My FAFSA SAI score is -1500 - is this good for financial aid eligibility?

Congrats! A negative SAI is actually really good news for financial aid. The lower your SAI (and negative is as low as it gets), the more financial aid you'll likely receive. With -1500, you should qualify for the maximum Pell Grant amount for 2025-2026 (currently around $7,400/year), and you'll likely be eligible for significant institutional aid at most colleges. Remember that each school has their own formula for distributing institutional aid, but having a negative SAI puts you in an excellent position. Make sure you check each school's financial aid website to see if they require additional forms like the CSS Profile for institutional aid.

An SAI of -1500 is great! But don't just assume you'll get everything automatically. Here's what to do next: 1. Check your Student Aid Report (SAR) for any flags requiring verification - about 30% of applications get selected for this 2. Contact each school's financial aid office to confirm they received your FAFSA data 3. Watch for aid award letters from each school - they'll detail grants, loans, work-study 4. Some private schools require the CSS Profile too - check their websites With that SAI, you're eligible for maximum Pell Grant, but institutional aid varies widely between schools. Some might offer you nearly full rides while others will still expect significant contribution.

My SAI was -900 last year and I got full Pell + state grants + some institutional scholarships. You're in good shape with -1500! Just make sure u dont mess up verification if u get selected for it, that held up my aid for like 2 months lol

The negative SAI is excellent, but be prepared for verification headaches. I've been dealing with FAFSA for 15+ years as both a student and parent. The new FAFSA system has been a nightmare for verification. My daughter has an SAI of -2000 and has been stuck in verification for 8 weeks! We've submitted documents THREE times. My advice: call FSA directly to check your verification status every couple weeks. You'll probably get disconnected 10+ times trying to reach them. The whole system is broken.

I was having the same issue trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid about my verification. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Someone on my campus recommended using Claimyr to get through to an agent. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - it helped me finally talk to someone after weeks of trying. I was able to confirm my verification documents were received and find out when they'd be processed. Definitely worth checking out if you get stuck in verification limbo at claimyr.com

a negative SAI is the best u can get!! my brother had -2000 and got full tuition at state school plus housing grant. Each school has different aid tho so wait for all ur offers before deciding

One important thing to remember: your SAI of -1500 is great for federal aid like Pell Grants, but some colleges have their own institutional methodology that might calculate your need differently. If you're considering private colleges, many use the CSS Profile which digs deeper into your finances and may result in a different expected contribution amount. Also, not all colleges meet 100% of demonstrated need. Some may leave a gap between what they think you can pay and the aid they offer. Always ask each financial aid office what their "average percentage of need met" is for freshmen.

btw the new system is way different from last year! the old EFC (expected family contribution) and new SAI (student aid index) use different calculations. so ur old EFC of 1200 vs new SAI of -1500 aren't directly comparable. negative is definitely better tho!!

im so confused with this whole system!! my SAI is 5500 and my friends is -750 but we have similar family situations?? how does this even work????

UPDATE: I called my top choice school's financial aid office today and they confirmed that with my -1500 SAI, I'll qualify for their full need-based institutional grant PLUS the federal Pell Grant! This would cover almost everything except about $3,000 per year which they said could be covered by work-study and small loans if needed. Thanks everyone for your help explaining this!

That's amazing news, Bethany! You're so lucky to have found a school that meets full need with institutional grants. Just a heads up - make sure to ask them about their aid renewal requirements. Some schools require you to maintain a certain GPA or complete a minimum number of credit hours each semester to keep your institutional grants. Also, if your family's financial situation changes significantly (like a parent gets a new job or loses one), your aid could be recalculated, so it's worth understanding their appeal process too. Congratulations on getting such great aid!

Your -1500 SAI is excellent! As a newcomer here, I just wanted to add that you should also look into state-specific grants in addition to the Pell Grant. Many states have their own need-based aid programs that stack on top of federal aid, and with your SAI you'd likely qualify for maximum amounts. Also, don't forget to check if any of your target schools participate in programs like the Yellow Ribbon Program (if you have military connections) or have special first-generation college student support programs that might offer additional funding or resources. It sounds like you're already on the right track by calling schools directly - that personal contact can make a huge difference in understanding your full aid picture!