Negative SAI of -1500 on daughter's FAFSA - what does this actually mean for aid?
I'm so confused right now. My daughter just got her FAFSA processed after weeks of waiting and there were some corrections made by the system. Her SAI came back as NEGATIVE -$1500. I've never seen a negative SAI before and have no idea what this means for her financial aid package. Is this good? Bad? Does it mean we'll have to pay more or that she'll get more aid? The studentaid.gov website doesn't really explain what a negative number means and I can't find a straight answer anywhere. Anyone dealt with this before or know what a negative SAI actually translates to when colleges start putting together aid packages?
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Zainab Abdulrahman
negative SAI is GOOD!! thats what u want. the lower the better, and negative is awesome. my son had -2800 last yr and got full pell + good packages at his schools
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Miguel Castro
•Really?? That's such a relief! I was panicking thinking we did something wrong. Do you remember how much Pell Grant he qualified for with that negative SAI?
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Connor Byrne
A negative SAI (Student Aid Index) is actually really good news for your daughter! The SAI is what replaced the old EFC system, and it measures your family's financial strength. Lower numbers mean more eligibility for need-based aid, and negative numbers like -1500 indicate significant financial need. With a -1500 SAI, your daughter will very likely qualify for: 1. Maximum Pell Grant (around $7,395 for the 2025-2026 year) 2. Priority consideration for campus-based aid programs (FSEOG, work-study) 3. Maximum need-based aid at most institutions Each college will use this number differently when creating their financial aid package, but this is definitely promising for your daughter's aid prospects!
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Miguel Castro
•Thank you so much for explaining this clearly! I was so worried when I saw the negative number. I didn't realize the SAI replaced the EFC system entirely - that makes more sense now. I'll let my daughter know this is actually good news!
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Yara Elias
congrats!! thats like hitting the financial aid lottery!! my nephew got a -750 and he still got almost full pell and really good packages. your daughters -1500 is even better!
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QuantumQuasar
I'm going to be the voice of caution here. A negative SAI is definitely good for federal aid like the Pell Grant, but PLEASE remember that each college has its own formula for institutional aid. Some colleges will treat a -1500 SAI the same as a 0 SAI for their own aid calculations. Also, if your daughter is applying to highly selective private colleges, they might use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, which has a completely different calculation method. Those schools might determine you have more ability to pay than the FAFSA formula suggests. So while this is promising news, don't assume she'll get a full ride everywhere. Wait for the actual financial aid offers before celebrating too much.
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Miguel Castro
•That's a really good point. She's applying to a mix of state schools and two private colleges. I think the private ones did mention the CSS Profile, so we'll need to fill that out too. Is there a way to estimate what our EFC might be with the CSS Profile based on our FAFSA SAI?
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QuantumQuasar
•Unfortunately, there's no reliable way to convert between the two. The CSS Profile looks at more assets (like home equity) and has different treatment of income. Some schools have net price calculators on their websites that use CSS methodology - that would give you a rough idea. Just be prepared that your expected contribution might be higher under CSS than what the FAFSA suggests with that negative SAI.
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Keisha Jackson
When we got our negative SAI last year I literally couldn't find ANYONE at the financial aid office who could explain what it meant!!! I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid who could actually tell me what it meant for my son's aid package. The call wait times were insane - I kept getting disconnected after 40+ minutes. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual FSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me SO much frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed that negative SAI is great news and explained exactly what aid my son qualified for. Worth checking out if you have more questions about what this means for your daughter specifically.
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Paolo Moretti
•does this claimyr thing really work? ive been trying to call about my verification for 2 weeks with no luck
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Amina Diop
I work in financial aid counseling, and I can confirm that a negative SAI is excellent news. The federal methodology now allows for negative numbers (unlike the old EFC system) to better differentiate between levels of financial need among lower-income families. With a -1500 SAI: - Your daughter will qualify for the maximum Pell Grant - She'll be first in line for campus-based aid at most schools - She'll likely qualify for state grants if your state offers them - She'll have maximum eligibility for subsidized federal loans Here's what you should do next: 1. Check with each college's financial aid office about their institutional methodology 2. Ask specifically about any gap between cost of attendance and aid package 3. Complete any additional verification if requested ASAP 4. If required by her schools, complete the CSS Profile for private institutions The negative SAI doesn't guarantee a full ride, but it puts her in the best possible position for need-based aid.
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Miguel Castro
•Thank you so much for this thorough explanation! This is incredibly helpful. I'm going to call each school and ask those specific questions. One more thing - does the negative SAI affect merit-based scholarships at all, or are those completely separate from need-based aid?
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Amina Diop
•Merit scholarships are generally separate from need-based aid and based on academic achievement, talents, or other non-financial criteria. However, some schools practice what we call "preferential packaging" - they might give more attractive merit aid to students who also demonstrate high financial need. So indirectly, her negative SAI might work in her favor for some merit awards too. Just make sure she applies for all merit scholarships by their deadlines!
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Miguel Castro
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! This has been such a relief. I've let my daughter know this is actually good news for her aid prospects. We're going to follow up with each school individually to see how they'll use the SAI in their calculations, and I'll make sure we complete the CSS Profile for the private schools too. It's so nice to finally understand what that negative number actually means!
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Oliver Weber
just wanted to add that my twins both had negative SAIs too and some schools treated them differently!! one private school gave AMAZING aid but another calculated something different. so definately check with each school. also CONGRATS!!! the new FAFSA was a nightmare for us but worth it when we saw that negative number lol
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Paolo Moretti
did u have to do verification? we got flagged for that and its a MESS trying to upload all the docs they want
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Miguel Castro
•We actually haven't been selected for verification (yet, anyway). From what I hear that's a whole extra headache. I hope you get yours sorted out soon!
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