Shocked! My FAFSA SAI jumped from -$1,500 to $24,000 after recalculation

omg that happened to my roommate last week!!! her SAI jumped by like 20k too. she thinks it has something to do with her parents investments that werent reported right the first time or something

This is actually more common than you might think. The Department of Education has been doing recalculations of SAIs this year, especially for applicants with negative SAIs. When your SAI jumps that dramatically, it's usually because the system detected a discrepancy between reported income and tax transcripts. Did you or your parents report any losses, farm income, or business write-offs on Schedule C? Those are common trigger points for massive recalculations.

THEY DID THE EXACT SAME THING TO ME!!!! My SAI went from -$2000 to $18,500 and when I finally got through to someone they said it was because they "recalculated business income" whatever that means. The whole system is rigged against families with small businesses. They count all your gross income but don't actually consider business expenses properly. I'm so angry about this I can't even think straight.

My brother went through something like this last yr. His fiancial aid got messed up and he had to take out private loans. Not fun

Financial aid counselor here. When you see an SAI jump that dramatically, there are specific steps you need to take: 1. Request your SAI calculation breakdown from FSA (this will show exactly what changed) 2. Compare your tax transcript data with what was reported on your FAFSA 3. File a formal appeal with both FSA and your school's financial aid office 4. Request a professional judgment review based on special circumstances Specifically for business owners, the FAFSA now treats Schedule C income differently than in prior years. They're using a new formula that adds back certain depreciation expenses and business losses. This can dramatically increase your SAI calculation.

I had so much trouble getting through to FSA about my SAI recalculation last month that I almost gave up. After getting disconnected 5 times, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a live agent without waiting for hours. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ When I finally talked to an agent, they explained that my SAI jumped because of how they were calculating my parents' retirement accounts - which wasn't even supposed to be counted! Got it fixed and my SAI went back down.

I went through a similar situation last year. The key is to understand exactly what caused the recalculation. In my case, they were counting a one-time retirement account withdrawal as income (which it technically was, but it was used to pay medical bills). I had to file an appeal with both FSA and my school's financial aid office with documentation showing this was a one-time event due to medical circumstances. The professional judgment review took about 3 weeks, but my SAI was adjusted back down. Don't panic - there are appeal processes in place for situations exactly like yours.

Has anyone else noticed that these SAI recalculations seem to ALWAYS go up and never down??? It's like they're just looking for ways to give less aid to students. I've yet to hear a single story of someone's SAI being recalculated LOWER. The whole system is designed to extract maximum dollars from families who are just trying to get their kids through school.

My dad lost his job right after we submitted our FAFSA and our SAI was crazy high based on his previous income. We submitted a special circumstances form to my school's financial aid office with documentation of his job loss and they were able to adjust my aid package. Definitely talk to your school too, not just FSA!

UPDATE: The Department of Education just announced (as of last week) that they're reviewing all SAI calculations involving Schedule C business income due to a discovered calculation error. If your recalculation happened within the last 30 days and involves business income, you should be receiving an email about this soon. They're prioritizing reviews for current applicants with the largest SAI increases. This might solve your problem automatically, but I'd still recommend proceeding with the steps I mentioned earlier.

I'm dealing with something similar right now - my SAI went from $800 to $15,000 seemingly overnight. My parents own a small landscaping business and I'm wondering if that's what triggered it. The timing is awful because I need to finalize my aid package for next semester. Has anyone had success getting their school to provide emergency aid while waiting for an SAI appeal to be processed? I'm worried about having to drop classes if this doesn't get resolved quickly.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - SAI recalculations are incredibly stressful, especially when they happen right before you need to finalize aid packages. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like there's a widespread issue with how business income is being calculated this year. A few practical tips from someone who went through financial aid appeals last year: 1. Document EVERYTHING - save screenshots of your original SAI, print out your current FAFSA, and keep records of all phone calls 2. Contact your school's financial aid office immediately - they often have more flexibility than FSA and can provide temporary solutions 3. If you have a small business, gather your Schedule C forms and be prepared to explain legitimate business expenses that might have been miscalculated The good news is that @Evelyn Xu mentioned there's an official review happening for Schedule C calculations, so this might resolve automatically. But definitely don't wait - start the appeal process now since it can take weeks. Your school's financial aid office should also be able to provide emergency aid or payment plan options while this gets sorted out. Hang in there! This is fixable, it's just going to take some persistence and paperwork.

I'm a junior who went through almost the exact same situation last fall - my SAI jumped from -$1,200 to $22,000 after a recalculation. It was absolutely terrifying because I thought I was going to lose all my grants and have to take out massive loans. Here's what worked for me: I called FSA at exactly 8:00 AM EST (as @Mason Kaczka suggested) and finally got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The agent explained that they had recalculated my parents' small business income using a new formula that added back depreciation and business losses that were previously allowed as deductions. I immediately filed appeals with both FSA and my school's financial aid office. My school was actually more helpful - they provided emergency aid to cover my tuition while the appeal was being processed, and their financial aid counselor helped me prepare all the documentation needed for the FSA appeal. The whole process took about 6 weeks, but my SAI was eventually adjusted back down to $3,800 (still higher than the original, but much more manageable). The key was having detailed records of legitimate business expenses and being persistent with follow-up calls. Given @Evelyn Xu's update about the Department of Education reviewing Schedule C calculations, you might get lucky and have this resolved automatically. But I'd still recommend starting the appeal process now just in case. Don't give up - this is definitely fixable with the right approach!

I'm going through something very similar right now and reading through all these responses has been both reassuring and overwhelming. My SAI went from -$800 to $19,500 last week and I've been panicking about losing my Pell Grant eligibility. My family has a small auto repair shop so this is definitely sounding like the Schedule C calculation issue everyone's mentioning. I've been trying to get through to FSA for three days now with no luck - keep getting disconnected after waiting over an hour each time. Going to try the 8 AM strategy tomorrow that several people mentioned. Also planning to contact my school's financial aid office first thing Monday morning to see about emergency aid options while this gets sorted out. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and especially @Evelyn Xu for the update about the official DOE review. It's frustrating that so many students are dealing with this, but knowing there might be an automatic fix coming gives me some hope. I'll keep documenting everything and start the appeal process regardless. Has anyone heard any updates about timeline for when the DOE might finish their Schedule C review and start issuing corrections?

I'm a new community member and currently going through this exact nightmare! My SAI went from -$900 to $21,000 two weeks ago and I've been completely lost on what to do. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea this was happening to so many students with family businesses. My parents run a small plumbing business so this definitely sounds like the Schedule C calculation issue everyone's talking about. I've been trying to reach FSA for over a week with no success, but I'm going to try the 8 AM strategy that multiple people have mentioned. Also planning to contact my school's financial aid office immediately after reading about emergency aid options - I honestly had no idea schools could provide temporary assistance while appeals are pending. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and especially for the updates about the Department of Education review. Even though this is incredibly stressful, it's reassuring to know there are specific steps to take and that many of these cases are getting resolved. Going to start documenting everything and file appeals with both FSA and my school while hoping for that automatic correction!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - I know exactly how terrifying it feels when your SAI jumps that dramatically overnight! I went through something very similar last year when my SAI increased by over $15,000 due to my family's small restaurant business. Based on everything shared in this thread, it sounds like you're caught up in the widespread Schedule C calculation issues that are affecting so many family businesses this year. The good news is that there are concrete steps you can take and real hope for getting this resolved. Here's what I'd recommend based on what worked for me and others here: 1. Try calling FSA at exactly 8:00 AM EST - multiple people have confirmed this timing works much better than calling later in the day 2. Contact UC Berkeley's financial aid office immediately about emergency aid while your appeal is pending - most schools have temporary assistance programs specifically for situations like this 3. Start documenting everything now (screenshots, print-outs, call logs) as several people mentioned this is crucial for the appeal process 4. Reference the Department of Education's Schedule C review when you contact both FSA and your school - this could help expedite your case since it's an officially recognized issue The fact that @Evelyn Xu mentioned the DOE is actively reviewing these calculation errors gives me real hope that you might get an automatic correction without having to go through the full appeal process. But definitely don't wait around for it - start the appeal process now since it gives you more control over the timeline. Hang in there! This is absolutely fixable, and you're not alone in dealing with this mess.

I'm a financial aid administrator and want to add some important context to this discussion. The massive SAI recalculations you're all experiencing are indeed related to new federal guidance on Schedule C business income calculations that went into effect this academic year. What's happening is that the Department of Education is now adding back certain business deductions (like depreciation, home office expenses, and reported business losses) that were previously allowed to reduce family income for financial aid purposes. This change particularly impacts families with small businesses who legitimately use these deductions for tax purposes but now see them counted as "available income" for college costs. A few critical points for everyone dealing with this: 1. The automatic review @Evelyn Xu mentioned is real - we've been notified that corrections should begin processing in early April for cases with SAI increases over $10,000 involving Schedule C income 2. Your school's financial aid office has significant discretion through Professional Judgment to provide temporary aid and adjust calculations based on documented circumstances 3. When appealing, focus on demonstrating that business expenses are legitimate operating costs, not discretionary spending - provide detailed documentation of actual cash flow vs. reported business income 4. Some schools are proactively reaching out to affected students, but don't wait - contact your financial aid office immediately as processing times are getting longer due to the volume of appeals This situation is affecting thousands of students nationwide, so don't feel like you're fighting this alone. The system will eventually correct itself, but advocacy for your individual case is still important.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this SAI nightmare - I can only imagine how shocking it must be to see such a massive increase overnight! As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through everyone's experiences and it's both heartbreaking and reassuring to see how many students are facing similar situations with family businesses. Your situation with your dad's business losses sounds exactly like what @Aurora St.Pierre described regarding the new Schedule C calculation changes. It's incredibly frustrating that legitimate business operating expenses are now being treated as "available income" when that's absolutely not the reality for small business families. Based on everything I've read here, I'd definitely recommend: 1. Try the 8 AM FSA calling strategy that multiple people have confirmed works 2. Contact UC Berkeley's financial aid office immediately about emergency aid options while your appeal is pending 3. Reference the official DOE Schedule C review that should start processing corrections in early April 4. Start documenting everything now for your appeal The fact that this is affecting thousands of students nationwide and has official recognition gives me hope that you'll get this resolved. Don't give up - you have a strong community here supporting you through this process!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - that kind of SAI jump is absolutely devastating when you're counting on financial aid! As a newcomer who's been following this thread closely, I wanted to share that I'm dealing with a very similar situation. My SAI went from -$500 to $16,800 last month and my family also has a small business (landscaping), so this is definitely sounding like the widespread Schedule C calculation issue everyone's been discussing. What's been most helpful from reading everyone's experiences is knowing there are concrete steps to take and real hope for resolution. The 8 AM calling strategy that multiple people mentioned actually worked for me yesterday - I finally got through to FSA after failing all week with afternoon attempts. The agent confirmed my recalculation was related to the new business income formula and mentioned that automatic corrections are expected to start processing soon. I've also already contacted my school's financial aid office about emergency aid while my appeal is pending - something I never would have known was possible without this thread. They were incredibly understanding and are working on a temporary aid package to bridge the gap. For anyone else just discovering this issue, don't panic! While it's incredibly stressful, there's clearly an official recognition of the problem and multiple pathways to get it resolved. This community has been such a lifeline for understanding the process and staying hopeful. Hang in there, and definitely don't hesitate to reach out for support here!