How to update FAFSA with new medical disability income after receiving SAI?

You need to file what's called a "Special Circumstances Appeal" or "Professional Judgment Request" with each college individually. FAFSA itself won't update your SAI - that stays based on the tax year info you provided. Each school has their own form and process for considering income changes after FAFSA submission.

same thing happend to me!!! my husband got laid off after we did fasfa and the sai was like $35k which is CRAZY now. called and they said nothing changes on fafsa itself once its done

Unfortunately, the FAFSA system is incredibly frustrating in situations like yours. I went through something similar when my income dropped dramatically during my son's freshman year. The key is documenting EVERYTHING. Get official disability award letters, proof of previous income, medical documentation, and a clear written explanation of your situation. Create a folder with all this - you'll need to submit similar documentation to every single school. The process is called "Professional Judgment" and it varies by school. Some have online forms, others require letters and documentation. The most annoying part is each school wants slightly different things and has different deadlines. Call each financial aid office and specifically ask about their "professional judgment" or "special circumstances" process for medical disability situations.

Contact them now!! my daughter got denied aid because we waited too long to tell the school about my husbands heart attack and reduced income. Don't make our mistake!!

Financial aid advisor here. You're facing what we call a "change in circumstances" situation, which is quite common. Here's what you need to do: 1. FAFSA itself cannot and will not change your SAI once calculated - it's based on the prior-prior year tax data (2023 taxes for 2025-2026 aid year). 2. Each college has its own Professional Judgment (PJ) process to consider current financial situations. 3. Prepare a documentation package with: - Official disability determination letter - Documentation showing previous income vs. current income - Last 3 months of bank statements - Explanation letter detailing when and why your situation changed 4. Contact each school's financial aid office ASAP - don't wait for admissions decisions 5. Follow up consistently - these requests sometimes get backlogged This is absolutely a valid reason for reconsideration, and most schools have established processes for medical disability situations.

Have you tried actually reaching the Federal Student Aid Information Center? I was in a similar position last year (lost job, big medical bills) and spent WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone at FSA to help me. Always disconnected or 3+ hour waits. Finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual FAFSA agent in about 20 minutes. They couldn't change my SAI directly, but the agent gave me specific advice for each school my son applied to and which forms they accept. Saved me tons of time figuring out each school's process. Here's their site if you want to check it out: claimyr.com - they also have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The FAFSA agent was actually really helpful once I finally got through to one!

One more thing to consider - your daughter should also apply for scholarships specifically designed for students with parents who have disabilities or medical conditions. There are several organizations that offer these! The disability financial aid portal at disabilityinfo.org has a good list of these scholarships.

dont 4get to check if ur state has special programs 2!! my state has extra grants for families with medical hardships that u apply for separate from fafsa