My daughter's SAI doubled for 2025-2026 FAFSA with no income changes - will it update?

same thing happened to us!! our SAI went up by like 75% and we literally made less money than year before. this new fafsa is GARBAGE

The 'submitted SAI' is preliminary and can change during processing. The new FAFSA formula for 2025-2026 has significant changes that are affecting many families. A few things to understand: 1. The formula now treats different asset types differently than previous years 2. The income protection allowance was adjusted 3. The new formula weighs some family situations differently You should log into StudentAid.gov and review your specific inputs. Sometimes minor reporting errors can cause major SAI shifts. Also check if you included any new assets or retirement accounts that weren't counted previously but might be now.

Did u check if maybe your daughter is now counted as independent instead of dependent? That happened to my son and it totally messed up our numbers.

I went through this EXACT situation with my son last week. Turns out we had accidentally clicked that we owned a business (my husband does some minor consulting on the side that we report on Schedule C, but it's not actually a business with assets). That single checkbox doubled our SAI because the system assumed we had business assets. We had to call FSA directly to get it fixed. But I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to someone. The phones are completely overwhelmed right now with all the formula changes. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they basically wait on hold for you and call you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a demo video if you want to see how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Definitely worth checking all your inputs before the processed SAI is finalized.

Something important to understand with the 2025-2026 FAFSA: the formula underwent significant revisions that have caused many families to see substantial changes in their SAI calculations. Here are some key points: 1. **Asset calculations changed**: The formula now assesses certain types of assets differently, particularly for middle-income families 2. **Small business/farm exemption changes**: Previously, small family businesses and farms with under 100 employees were excluded from asset calculations. The new formula has modified these exemptions. 3. **Multiple student adjustments**: If you have multiple children in college, the formula handles this differently now 4. **Income protection allowance shifts**: These thresholds were adjusted, sometimes not in families' favor The submitted SAI typically doesn't change drastically during processing unless there are verification issues or major data inconsistencies. However, you should: - Wait for the processed SAI (usually 3-5 business days) - Contact your daughter's financial aid office immediately - they often have supplemental aid available for situations like this - Consider filing an appeal based on special circumstances if the final SAI remains problematic I recommend collecting documentation about your financial situation that shows consistency between years to support your case.

you know what's crazy? we tried to fix a similar issue and the financial aid office at my kid's school said they cant do ANYTHING. said its all federal now and their hands are tied. bunch of BS if you ask me.

My cousins neice had her SAI drop by 4k for no reason last year so maybe it could go down for u too???

To answer your question about timing - the processed SAI typically appears within 3-5 business days, but with all the FAFSA changes this cycle, some applications are taking up to 2 weeks to fully process. If you notice any errors in your submission, don't wait for processing to complete - make corrections immediately. Regarding whether you should contact the financial aid office now: absolutely yes. Financial aid offices are dealing with these issues constantly right now and many have developed protocols to help families affected by the formula changes. The earlier you start the conversation, the more options they'll have available to assist you.

I'm going through something similar - our SAI increased by about 60% even though our income stayed almost the same. After reading through all these responses, I'm realizing the new FAFSA formula changes are hitting a lot of families hard. One thing that helped me was going line by line through the application to compare what I entered this year versus last year. I found that I had accidentally included some savings that were previously protected under the old formula but now count as assessable assets. Also, if you haven't already, definitely check the "number of household members in college" section. Even if that number changed (like if an older sibling graduated), it can have a huge impact on your SAI calculation under the new system. Good luck with your financial aid office meeting - hopefully they can work with you on institutional aid to bridge the gap!

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare! Our SAI went from around $12,000 last year to over $20,000 this year with virtually no changes to our financial situation. What's really frustrating is that nobody seems to have clear answers about why this is happening to so many families. After doing some research, I think the issue might be related to how the new formula handles parent assets differently. The asset protection allowance appears to have been reduced significantly, which means more of our savings are now being counted toward the expected family contribution. Has anyone successfully gotten their school to make adjustments using "professional judgment"? I'm wondering if documenting that our financial situation hasn't actually changed might help make a case for additional institutional aid. This whole situation is making me question whether we can even afford to keep my daughter in school next year.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - the stress must be overwhelming! Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening about how widespread this issue is with the 2025-2026 FAFSA changes. One thing I wanted to add that might be helpful: if your daughter's school uses CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, make sure you're also reviewing that application for any discrepancies. Sometimes schools will use the CSS Profile data to make institutional aid decisions that can help offset a higher federal SAI. Also, I've heard from other families that it's worth asking specifically about "gap funding" or emergency aid programs when you meet with the financial aid office. Many schools have discretionary funds available for situations exactly like yours where the new formula is creating unexpected hardship despite no real change in financial circumstances. The fact that you caught this early and are being proactive gives you the best chance of getting it resolved. Hang in there - it sounds like there are definitely options available to help bridge this gap!