Negative SAI of -104 on my FAFSA - is this good or bad for financial aid?
Just got my Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation back from my FAFSA application and it shows -104. I've never seen a negative number before. Does anyone know what this means? Is negative better than positive when it comes to financial aid eligibility? My parents' income is around $48,000 combined, and I'm their only dependent in college. Will this negative SAI help me qualify for more grants? Really confused about what this number actually means for my aid package.
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Carmen Reyes
A negative SAI is actually good news! The lower your Student Aid Index (including negative numbers), the more financial aid you're likely to get. An SAI of -104 means you have high financial need according to the federal formula. The most common federal grant (Pell Grant) gives maximum awards to students with an SAI of 0 or below. So you're in good shape for maximum Pell eligibility. Your college will use this number to determine your total aid package.
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StarSurfer
•Wow that's a relief! I was worried negative meant I did something wrong on my application. Do you know approximately how much Pell Grant I might qualify for with this SAI? And does the negative number impact other types of aid too?
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Andre Moreau
nEGATIVE SAI GOOD!! my daughter got -1500 last year and got full Pell plus extra grants from her school. ur in good shape!!
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StarSurfer
•That's awesome to hear! Did she have to do anything special to get those extra school grants or did they just offer them automatically based on the negative SAI?
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Zoe Christodoulou
I don't think this is right. SAI can't be negative. You probably read it wrong. The lowest SAI is 0. Maybe you're looking at some other number on your application? Check again.
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Carmen Reyes
•Actually, SAI absolutely can be negative under the new FAFSA Simplification Act formula. The old EFC (Expected Family Contribution) had a minimum of 0, but the new SAI calculation that started with the 2024-2025 FAFSA allows for negative values down to -1,500. This better identifies students with the highest financial need and helps with institutional aid decisions beyond federal programs.
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Jamal Thompson
With an SAI of -104, you're eligible for the maximum Pell Grant which should be $7,395 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Your state and individual schools might also offer grants based on high need. Make sure to complete any additional financial aid forms your school requires (some private colleges require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA). Each school will send a financial aid package showing exactly what you qualify for.
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StarSurfer
•Thank you! I'm applying to both public and private schools, so this is really helpful. I've submitted the CSS Profile for the private schools already. Do you know how long it typically takes to receive the financial aid award letters after they have my FAFSA and SAI information?
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Mei Chen
When i was filling out FAFSA last year i got so confused about all these numbers and couldn't get through to anyone on the phone. Tried for DAYS and kept getting disconnected or put on hold forever. Super frustrating!!! I eventually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual FAFSA agent within like 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Saved me so much stress when I had questions about my daughter's SAI calculation.
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StarSurfer
•Thanks for the tip! I've been lucky so far with my application but I'll keep this in mind if I run into issues. Did the FAFSA agent explain what all the numbers meant clearly?
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CosmicCadet
The negative SAI is 100% a good thing for financial aid! But I want to point out that while you'll likely get the maximum Pell Grant, your total financial aid package will vary A LOT depending on which schools you attend. Some schools have much better funding than others for high-need students. I had a negative SAI last year, and the out-of-pocket cost difference between schools was over $15,000 per year despite having the same FAFSA results for all of them.
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Liam O'Connor
•THIS!!! My son had negative SAI too and one school gave him basically a full ride while another still expected us to pay $23k per year even after grants and scholarships. Its criminal how different the packages can be with the exact same FAFSA information.
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Andre Moreau
I think its confusing there calling it an index now instead of EFC. Why did they change everything??? 🤦♀️
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Jamal Thompson
•They changed from EFC to SAI because many families misinterpreted the EFC as the exact amount they'd have to pay, when it's actually just a number used in aid formulas. SAI (Student Aid Index) more accurately describes what the number is used for - indexing your eligibility for different types of aid. The new formula also better accounts for very low-income households by allowing negative values, which wasn't possible with the old EFC system.
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StarSurfer
Thanks everyone for the helpful explanations! I feel much better knowing that my negative SAI is actually a good thing for financial aid. I'll keep an eye out for my award letters and compare them carefully. Really appreciate all the insights about Pell Grants and institutional aid differences!
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Philip Cowan
Congratulations on your negative SAI! That's definitely good news for your financial aid prospects. Just wanted to add that beyond the Pell Grant, you should also look into your state's grant programs - many states have additional need-based grants for students with very low SAI numbers like yours. Also, don't forget to apply for work-study if it's offered at your schools. With your family income around $48k and being the only one in college, you're likely to qualify for the maximum federal aid available. Make sure to submit your FAFSA early each year to get the best shot at limited funding programs!
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