SAI number of 25582 for each child - What does this mean for FAFSA aid?

The SAI (Student Aid Index) is what replaced the old EFC number. It's a measure of your family's financial strength for aid purposes. 25582 is in the middle range - not high enough to completely disqualify from aid but not low enough for maximum Pell Grant eligibility either. The reason both kids have the same number is because the SAI calculation is household-based, not individual-student based, so that's normal.\n\nWith that SAI level, your children likely won't qualify for Pell Grants (which typically require an SAI under 6000), but they should still be eligible for federal student loans and possibly some institutional aid depending on the colleges they're applying to. Some schools have much more generous aid policies than others.

Thank you! That makes sense why they have the same number. So basically we're in that middle ground where they can get loans but probably not grants? That's what I was afraid of...

my daughter had a number around 20000 and still got some aid from her school but nothing from federal. depends on where theyre applying tbh

That gives me a little hope! They're both applying to state schools mostly, with one looking at a private college that has some merit scholarships.

SAI of 25582 likely means:\n\n1. No Pell Grant eligibility (cutoff is typically under 6000)\n2. Federal loan eligibility - both subsidized and unsubsidized depending on cost of attendance\n3. Work-study possibilities at some institutions\n4. Potential for institutional aid - VERY school dependent\n\nYou're in what financial aid officers call the \

Ugh that

When do your kids start college? This year or next fall? The timing matters for which FAFSA they filed and whether you can appeal.

They're starting fall 2025 - twins! So I guess we used the new FAFSA they just rolled out this year. Is appealing a thing? I had no idea you could do that.

I was in this EXACT situation last year with my son. Called FSA like 50 times to see if there were any options or if they made a mistake with our SAI calculation. Literally impossible to reach anyone. I eventually used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for weeks. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ\n\nThe agent confirmed our SAI was calculated correctly but told me I could submit an appeal directly to the schools if we had special circumstances not reflected on the FAFSA. Was totally worth the call because I didn't know appeals were even possible!

Thank you for this! I've been trying to call them with questions about the SAI calculation but keep getting disconnected. I'll check out that service - anything to avoid more hours of waiting on hold.

my brother and i both had the same sai number too its normal. but have ur kids apply to schools that give good merit aid cuz thats different from need-based. my bro got like 15k in merit even tho our sai was too high for need aid

Thank you! Yes, they both have good GPAs and test scores so we're definitely focusing on merit options too. Good to know siblings typically get the same number.

One important thing to know - each school uses your SAI differently. Some schools focus heavily on meeting demonstrated need, while others emphasize merit aid. Your SAI of 25582 might get different aid packages at different institutions.\n\nStrategies you might consider:\n\n1. Look at colleges' Net Price Calculators on their websites - input your financial info to get an estimate\n2. Consider schools where your children would be in the top 25% of applicants academically - they typically offer better merit scholarships to attract strong students\n3. Some state schools have automatic scholarships based on GPA/test scores regardless of need\n4. Consider having your children apply to some financial safety schools where they'd likely get significant merit aid\n5. Special circumstances appeals can be filed directly with financial aid offices if you have unusual expenses or situations not reflected on FAFSA\n\nDon't assume all schools will be unaffordable with that SAI - strategic applications can make a huge difference.

This is extremely helpful, thank you! I hadn't thought about targeting schools where they'd be in the top percentage academically. My daughter is looking at engineering programs and my son is considering business, so we'll definitely look at merit options at schools where their stats would stand out.

The whole system is RIDICULOUS! My daughter had similar SAI and we got basically NOTHING except loans. Colleges expect families making 80-100k to somehow come up with 25K per year?!? How exactly?? We ended up having her go to community college for 2 years then transfer to save money. It's not fair kids from middle class families get stuck with so much debt while rich kids get a free ride from parents and poor kids get full rides from the government!!!!

ya the middle class always gets screwed. my neice did 2yrs community college too, saved like 40k that way

I want to address your concern about \

Thank you for the loan breakdown - that's really helpful. I knew there were limits but wasn't sure exactly what they were. I'm hoping with a combination of those federal loans, whatever we can contribute, and hopefully some merit aid, we can make this work without them taking on massive private loans or me emptying my retirement accounts.

I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter who's a high school senior! Her SAI came back at around 23,000 and I've been panicking about what that means for affordability. Reading through everyone's responses here has been so reassuring - especially knowing that merit aid is completely separate from need-based aid and that the SAI calculation being the same for siblings is normal. One thing I learned recently is that some schools actually have automatic scholarships for certain GPA/test score combinations that you don't even need to apply for separately. Has anyone here had experience with those? I'm wondering if it's worth having my daughter cast a wider net to include some schools where she'd be above their average student profile specifically for merit opportunities. Also @Sophia Russo - good luck with twins starting college the same year! That's going to be expensive but at least you'll get through the whole process at once instead of dealing with it twice.