Is 7261 SAI eligible for Pell Grant? Daughter denied but confused about thresholds

The Pell Grant eligibility threshold fluctuates slightly each year, but generally an SAI of 7261 is right on the borderline. For the 2025-2026 award year, the max SAI for receiving any Pell is around 7000 (give or take a little depending on cost of attendance). You're just barely over that threshold. I'd definitely recommend visiting the financial aid office to see if there's anything that could adjust your SAI down slightly - even a small adjustment could qualify her. Sometimes there are special circumstances they can consider.

we had 6800 sai and got pell but not the full amount. i think max pell is for like sai under 3000 or something? def go talk to fin aid office tho they can sometimes find ways to help!!!

The exact SAI cutoff for Pell eligibility for 2025-2026 is 7380. With your SAI of 7261, your daughter should qualify for a small Pell Grant - not the maximum amount, but definitely something. The fact that she didn't receive any is concerning and worth investigating. One important factor: Having multiple children in college simultaneously should lower your SAI and potentially increase aid eligibility. However, the new FAFSA formula changed how this is calculated compared to previous years. Definitely schedule an appointment with the financial aid office. Bring documentation showing: 1. Your SAI from the FAFSA confirmation 2. Proof of your other child's college enrollment 3. Any significant financial changes since filing (medical expenses, job loss, etc.) They can review your specific situation and potentially make professional judgment adjustments.

This FAFSA system is RIGGED!!!! My daughter had an SAI of 6500 last year and got Pell but this year with SAI of 6350 she got NOTHING. How does that make ANY sense???? The whole system is designed to LOOK like they're helping but actually REDUCING aid. I spent HOURS on hold with FSA and couldn't even get through. This "simplified" FAFSA is just a way to cut people off from aid they deserve!!!!

My son's SAI was 7100 and he got a small Pell Grant for next year - like $1100 I think? Your daughter should definitely get something with 7261 unless there's another eligibility issue happening.

I was in this exact situation last semester! Couldn't get a straight answer about my son's Pell eligibility despite having an SAI that should qualify. After waiting on hold for hours and getting disconnected multiple times, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with a FAFSA agent. It got me through to a live agent in about 15 minutes who explained there was actually an error flag on our application that was preventing the Pell Grant from being awarded. They have a video demo if you want to see how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ It was so much better than the endless hold music and automated system. The agent was able to clear the flag and we got the aid package recalculated with the Pell included!

To answer your follow-up question - having multiple children in college used to be a significant factor that would lower your SAI, but as another commenter mentioned, the new FAFSA eliminated this benefit. However, individual colleges may still consider this in their institutional aid calculations. When you visit the financial aid office, be sure to emphasize that you have two children in college simultaneously. While it won't affect your federal Pell eligibility directly, many colleges have discretionary funds they can award to families in this situation. This is especially true if your SAI is just barely above the Pell threshold.

quick question - did u check if she got denied for pell specifically or just didn't see it in her aid package? sometimes schools dont send complete packages right away

Based on the conversation, here's what I recommend: 1. First, verify if this is the final aid package or a preliminary one. Some schools send initial packages before Pell Grant amounts are finalized. 2. Check for any notifications about verification requirements. If your FAFSA was selected for verification and you haven't completed that process, Pell won't be awarded yet. 3. Contact the financial aid office (either in person or by phone) to specifically ask about Pell Grant eligibility with your SAI of 7261. 4. Ask them to review for any flags or issues on your FAFSA that might be affecting Pell eligibility despite qualifying based on SAI. 5. Inquire about institutional aid options for families with multiple children in college, since this is no longer factored into the federal formula. The good news is that your SAI should qualify for at least a partial Pell Grant, so this is likely resolvable with the right information and follow-up.

I'm dealing with a similar situation and found some helpful info that might apply to your case. The 2025-2026 FAFSA changes have been really confusing for a lot of families. One thing to check - make sure your FAFSA was processed correctly and that all your income information transferred properly from the IRS. I've heard of cases where data retrieval errors caused higher than expected SAI calculations. Also, with your income level and family size, you might want to ask the financial aid office about state grants or institutional aid that could help bridge the gap even if federal Pell doesn't come through. Some schools have emergency aid funds specifically for families caught in these threshold situations.

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and reading through everyone's responses has been really eye-opening! My daughter is a high school senior and we're just starting to navigate this. The changes you're all discussing about multiple kids in college no longer being a factor is really concerning since we'll have two in college starting next year. Sebastian, I hope you get this resolved - it sounds like with your SAI of 7261 you should definitely qualify for at least some Pell funding based on what others are saying. The suggestion about using that Claimyr service to actually get through to a real person sounds promising if the financial aid office can't help. Quick question for the group - are these new FAFSA rules going to be permanent or is there any chance they might change back? Having two kids in college at once used to help families like ours, and it's scary to think that benefit is just gone now.

I'm going through something very similar right now! My son's SAI came back at 7180 and we were also expecting Pell Grant eligibility. What I've learned from talking to our financial aid office is that there can be processing delays or verification holds that prevent Pell from showing up in the initial aid package even when you qualify. A few things that helped us: 1. Log into your daughter's student portal and check for any outstanding requirements or holds 2. Make sure the FAFSA shows as "processed" not just "submitted" 3. Ask specifically about verification - even if you weren't selected, sometimes schools require additional documentation Our financial aid counselor also mentioned that with the new FAFSA system, some awards are being processed in batches, so Pell Grants might show up in a revised aid package later. Definitely worth a phone call to ask about timeline expectations for finalizing awards. The fact that multiple commenters here with similar SAI numbers are getting Pell suggests your daughter should qualify too. Don't give up - keep pushing for answers!

I'm sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! As a parent who went through something similar last year, I wanted to share what worked for us. With an SAI of 7261, your daughter should absolutely qualify for at least a partial Pell Grant - the cutoff for 2025-2026 is around 7380 as others mentioned. A few things to check before contacting the financial aid office: 1. Make sure your FAFSA actually completed processing (not just submitted) 2. Verify that your tax information transferred correctly from the IRS - we had an issue where our AGI was pulled incorrectly which inflated our SAI 3. Double-check that you didn't accidentally report any assets that should have been excluded (like retirement accounts) The elimination of the sibling benefit really stings - we're feeling that impact too with our two kids. But many schools are stepping up with institutional aid to help families caught in this gap. When you do talk to financial aid, emphasize that you had Pell eligibility last year with similar circumstances and ask them to walk through exactly why the calculation changed. Don't be afraid to escalate if the first person you talk to can't explain what's happening. Financial aid directors often have more flexibility to review unusual situations. Good luck - I really hope you get this sorted out soon!

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress! As someone who works in financial aid, I can tell you that an SAI of 7261 should definitely qualify for some Pell Grant funding - you're well under the 7380 cutoff for 2025-2026. The fact that your daughter isn't showing any Pell in her aid package is definitely worth investigating. A few quick things to check before you call: - Log into your FSA account and verify the SAI shown there matches what the school is using - Look for any "C codes" or flags on your FAFSA that might indicate verification or other requirements - Make sure your daughter is enrolled at least half-time and maintaining satisfactory academic progress The elimination of the sibling benefit is hitting so many families hard this year. Even though it won't help with federal Pell eligibility, definitely mention to the financial aid office that you have two kids in college now - many schools have discretionary funds specifically for families in this transition. One last thought - if you do end up needing to call FSA directly, try calling first thing in the morning (8am EST) when hold times are typically shorter. But honestly, your best bet is probably starting with your daughter's financial aid office since they can see exactly what's happening with her specific application. Keep us posted on what you find out - hoping it's just a processing delay that gets resolved quickly!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it sounds very similar to yours! My daughter had an SAI of 7195 and initially didn't see any Pell Grant in her aid package either. After reading through all these helpful responses, I called our financial aid office and discovered there was actually a verification flag that was preventing the Pell from being awarded, even though we were never notified about it. The financial aid counselor explained that with the new FAFSA system, some of these flags aren't always communicated clearly to families. Once we submitted the requested tax documents, her Pell Grant was added to the package within a week - she qualified for about $1,200 for the year. Your SAI of 7261 should definitely qualify for something, so I'd encourage you to be persistent with the financial aid office. Ask them specifically to check for any verification requirements or processing flags that might be holding up the award. The staff member I spoke with was really helpful once I explained the situation clearly. Also, regarding the multiple children in college situation - our school did offer some additional institutional aid to help offset what we lost from the federal formula change. It's not as much as the old sibling benefit would have been, but every bit helps! Good luck getting this resolved!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this confusing situation! Reading through all these responses has been really enlightening as someone new to navigating FAFSA. Your SAI of 7261 should definitely qualify for at least some Pell Grant funding based on what everyone is saying about the 7380 cutoff. What strikes me most is how many people have had similar experiences with processing issues, verification flags, or delays that prevented their Pell from showing up initially despite qualifying. It sounds like the new FAFSA system has created a lot of behind-the-scenes problems that aren't always communicated clearly to families. Based on all the advice here, I'd definitely start with your daughter's financial aid office and ask them to specifically check for any flags, verification requirements, or processing delays. The fact that you had Pell eligibility last year with similar circumstances gives you a strong case to advocate for a thorough review. The loss of the sibling benefit is really tough - it seems like so many families are getting caught off guard by this change. But it's encouraging to see that many schools are trying to bridge that gap with institutional aid. I hope you get answers quickly and that it turns out to be just a processing issue that can be resolved easily. Keep pushing for clarity - you deserve to understand exactly why the calculation changed and what options are available. Please update us on what you find out!

Hey Sebastian! I just went through something almost identical with my son. His SAI was 7240 and we initially didn't see any Pell Grant either, which had me panicking since we really needed that funding. After reading through all the great advice here, I called our school's financial aid office and it turned out there was a "conflicting information" flag on our FAFSA that was blocking the Pell award. The crazy thing is we never got any notification about it! Once they walked me through uploading some additional documentation to verify our family size and income, the Pell Grant showed up in his revised aid package within about 5 business days. With your SAI of 7261, you should definitely be getting something - probably around $1,000-1,300 based on what others have shared. The financial aid counselor I spoke with mentioned they've been seeing a lot of these "silent flags" with the new FAFSA system that prevent awards from processing even when families clearly qualify. I'd definitely call them Monday morning and specifically ask them to check for any verification flags or processing holds on your daughter's file. Don't just ask about the Pell eligibility - ask them to explain exactly what's preventing it from being awarded despite your qualifying SAI. Also, definitely mention the two kids in college situation when you call. Our school ended up offering some additional institutional grant money to help offset what we lost from the sibling benefit being eliminated. It wasn't as much as we would have gotten before, but it helped bridge the gap. Hope you get this sorted out quickly - keep us posted!

I'm new to this community but wanted to jump in because I'm dealing with a very similar situation! My daughter's SAI came back at 7198 and we're also not seeing any Pell Grant in her aid package, which is really stressing me out since we were counting on that funding. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like there are a lot of processing issues and verification flags with the new FAFSA system that aren't being communicated clearly to families. The fact that so many people with SAIs in our range have been able to get their Pell Grants after resolving these behind-the-scenes issues gives me a lot of hope. I'm planning to call our financial aid office first thing Monday morning and specifically ask them to check for any verification flags or processing holds that might be preventing the award, even though we haven't been notified of any issues. The advice about asking them to explain exactly what's blocking the Pell despite having a qualifying SAI is really smart. Sebastian, I hope you get answers soon! It sounds like with your SAI of 7261 you should definitely qualify for at least some Pell funding. Please keep us updated on what you find out - I'm sure there are other families dealing with this same frustrating situation who would benefit from hearing how it gets resolved.