Understanding SAI impact on final financial aid package at private college - what could change?

From my experience last year with my daughter, the institutional grants are definitely the flexible part. The merit scholarships and federal loans stay the same, but the school-specific grants can change based on their final budget allocation and how many students accept their offers. My daughter's grant actually went UP by $1500 when the final package came in! But I've heard stories going both ways.

Financial aid counselor here. You're correct that the merit scholarship and federal loan amounts are unlikely to change. The $3000 institutional grant is indeed the flexible component. Private colleges have what's called "institutional methodology" that can differ from the federal methodology used for FAFSA, which is why you get that preliminary estimate. Factors that could change your institutional grant amount: 1. The school's overall financial aid budget for the incoming class 2. How your son compares to other admitted students (they may prioritize certain demographics) 3. Enrollment deposit deadline approaching (sometimes they increase offers to secure commitments) 4. Changes in your financial circumstances that weren't captured in the FAFSA My advice: If you want to potentially increase that $3000, schedule a meeting with their financial aid office to discuss your specific situation. Many private colleges have some discretionary funds they can allocate in special cases.

I work in admissions at a similar-sounding private college. Want to add that while the $3K institutional grant could change, it rarely swings dramatically unless there's a major change in your financial situation or an error in the original calculation. The preliminary packages we send out are usually 90-95% accurate for the institutional grant portion. One thing to be aware of: If your son receives any outside scholarships after this preliminary package, many schools have an "displacement policy" where they'll reduce their institutional grant dollar-for-dollar with outside scholarships. Others will reduce loans first. Ask the financial aid office about their specific policy on this!

The financial aid system is SUCH A SCAM. I went through this with 2 kids already. They dangle these "preliminary" offers and then when you're committed and it's too late to back out, suddenly the institutional grant gets slashed. My son's private college cut his grant by $4k between the preliminary and final offer. When I called to complain they just said "budgetary adjustments" and offered zero explanation!! DON'T trust these preliminary offers. They're just trying to hook you. And that whole "displacement" thing with outside scholarships? ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. My daughter lost every penny of outside scholarships she earned because the school just reduced their amount by the exact same amount!!!

have u tried calling the finacial aid office directly? sometimes they can give u more specific info about ur sons situation rather than general policies. thats what i did last yr

For what it's worth, I had a similar situation with my daughter last year. Her SAI was around 15000, and the preliminary package included about $4k in institutional grants for a private college. When the final package came, it actually increased to $5500. One thing that helped us was using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a financial aid representative when we had questions. Regular phone calls kept going to voicemail, but Claimyr helped us skip the wait and actually speak to someone. They have a good demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once we got through to a real person, we were able to explain some unusual circumstances that weren't captured in the FAFSA (medical expenses, supporting my elderly mother), and they took those factors into consideration for the final aid package.

I'm in the middle of this process too with my son!!! SO STRESSFUL!! Is anyone else frustrated that the new FAFSA is supposed to be "simplified" but somehow makes everything MORE complicated?? We submitted in early February and I'm still anxiously checking for updates everyday...

One more thing to consider - if your family's financial situation has changed significantly since you completed the FAFSA (job loss, major medical expenses, etc.), you can request a professional judgment review from the financial aid office. This could potentially increase that institutional grant. They'll require documentation of the change in circumstances, but it can make a significant difference in some cases.

Also when your talking to the financial aid office be sure to ask about payment plans!!! Our SAI was similar to yours and we were able to get on a 10-month payment plan that really helped us manage the costs without taking out additional parent loans. Most private colleges offer these now and some don't even charge interest!

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter, I can confirm that the institutional grant is definitely the part that can change. In our case, it actually decreased by about $800 from preliminary to final, but that was offset by her qualifying for a small state grant that wasn't initially included. One thing I learned is that timing matters - if you're going to appeal or provide additional financial information, do it sooner rather than later. The financial aid offices get swamped closer to the enrollment deadline and have less flexibility in their budgets. Also, don't forget to check if your son qualifies for any work-study programs! Even if it's not in the preliminary package, sometimes spots open up and it can be a great way to earn some extra money on campus. Good luck!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar boat with my daughter who's applying to colleges next year. One question I have after reading through all these responses - for those who had their institutional grants increase from preliminary to final packages, was there anything specific you did to advocate for yourselves, or did the increases happen automatically? Also, I'm curious about the timeline - how long after submitting FAFSA did you typically receive your final aid packages? Trying to plan ahead for next year's application cycle. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that's so hard to find elsewhere!

Welcome to the community, Sophia! Your timing questions are spot-on - I wish I had known to ask these things earlier in the process. From my experience this year, I'd definitely recommend being proactive rather than waiting for things to happen automatically. For timeline, we submitted FAFSA on Feb 13th and got our preliminary package within about 3 weeks. The school told us to expect the final package by mid-April, so we're still waiting on that. One thing I learned from this thread is that every school operates differently - some are faster, some slower. As for advocating, it sounds like the key is having specific circumstances to discuss rather than just asking for more money. The professional judgment review that Isaac mentioned seems to be a formal process for documented changes in financial situation. But even without major changes, Maya's advice about scheduling a meeting to discuss your specific situation seems really valuable. Good luck with your daughter's applications next year! This community has been incredibly helpful for navigating all the confusing aspects of financial aid.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this thread incredibly informative! I'm currently going through this exact situation with my daughter - her SAI came back around $18,000 and we're waiting on final packages from several private colleges. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the impact of demonstrated interest on these institutional grants. Some private colleges track how engaged prospective students are (campus visits, info sessions, communication with admissions counselors) and may factor that into their aid decisions. Has anyone noticed a correlation between their level of engagement with the school and their final aid package? Also, for those who successfully appealed or got increases in their institutional grants - did you work directly with the financial aid office or did you also involve admissions counselors? I'm wondering if having multiple advocates within the institution might be helpful. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical advice that's so hard to find elsewhere!