New SAI calculation disqualified my daughter from Pell Grant - technical college offers no scholarship help

I completely understand your frustration. The transition from EFC to SAI has been difficult for many families. The threshold calculations changed significantly, and many families who were previously eligible find themselves just over the cutoff now. For technical colleges specifically, they often have fewer institutional scholarships compared to four-year universities. However, don't give up! Here are some options: 1. Ask the financial aid office specifically about work-study options 2. Check with local nursing organizations for profession-specific scholarships 3. Many hospitals offer tuition reimbursement if she commits to working there after graduation 4. File a special circumstances appeal if your financial situation has changed since the tax year used for FAFSA The new system is definitely causing headaches, but there are still pathways to make education affordable.

the new sai thing is total GARBAGE!!! my son got denied too even tho we barely make ends meet. something about using older tax info from when i had a better job. try looking at scholarships.com they have tons of random ones she could apply for. the whole system is rigged

Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline directly? When my daughter's SAI seemed impossibly high, I called and discovered they had incorrectly counted some of our retirement assets as available funds. It took FOREVER to get through (literally 3 hours on hold) but they fixed the calculation and her aid package completely changed. If you're struggling to reach someone at FSA, I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Saved me from spending hours on hold and I was able to get our SAI recalculated correctly. Definitely don't accept the first answer you get - there might be an error in the calculation.

im in the exact same boat!!! the pell grant used to help my daughter and now with this SAI garbage she gets nothing. and these kids are supposed to pay for college how exactly??? its like they expect everyone to be rich or go into massive debt. the whole system needs to be thrown out tbh

Financial aid professional here. There are some important nuances to understand about the new SAI system: 1. The SAI calculation now protects more income for basic living expenses, but it changed eligibility thresholds too. 2. For technical colleges: They typically have fewer institutional funds, but they should be helping you identify external scholarships. Ask to speak with a financial aid counselor, not just the front desk staff. 3. Critical point: If your income has changed since the tax year used for FAFSA (which is 2023 for the 2025-2026 application), you can submit a Professional Judgment (PJ) request. This is your RIGHT under federal regulations, and the school MUST review it. 4. For nursing specifically: Check the HRSA Nursing Corps Scholarship Program and your state's nursing workforce initiatives. Many states have special funding for nursing students due to shortages. Don't give up! The system has flaws, but there are dedicated professionals who want to help students succeed.

my daughter went thru the same thing last year with the technical college. ended up taking out loans. its messed up but honestly its better than the 4 year university costs. she graduates in may and already has a job lined up paying more than i make after 20 years at my company lol. so even with the loans its worth it for nursing!!!

A quick update on the technical college scholarship situation - many technical colleges partner with workforce development boards and industry associations that offer scholarships that aren't advertised through the financial aid office. Try contacting: 1. Your state's nursing association 2. The local hospital HR departments (many offer tuition assistance in exchange for work commitments) 3. Your county workforce development board Also, some technical colleges have foundations separate from the financial aid office that manage scholarship funds. Ask specifically about the "college foundation" or "institutional foundation" scholarships.

The new FAFSA system actually expanded Pell Grant eligibility for many families, so I'm surprised to hear your daughter no longer qualifies. It sounds like there might be something specific in your financial info that affected the calculation. For example, if you have multiple children in college, the new system handles that differently. One key thing to remember: schools still have professional judgment authority. This means they can adjust your SAI based on special circumstances. Technical colleges may not proactively offer this, but you can specifically request a "professional judgment review" or "special circumstances review." For technical college scholarships, look beyond the school itself. Many professional nursing organizations, healthcare foundations, and even local hospitals offer scholarships specifically for nursing students. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has a scholarship directory worth checking.

why dont u just pay for her school? its only a tech college not harvard lol. prob like 5k a semester. not trying to be mean but thats what parents do

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I called the Federal Student Aid helpline (took forever to get through) and found out there was actually an error in how they calculated our assets. We have some retirement savings they counted as available funds when they shouldn't have. They're recalculating our SAI now. I also reached out to the nursing association and found two scholarship opportunities specifically for technical college nursing students. And we've scheduled a meeting with the financial aid office to specifically discuss a professional judgment review based on our changed financial circumstances. This forum has been so helpful - I had no idea there were so many options that weren't initially presented to us. Will update when we hear back about the recalculation!

What a rollercoaster of emotions reading through this thread! I'm so glad you found errors in your SAI calculation - that's exactly why it's worth questioning these numbers instead of just accepting them. For other families dealing with similar issues, I wanted to add that community colleges and technical schools sometimes have emergency grant funds that aren't well-publicized. These are small grants (usually $500-2000) for students facing unexpected financial hardships. They're typically managed by the student services office rather than financial aid, so you have to specifically ask about "emergency assistance" or "completion grants." Also, don't overlook your state's workforce development programs. Many states are desperately trying to fill healthcare positions and have special funding streams for nursing students that bypass the whole FAFSA mess entirely. Your state's Department of Labor website usually has information about these programs. Really hoping your recalculation comes through with better numbers! Keep us posted on how the professional judgment meeting goes.