Negative SAI (-1500) on FAFSA but seeing no actual financial aid benefits - what am I missing?

maybe the schools they got into don't offer need based aid? not all schools do

A negative SAI doesn't automatically guarantee aid - it just indicates eligibility. The actual aid you receive depends on the school's Cost of Attendance (COA) minus your SAI, and each school decides how to meet that need. Some schools are "full need" (cover everything), while others only cover partial need or use loans instead of grants. Check each school's financial aid breakdown to see if they've included federal direct loans as part of the package. Sometimes the Pell Grant is already factored in but not clearly labeled. Also, your New York TAP might be calculated based on your FAFSA info, so that could be part of your FAFSA benefit.

Same exact thing happened with my son last year!!! He had negative SAI but barely got anything from FAFSA. When i called the school they said most of their "need-based" money was already used up for students with even LOWER SAI scores. Basically, -1500 wasnt negative enough compared to kids with like -5000. Its so frustrating!!!

I work in financial aid at a NY college. Here's what's likely happening: With an SAI of -1500, your children should qualify for some Pell Grant money (around $2,000-2,500 per year). Check if this is already included in their aid package - sometimes it's just listed as "Federal Grant" or bundled with other grants. However, the SAI is primarily used to determine *federal* aid eligibility, not institutional aid. Each college has their own formula for distributing their institutional need-based aid, and they often prioritize students with much lower SAI scores (like -4000 or below). Also, the NY TAP grant IS actually based on your FAFSA information, so that's one benefit you're already receiving from completing the FAFSA. The negative SAI also qualifies them for subsidized federal loans, where the government pays the interest while they're in school.

U should definitely call the financial aid office!! I spent 3 hours trying to get thru to someone at StudentAid.gov and kept getting disconnected but when i finally talked to someone they told me my kids package was missing stuff they qualified for!!!

Have you tried using Claimyr to reach the Federal Student Aid office? After struggling with disconnected calls and endless holds, I used claimyr.com and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They can verify exactly what aid your twins should be eligible for with that -1500 SAI. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ When I finally talked to someone, they explained I was missing out on subsidized loans and a portion of Pell Grant funds that my daughter was eligible for. Definitely worth having someone look at your specific case.

Not to be a downer, but welcome to the amazing world of FAFSA disappointment! I've gone through this with 3 kids now. The system is BROKEN. Negative SAI makes you think "great, we'll get help" but then the actual offers come in and it's just loans loans loans. The whole thing is designed to confuse parents and make colleges look like they're offering more than they really are. Sorry you're dealing with this frustrating mess.

After you check the aid packages more closely, I'd recommend scheduling an appointment with each school's financial aid office to review the package. Bring documentation showing your SAI score and ask them to explain exactly how that translated into the offered aid. Sometimes there are school-specific grants they can offer if you discuss your situation in person. Also, don't forget to check if your twins qualify for the Federal Work-Study program, which is another form of financial aid based on your FAFSA results that might not be clearly labeled in the initial package.

my cousin went to suny last year and they told him the negative sai mainly just get him the subsidized loans instead of unsubsidized. still have to pay it back but at least no interest while in school i guess 🤷‍♂️

One more thing to check - look at the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) listed in any communications from the schools. Sometimes schools still use this older term instead of SAI. If they list an EFC number that's different from your -1500 SAI, that could explain the discrepancy. Some schools use institutional methodologies that calculate need differently from the federal formula. For SUNY schools specifically, they typically meet only a portion of demonstrated need. Their institutional aid often goes to students with SAI scores much lower than -1500. But you should definitely be seeing some Pell Grant funds with that SAI.