, there are a few things to keep in mind: 1. If your FAFSA was only processed two weeks ago, the SAI calculation might still be pending, especially if there were any flags for verification. 2. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, many students are experiencing delays with SAI calculations due to the new FAFSA Simplification Act implementation. 3. If you can't find your SAI on the SAR, look for text that says "Your Student Aid Index is XXXX" or something similar. 4. For scholarship applications, you can often explain that your SAI is pending and provide the confirmation number of your FAFSA submission instead. 5. Some schools can access your FAFSA information directly through their institutional portal, so they may already have your SAI number even if you can't see it yet. I recommend contacting both your college's financial aid office and the scholarship committee to explain the situation. They're very familiar with these delays this year.

I had THIS EXACT PROBLEM!!!! Turns out my SAI wasn't showing because I'd made an error on my FAFSA application and it was selected for verification!!! Check if there's any red flags or alerts on your account. You might need to submit additional documentation before they calculate your SAI. Don't wait - if verification is needed it can take WEEKS to process!!!!

btw SAI stands for Student Aid Index not student aid information just fyi

Just to follow up on this - if you're unable to find your SAI through the SAR, there's another method: 1. On StudentAid.gov, go to "You Are Here: My Aid" 2. Look for "View the Federal Student Aid data providers have about you" 3. Click on "Grant Details" 4. If you've been awarded any federal grants, your SAI should appear in this section Also, if you're in a rush, most financial aid offices can look up your SAI if you provide your FSA ID or the email address associated with your FAFSA. They might be able to give you the number over the phone if you verify your identity.

Has anyone else noticed that the SAI is usually a lot different than what the EFC used to be? My SAI came back almost $3000 higher than my EFC was last year even though our family finances didn't change much. Seems like the new system is gonna give everyone less aid...

I had a similar issue last month! Another thing to check - sometimes the SAI appears in a different section called "ISIR Information Summary" if you click on "View Details" next to your processed FAFSA. Also, make sure you're looking at the 2025-2026 FAFSA specifically and not an older one if you have multiple years showing. If you still can't find it after checking the SAR and all these other suggestions, try logging out completely and logging back in. Sometimes the portal doesn't refresh properly and you might see updated information after a fresh login. Since your deadline is so close, I'd also suggest emailing your college's financial aid office tonight explaining the situation - they often check emails early in the morning and can give you guidance before you call. Good luck!

Hey Maria! I just went through this exact same struggle a few weeks ago. One thing that helped me was checking the "Financial Aid Summary" section on StudentAid.gov - sometimes the SAI shows up there even when it's not visible in the SAR yet. Also, if you're still having trouble finding it, try accessing your FAFSA through your college's student portal if they have one. Many schools can pull your SAI directly from the federal database even if it's not showing up on your end yet. Since you're cutting it close with the 10-day deadline, I'd definitely recommend calling both Federal Student Aid (1-800-433-3243) AND your college's financial aid office first thing tomorrow morning. Federal Student Aid can tell you if your SAI has been calculated, and your college can often work with you on deadline extensions if there are processing delays on the federal side. Don't panic though - this is happening to a lot of students this year with the new FAFSA system! Most financial aid offices are being pretty understanding about these delays.

Just wanted to add one more tip that saved me when I was in a similar situation! If you have the myStudentAid mobile app, sometimes the SAI shows up there even when it's not visible on the desktop website. The mobile app seems to sync differently and I've seen cases where students found their SAI there first. Also, since you mentioned scholarship applications - many scholarship committees are familiar with the FAFSA delays this year. When you contact them, mention that you submitted your FAFSA on [date] and received processing confirmation, but the SAI calculation is still pending due to the new system implementation. Most will accept your FAFSA confirmation number as proof that you've completed the requirement while waiting for the SAI to appear. One last thing - if you end up needing to call Federal Student Aid, try calling right when they open at 8am EST. The wait times are usually shortest first thing in the morning. Good luck with everything!

I'm actually going through something similar right now! One thing that worked for me was checking the "FAFSA Submission Summary" page - it's different from the regular dashboard and sometimes shows information that hasn't populated elsewhere yet. You can find it by going to "My Aid" and then looking for a link that says something like "View FAFSA Submission Summary" or "FAFSA Status." Also, I've heard from other students that if your FAFSA got selected for verification (which can happen randomly), your SAI won't calculate until you submit the requested documents. Even if you don't see any obvious alerts, it's worth double-checking by looking for any small notifications or checking your email for verification requests. Since you're working with such a tight deadline, I'd definitely recommend being proactive with both your college and the scholarship committee. Many are extending deadlines this year specifically because of SAI calculation delays. When you contact them, mention that this is related to the new FAFSA system implementation - they'll know exactly what you're talking about and will likely be very understanding. Hope you get it sorted out soon! The stress is real when deadlines are approaching, but it sounds like you have a solid plan now with all the great advice in this thread.

Hey Maria! I just went through this exact same issue a few weeks ago and it was so frustrating! One thing that finally worked for me was checking the "Document Status" section on StudentAid.gov - sometimes the SAI appears there in a summary format even when it's not showing up in the main SAR. Also, if you're still having trouble after trying all these great suggestions, there's one more option: contact your state's financial aid agency. They often have direct access to federal FAFSA data and can sometimes provide your SAI over the phone faster than going through Federal Student Aid directly. Since you mentioned scholarship applications, I'd also suggest reaching out to them ASAP to let them know about the delay. Most scholarship committees this year are very familiar with SAI calculation issues and many are accepting alternative documentation like your FAFSA confirmation email plus a screenshot of your "Application Complete" status as temporary proof while you wait for the official number. Don't stress too much - you're definitely not alone in this! The new FAFSA system has been causing these delays for tons of students, and most schools and organizations are being really accommodating about it. You've got this! 💪

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Just wanted to add that if you're still having trouble after checking all these locations, try clearing your browser cache and cookies for StudentAid.gov completely, then logging back in. I know it sounds basic, but sometimes the portal doesn't update properly and old cached data can hide new information like your SAI. Also, one thing that helped me was checking the "Aid Estimate" section - even if your official SAI isn't showing up yet, sometimes there's a preliminary calculation there that scholarship committees will accept as proof that your FAFSA is being processed. Since you're so close to your deadline, I'd also suggest asking your college's financial aid office if they can provide a letter confirming that your FAFSA has been received and is being processed. Some scholarship committees will accept this type of documentation when there are technical delays with the federal system. The stress is so real with these tight deadlines, but it sounds like you have an amazing action plan now! Keep us updated on how it goes - I'm sure other students will benefit from hearing what method ends up working for you. You've got this! 🤞

I went through this exact same nightmare last month! One thing that finally worked for me was checking the "Financial Aid History" section - it's buried pretty deep in the menu but sometimes shows SAI information that doesn't appear anywhere else. You can find it by going to "My Aid" → "View Aid History" → then look for your 2025-2026 academic year. Another tip - if you have access to your college's student portal, try logging in there and looking for any financial aid sections. Many schools can pull your SAI directly from the federal database even before it shows up on StudentAid.gov. My school's portal actually showed my SAI number two days before it appeared on the federal site! Since you're cutting it so close with your deadline, I'd also recommend sending a quick email tonight to both your college's financial aid office AND the scholarship committee explaining the situation. Something like: "I submitted my 2025-2026 FAFSA on [date] and received confirmation that it was processed, but my SAI is still calculating due to the new FAFSA system delays. I have my confirmation number and can provide screenshots of my completed application status as proof of submission." Most financial aid offices this year are super understanding about SAI delays because it's affecting so many students. Don't panic - you're definitely not alone in this! The new system has been causing headaches for everyone, but there are usually workarounds available when you explain the situation. Keep us posted on what ends up working for you! 🤞

Hey Maria! I just wanted to chime in as someone who literally went through this exact same panic last week. I know everyone has given you tons of great advice already, but I wanted to add one more thing that actually saved me - check if your SAI is showing up in the "Financial Aid Eligibility" section under "My Aid." Sometimes it appears there even when the SAR isn't fully populated yet. Also, since you mentioned you're freaking out about the 10-day deadline - I had a 5-day deadline when this happened to me and I was able to get everything sorted out in time. The key is being proactive with communication. I sent emails to both my college and scholarship committee explaining the situation, and they were incredibly understanding. In fact, my scholarship committee told me this is happening to about 30% of their applicants this year! One more thing - if you end up calling Federal Student Aid tomorrow morning, have your FSA ID, Social Security number, and the email address you used for your FAFSA ready. They can usually tell you your SAI over the phone once they verify your identity, which might be faster than waiting for it to show up online. You're going to get through this! The fact that you submitted your FAFSA two weeks ago and got processing confirmation means you did everything right - this is just the new system being slow. Keep us posted on how it goes! 💪

Just wanted to add another potential solution that worked for my friend last week! Try checking the "FAFSA Summary" under the "Complete Aid Process" section - sometimes the SAI appears there in a different format than the regular SAR. Also, if you have a smartphone, try accessing StudentAid.gov through different browsers (Chrome vs Safari vs Firefox) as sometimes the mobile versions display information differently. One more thing - if you're still stuck after trying all these amazing suggestions, consider reaching out to your high school guidance counselor if you're a recent graduate. Many of them have direct contacts with college financial aid offices and can sometimes help expedite these situations when students are facing tight deadlines. Don't give up! With all the strategies everyone has shared, you're bound to find your SAI or get the help you need. The new FAFSA system has definitely been challenging this year, but it sounds like you have an excellent action plan. Good luck tomorrow! 🍀

I just wanted to jump in here as someone who works in financial aid and has been helping students navigate these SAI issues all year! One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is checking the "Federal Student Aid Summary" page - it's separate from the SAR and sometimes shows SAI information that hasn't populated elsewhere yet. Also, since you're working with such a tight timeline, here's a pro tip: many colleges can actually see your SAI in their internal systems even before it shows up on your StudentAid.gov account. When you call your financial aid office tomorrow, ask them to check their institutional ISIR (Institutional Student Information Record) system - they might already have your SAI number and can give it to you right over the phone! For your scholarship applications, definitely mention that you're dealing with "SAI calculation delays due to the 2024-25 FAFSA Simplification Act implementation." Using that specific language shows you understand this is a known systemic issue, not something you did wrong. Most scholarship committees are very familiar with this problem and have protocols in place to work with students. One last thing - if all else fails and you still can't locate your SAI by tomorrow afternoon, ask your college if they can provide you with a "FAFSA Verification Letter" that confirms your application was received and is being processed. Many scholarship committees will accept this as temporary documentation while you wait for the official SAI to appear. You're going to get through this! The amount of helpful advice in this thread shows you're definitely not alone in dealing with this frustrating situation. Keep us updated! 🙌

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm actually dealing with something very similar right now - submitted my FAFSA three weeks ago and still can't locate my SAI anywhere. Reading through all these responses has given me so many new places to check that I hadn't thought of before. Maria, I hope you were able to get this sorted out! For anyone else still struggling with this, I wanted to add one more tip that just worked for me: try checking the "Aid Application Status" section under "My Aid" - my SAI finally showed up there yesterday even though it still wasn't visible in my SAR. Also, I called Federal Student Aid this morning right at 8am like someone suggested and only waited about 15 minutes on hold. The representative was super helpful and confirmed that SAI calculations are taking longer than usual this year due to the new system. She also mentioned that if your FAFSA got flagged for any reason (even something minor like a data mismatch), it can add several extra days to the SAI calculation process. For those with tight deadlines, definitely don't hesitate to reach out to your schools and scholarship committees early to explain the situation. I contacted three scholarship programs about SAI delays and all of them were understanding and offered extensions or alternative documentation options. This whole process has been so stressful, but it's reassuring to know we're all dealing with the same issues! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions. 💙