Just got my FAFSA SAI score of 7985 - what does this mean for my financial aid?

An SAI of 7985 is actually a pretty good number! The Student Aid Index (formerly called EFC) represents what the government thinks your family can contribute annually toward your education. The lower your SAI, the more need-based aid you qualify for. With your SAI and your parents' income level, you'll likely qualify for some need-based aid, especially with a sibling in college. For a school costing $22,000, your financial need would be calculated as: $22,000 - $7,985 = $14,015. This means you could potentially receive up to $14,015 in need-based aid (combination of grants, work-study, and subsidized loans). You'll almost certainly qualify for some Pell Grant money (though not the maximum amount), and subsidized loans. Each school will put together a financial aid package based on your SAI, so you'll need to wait for their official offer.

my sai was 12000 last year and i still got 4500 in pell grants plus workstudy. you should be ok

I'm confused about something similar - my SAI is 8200 but my college says I don't qualify for a Pell Grant, only loans? But my cousin got Pell with a higher SAI than me. I hate how different schools seem to handle this differently. Is there a standard formula or does each school just make up their own rules?

Hey there! I had an SAI of 8200 last year and was able to get a $1,750 Pell Grant plus $5,500 in subsidized loans. With your 7985, you'll probably get slightly more Pell money. Just make sure you've submitted everything they need - I got selected for verification and it delayed my aid package for MONTHS. Had to keep calling the financial aid office to check on status.

THE SAI NUMBER IS TOTALLY MISLEADING!!!! My daughter had an SAI of 5400 last year and still got ZERO grants from her top choice school. They just offered her $25,000 in LOANS! These schools use the SAI to figure out how much they can squeeze out of families, not how much to help. Don't get your hopes up until you see the actual financial aid package. The whole system is designed to trap students in debt!!!

Does having a sibling in college still help lower your SAI? I thought they changed that rule in the new FAFSA?

My daughter just went through this last year. An SAI of 7985 should qualify you for some Pell Grant funding (probably around $2,000-3,000) plus subsidized loans. Don't forget to also check if your state has grants based on FAFSA info - many states have their own grant programs with higher SAI cutoffs than federal programs. For example, our state still gives grants to students with SAIs up to 12000. Also, don't wait on just the FAFSA - start applying for private scholarships ASAP. My daughter got more money from private scholarships than from federal grants.

When I got my SAI, I had no idea what it meant either. It's so confusing! One thing I learned is that you should run the Net Price Calculator on each school's financial aid website. It gives you a better estimate of what you'll actually pay at that specific school. Different schools have different amounts of institutional aid they can offer on top of federal aid. My SAI was similar to yours, and I ended up with very different packages from different schools - some gave me almost nothing, others covered almost half my tuition with grants.

Your SAI of 7985 puts you in a decent position for financial aid! With your family income of $65k and a sibling in college, you should definitely qualify for some need-based aid. While the sibling factor doesn't directly lower your SAI anymore under the new FAFSA rules, many schools still consider it for their institutional aid. For Illinois specifically (since I saw you ask), you should definitely look into the MAP Grant (Monetary Award Program) - Illinois has pretty generous state aid compared to other states, and their SAI cutoffs are higher than federal programs. You'll want to check the ISAC website for details. With a $22k tuition and your SAI, you're looking at around $14k in demonstrated financial need. You'll likely get some Pell Grant money (probably $2-4k range) plus subsidized loans. The rest will depend on what State University offers in institutional aid. Definitely run their Net Price Calculator like others suggested - it's usually pretty accurate! Don't stress too much - your numbers look reasonable for getting meaningful aid. Just make sure you meet all their deadlines and submit any verification documents quickly if requested.

Your SAI of 7985 is actually in a pretty good range for receiving financial aid! Just to put this in perspective - the maximum Pell Grant for 2024-25 goes to students with SAIs around 0-7000, so you're right on the edge of still qualifying for federal grant money, which is great news. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you're also looking into your school's payment plan options. Even if you end up with some gap between your aid and the total cost, many schools offer interest-free monthly payment plans that can make the remaining amount much more manageable for your family. Also, once you get your actual aid package from State University, don't be afraid to appeal if it seems lower than expected. Financial aid offices sometimes have additional institutional funds they can tap into, especially if you can demonstrate that your family's financial situation has changed or if you have competing offers from other schools. The worst they can say is no! You're doing great by starting this process early and asking the right questions. That puts you ahead of a lot of students who wait until the last minute.

Your SAI of 7985 is definitely workable! I'm a financial aid counselor and see students with similar numbers get decent aid packages regularly. With your family income and the cost of State University, you should qualify for partial Pell Grant (likely $2,000-3,500) plus the full $5,500 in subsidized Stafford loans for your freshman year. One tip I always give students - when you get your aid package, look carefully at the breakdown between grants (free money) vs loans. Sometimes schools will include Parent PLUS loans in the "total aid" amount to make it look more generous than it actually is. The real number you want to focus on is grants + scholarships. Also, definitely submit any verification documents immediately if you get selected - about 1 in 3 FAFSAs get flagged for verification, and it can delay your aid disbursement by months if you don't respond quickly. Good luck!

Your SAI of 7985 is actually in a really good spot for getting financial aid! I just went through this process last year with a similar SAI (mine was 8200) and I ended up with a pretty decent package. With your family income of $65k and your SAI, you'll definitely qualify for some Pell Grant money - probably around $2,500-3,500. Plus you'll get subsidized loans where the government pays the interest while you're in school. The fact that your sibling is also in college should help with institutional aid from State University even though it doesn't affect the federal SAI calculation anymore. One thing that really helped me was applying to multiple schools and comparing their aid packages. State University might give you a solid offer, but don't be afraid to use competing offers to negotiate if needed. Also make sure you apply for any state grants in Illinois - I heard they have pretty good programs there. The whole FAFSA process is definitely overwhelming at first, but you're asking the right questions and you submitted early which puts you in a good position. Don't stress too much - your numbers look promising for getting meaningful aid!

Your SAI of 7985 is actually pretty favorable for financial aid! With your family's $65k income and the cost at State University, you should definitely qualify for some federal grant money. You'll likely get a partial Pell Grant (probably around $2,000-4,000) plus subsidized loans where the government covers interest while you're enrolled. The key thing to remember is that your SAI represents what the government expects your family to contribute annually, so with a $22,000 tuition cost, you have about $14,000 in demonstrated financial need that could be covered by various aid programs. Since you're in Illinois, definitely look into the MAP Grant program - Illinois has some of the better state aid programs and their income/SAI cutoffs are more generous than federal programs. You might qualify for several thousand more in state grants. Also, don't forget that State University might have their own institutional scholarships and grants beyond federal/state aid. Many schools have additional funding they can offer to students who demonstrate need, especially if you submitted your FAFSA early like you did. The timing for aid packages varies by school, but since you submitted in October, you should hear back sometime between March and May. Hang in there - your numbers actually look pretty good for getting meaningful financial aid!

Your SAI of 7985 is actually quite good for financial aid eligibility! As someone who just helped my younger sister through this process, I can tell you that with your family income of $65k and that SAI, you're likely looking at a partial Pell Grant (probably around $2,000-3,000) plus subsidized loans. One thing that really helped us was creating a spreadsheet to track all the different aid programs - federal Pell Grant, state grants (Illinois has the MAP Grant which is pretty generous), and then each school's institutional aid. Don't just focus on State University - apply to a few schools so you can compare packages. Also, pro tip: when you get your aid letter, call the financial aid office and ask them to walk through it with you line by line. They're usually really helpful in explaining what everything means and sometimes they can point you toward additional scholarships or grants you might have missed. Your timing is great having submitted in October - you should hear back from schools starting in March. The waiting is the hardest part, but your numbers look solid for getting meaningful aid!

Your SAI of 7985 is actually in a really good range for financial aid! I went through this same process two years ago with a similar family income situation, and I was pleasantly surprised by the aid I received. With your SAI and State University's $22k tuition, you're looking at about $14,015 in demonstrated financial need. You should definitely qualify for some Pell Grant money - probably in the $2,000-3,500 range - plus subsidized loans. The fact that you submitted your FAFSA in October puts you ahead of many students who wait until the last minute. Since you're in Illinois, definitely check out the MAP Grant program through ISAC - Illinois has some of the more generous state aid programs, and their SAI cutoffs are higher than federal programs. I know students who received $4,000+ from MAP grants even with SAIs similar to yours. Also, don't just rely on State University - apply to a few other schools so you can compare financial aid packages. I was shocked at how different the offers were between schools, even with identical FAFSA information. Some schools have much more institutional aid available than others. The waiting is tough, but you should start hearing back from schools between March and May. Your numbers actually look pretty promising for getting meaningful aid, so try not to stress too much!

Your SAI of 7985 is actually pretty solid for getting financial aid! I'm currently a junior who went through this exact same confusion last year. With your family income of $65k and that SAI, you're definitely in the range for some Pell Grant funding - probably around $2,500-3,500 - plus subsidized loans where the government covers interest while you're in school. The key thing to remember is that your $22k tuition minus your $7,985 SAI equals about $14k in demonstrated financial need that can potentially be covered by grants, work-study, and subsidized loans. That's actually a pretty good position to be in! Since you submitted your FAFSA in October, you're way ahead of most students timing-wise, which should help with aid allocation. Most schools start sending out packages between March-May, so you should hear something soon. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - definitely apply to multiple schools to compare aid packages. I was amazed at how different the offers were between schools with identical FAFSA info. Also look into Illinois state programs like the MAP Grant since you mentioned State University - Illinois has some really good state aid that extends to higher SAI ranges than federal programs. Don't stress too much - your numbers actually look promising for getting meaningful financial aid!

Your SAI of 7985 is actually in a really good position for financial aid! As someone who works as a college counselor, I see students with similar numbers get solid aid packages regularly. With your family income of $65k and your SAI, you should qualify for a partial Pell Grant (likely around $2,000-3,000) plus the full subsidized loan amount for freshmen ($5,500). One thing I always tell students is to make sure you understand the difference between your SAI and your actual out-of-pocket cost. Your SAI represents what the government thinks your family can contribute, but many schools will offer institutional aid that can bring your actual cost below that number. Since you submitted your FAFSA in October, you're in great shape timing-wise. Most schools send out aid packages between March and May, so you should hear back relatively soon. Make sure you also look into Illinois state aid programs - the MAP Grant can provide several thousand dollars additional aid even for students with SAIs in your range. Don't get too stressed about the process - your numbers actually put you in a pretty favorable position for receiving meaningful financial aid!

Your SAI of 7985 is actually pretty encouraging for financial aid! I'm a current college senior who had a similar SAI when I started, and I was able to get decent aid. With your family income of $65k, you should definitely qualify for some Pell Grant money - probably around $2,000-3,500 - plus subsidized loans. One thing I learned is that the SAI is just the starting point. State University will put together a complete aid package that might include their own institutional grants on top of federal aid. Since you submitted your FAFSA in October, you're ahead of the game timing-wise, which really helps with aid allocation. Definitely look into Illinois state programs too - the MAP Grant that others mentioned can add thousands more to your aid package. I also recommend running the Net Price Calculator on State University's website to get a better estimate of what you'll actually pay after all aid is considered. The whole process is super overwhelming at first, but your SAI actually puts you in a good spot for meaningful financial aid. You should start hearing back from schools in the next few months. Hang in there - it sounds like you're on the right track!