Negative SAI score of -579 on my FAFSA - what does this actually mean for aid?

A negative SAI is actually good news! The lower your SAI (even into negative numbers), the more financial need you have according to FAFSA calculations. An SAI of -579 means you have high demonstrated need and should qualify for more aid than when your EFC was 3000. The SAI replaced the old EFC system and uses slightly different calculations, which explains the change despite your family situation staying similar.

neg numbers r good, means ur broke lol. i got -1500 and got max pell last year

The SAI score replaced the EFC in the 2024-2025 FAFSA as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act. A negative SAI like yours (-579) indicates very high financial need. The minimum Pell Grant eligibility threshold is currently an SAI of 3000, and the maximum Pell Grant ($7,395 for 2025-2026) is awarded to students with an SAI of -1500 or lower. With your -579, you should qualify for a substantial Pell Grant, though not necessarily the maximum amount. Your college's financial aid office will use your SAI to calculate your need-based aid package, which could include institutional grants, work-study, and subsidized loans in addition to your Pell Grant. Each school has different resources, so your complete aid package will vary by institution.

i had a negative SAI too but my school still didn't give me enough aid!!! they said something about "limited institutional funds" which is BS because tuition went up AGAIN this year. the whole system is rigged against students no matter what your stupid SAI number is.

I spent 3 hours trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid to explain what my daughter's negative SAI meant for her specific situation. Kept getting disconnected or stuck on hold until I found Claimyr (claimyr.com). You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ They got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 20 minutes who explained that with her -700 SAI, she qualified for about $6,800 in Pell Grants plus eligibility for work-study and subsidized loans. Saved me days of stress trying to figure it out on my own.

To answer your follow-up question about the exact Pell Grant amount: Yes, there is a sliding scale. With an SAI of -579, you should qualify for approximately $6,500-6,800 in Pell Grant (not the full $7,395 maximum that requires -1500 or lower). The formula is: Maximum Pell Grant - ((Your SAI + 1500) / 4500 × Maximum Pell Grant) So for you: $7,395 - (((-579) + 1500) / 4500 × $7,395) = approximately $6,700 This is a rough calculation since exact formulas can change year to year, but it gives you a general idea.

Just a heads up that a negative SAI doesn't automatically give you the same aid at every school! My SAI was -340 last year and my aid packages ranged from covering almost everything at one school to barely anything at another. Private schools sometimes have more institutional aid to give than public universities.

One more important thing to note: Your SAI is only one factor in your overall financial aid package. Schools also consider their Cost of Attendance (COA), which includes tuition, room and board, books, and other expenses. Your financial need is calculated as COA - SAI = Need. With a negative SAI, your calculated need will actually be higher than the school's COA, which means you have maximum demonstrated need. However, this doesn't guarantee all that need will be met - schools have different abilities to meet students' financial need based on their available resources. This is why it's important to compare multiple financial aid offers if you've applied to several schools!

They'll already have your SAI from your FAFSA data, but it's always a good idea to talk directly with financial aid officers at each school, especially if you have any special circumstances that weren't captured in your FAFSA. With your negative SAI, you should definitely ask each school about additional need-based scholarships or grants they might offer beyond the federal aid programs.

Congrats on the negative SAI! That's actually great news for your aid eligibility. I went through this same confusion last year when the SAI system first launched. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - make sure to also look into state grant programs in addition to federal aid. Many states have their own need-based grants that use similar criteria to the Pell Grant, and with your -579 SAI, you'd likely qualify. I ended up getting an extra $2,000 per year from my state just by filling out one additional form. Also, don't forget to check if your schools participate in work-study programs - that can be another $2,000-3,000 per year in earning potential!