Should I appeal FAFSA SAI of 8966 due to divorce changing financial situation?

You should definitely appeal! This is exactly the kind of special circumstance that financial aid offices are prepared to handle. The FAFSA uses tax information that's two years old, so significant life changes like divorce, job loss, or medical expenses often require an appeal. Wait until you receive the initial financial aid package, then immediately contact the school's financial aid office to request a "Professional Judgment Review" (that's the official term). You'll need to provide documentation of your divorce and current income information. Each school handles these differently, but most will have you fill out a special circumstances form and submit supporting documentation. I've seen SAI adjustments result in several thousand more in aid when circumstances change significantly.

wait til u get the actual package before doing anything. sometimes schools give decent aid even w/ higher SAI numbers. my kid's SAI was 12k but still got 15k in aid from her school on top of merit $$$

I went through something similar last year. Definitely WAIT until you get the actual financial aid package before doing anything. When my ex and I split, my son's SAI was around 9500 which seemed high based on my new single income. What surprised me was that the school actually gave a pretty decent package anyway - they have their own formulas beyond just the FAFSA. Then I did appeal with documentation of the divorce and my current income, and they added another $4,800 in institutional grants. Each school handles appeals differently though. Some are generous with adjustments, others barely budge. But with the merit scholarships your daughter already has, you're in a decent starting position!

The financial aid system is SUCH a joke! Your SAI doesn't matter nearly as much as you think - schools have their own formulas and they'll give whatever they want regardless. My son had a divorce situation too and his SAI was supposedly "good" at 7200 but the school still gave a PATHETIC aid package!!! They just want to squeeze every penny from families. The appeal process is a NIGHTMARE of paperwork just to maybe get a few thousand more. My advice? Call the financial aid office DIRECTLY and talk to an actual human. Be prepared to explain your situation over and over because they transfer you around constantly.

Here's what I'd recommend as someone who works with college financing: 1) Wait for the initial aid package from each school 2) Compare offers carefully - look at the TYPE of aid (grants vs loans), not just total amounts 3) Identify the school(s) where an appeal would make the most difference 4) Prepare documentation showing your current financial reality (divorce decree, recent tax returns, current pay stubs, monthly expense breakdown) 5) Request the Professional Judgment Review in writing AND follow up by phone Also, be sure your FAFSA properly reflects your current household size and how many will be in college. That can make a big difference in the SAI calculation. With $9,500 already in scholarships and an SAI under 9000, you're actually in a pretty good position to negotiate additional institutional aid at many schools.

i had to deal w/ fafsa after my divorce and let me tell u, trying to get through to anyone at federal student aid is IMPOSSIBLE. spent weeks calling that 1-800 number and either got disconnected or was on hold for hours just to get cut off. so frustrating! finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person in under 15 minutes. they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ you'll still need to appeal through your school, but if u need to sort anything out directly with fafsa first, save yourself the headache!!

My sister went through this exact same thing! The SAI was based on when she was married but by the time her kid started college she was single. She didn't appeal right away and regretted it soooo much. Lost out on like a whole semester of better aid. Don't wait!!

Seeing the comments here, I want to clarify something important: the appeal goes to each individual SCHOOL, not to FAFSA itself. The FAFSA just creates your SAI number, but each college decides what aid to give based on that number plus their own formulas. So you'll need to appeal separately to each school your daughter is considering. Some will be generous with appeals, others won't budge much. In my experience, private schools tend to have more flexibility with professional judgment reviews than public universities.

One important thing no one mentioned - with an SAI of 8966, your daughter should qualify for some federal work-study too. Make sure that's included in her package! It's usually around $2000-3000 per year where students work on campus. The jobs are usually super flexible around class schedules.

One last piece of advice about the appeal process: be specific about your financial needs and goals. Don't just say "I need more money" - instead, calculate the exact gap between what you can realistically pay and what they're offering, then ask for that specific amount in the appeal. And always be polite but persistent with financial aid officers - they have discretion but are more likely to use it for families who are respectful of their process.

I'm new to this whole process and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My daughter is a junior and I'm trying to understand FAFSA better before we go through it next year. Just to clarify - when you mention that the FAFSA uses tax information that's "two years old," does that mean for the 2025-2026 school year, they're using 2023 tax returns? And if someone's financial situation changes dramatically between filing taxes and when their kid starts college, that's when the Professional Judgment Review comes in? Sorry if this is basic, but I want to make sure I understand the timeline correctly so we can plan ahead.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who's been through this process twice! My experience with appeals was really positive - both of my kids had significant changes between tax filing and college enrollment (job loss for one, medical expenses for the other). The key things that helped us: 1) Being organized with documentation from the start, 2) Writing a clear, factual letter explaining the circumstances without being overly emotional, and 3) Following up consistently but not aggressively. One tip I haven't seen mentioned - if your daughter applied to multiple schools, prioritize your appeal efforts on the schools that are genuinely her top choices. The appeal process takes time and energy, so focus where it will have the most impact. Also, some schools will do a "pre-read" of your appeal materials over the phone before you submit everything formally, which can save you time if they indicate they won't be able to help much. With her strong merit aid already secured, you're in a good negotiating position. Good luck!