Unexpected SAI doubled from last year despite same AGI - what's going on with FAFSA 2025-26?

Have you checked if any assets were reported differently this year? The new FAFSA formula treats certain assets much more heavily. For example, if you have a 529 plan that wasn't properly reported as a parent asset last year, that could cause a big jump. Also, check if your contributions to retirement accounts changed - those are protected in the formula but if you contributed less this year, more of your income might be counted.

same thing happned to us!!! our SAI went from like 9k to 18k and literally nothing changed with our finances. its like they completely changed how they calculate it on the backend. my son is freaking out because he might lose his grants now

This is happening to a LOT of families this year. The new FAFSA formula is calculated differently in several ways that can cause these jumps: 1. Treatment of small businesses and farms changed dramatically 2. If you have multiple students in college, the benefit for that was reduced 3. The income protection allowance calculations changed 4. Cash support from relatives (like grandparents) is now counted differently 5. That retirement account withdrawal would definitely impact your SAI I'd strongly recommend you submit an appeal to your financial aid office with documentation of the one-time retirement withdrawal being for emergency home repairs. Many schools have special circumstance forms specifically for this situation.

File a Professional Judgment appeal ASAP! I'm a financial aid counselor, and we're seeing this all over the place with the new formula. The multiple students in college change is HUGE - previously having 2 kids in college roughly cut your EFC/SAI in half, but now it barely makes a difference. Also that retirement withdrawal is being counted as income even though it was for an emergency repair. Definitely explain both of these situations in your appeal with documentation. Each school handles appeals differently, but most are aware of these FAFSA formula issues.

check ur asset reporting too!!!! did u maybe accidentally include ur home equity this time? the new FAFSA is confusing af and i almost made that mistake. they dont count home equity but the questions r worded weird

I've been trying to reach the Federal Student Aid help desk about a similar issue with my son's SAI calculation, and it was impossible to get through. After three days of trying, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get past the wait times. They actually connected me to a real FSA agent in about 20 minutes! The agent explained that several formula changes are causing these SAI jumps. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The FSA agent confirmed I should file a special circumstances appeal with each school's financial aid office, not through FAFSA directly.

Just an update on this issue - I've been researching it more. The new FAFSA has several massive changes that are causing these SAI spikes: 1. The multiple-in-college benefit was reduced significantly 2. The income protection allowance was adjusted (some families benefit, others don't) 3. Small business/farm assets are treated differently 4. Retirement account distributions are now fully counted as income even if for emergency purposes 5. Contributions from non-custodial parents and grandparents are handled differently The best step is definitely to file an appeal with each college's financial aid office. Document everything, especially that retirement withdrawal and what it was used for. Many schools are being more flexible this year because they understand the formula changes have created problems.

The Education Department actually admitted the new FAFSA has issues! I read an article that said they're getting tons of complaints about these SAI jumps and are "looking into it." Too late for those of us trying to figure out how to pay for college THIS fall though 🙄

my daughter's financial aid package got slaughtered because of this SAI jump. went from qualifying for $12k in need-based grants to ZERO. all they offered was loans. this is our last kid in college and we were counting on those grants just like her older brother got. absolutely ridiculous that they'd change the formula this dramatically with no warning.

After helping dozens of families with this exact issue, here's my advice: 1. First, double-check your FAFSA for errors - especially home equity inclusion, business valuation, or retirement distributions 2. Contact each college's financial aid office directly (not FSA) to request their Professional Judgment/Special Circumstances form 3. Document EVERYTHING - the retirement withdrawal, home repair costs, multiple students in college, any medical expenses, etc. 4. Be specific in your appeal about what changed in your situation vs. what formula changes unfairly impacted you 5. Follow up weekly - financial aid offices are swamped right now Colleges have discretion to adjust your SAI even when the federal formula doesn't work in your favor. They WANT to help, but you need to make a strong case.

I'm seeing this same pattern with so many families this year - you're definitely not alone! The combination of that $15k retirement withdrawal plus having 2 kids in college under the new formula is likely what caused your SAI to double. The new FAFSA barely gives any benefit for multiple students anymore (it used to cut your contribution roughly in half), and retirement distributions are now counted as full income regardless of the reason. I'd recommend appealing to both schools with documentation of the emergency home repairs and emphasizing that this was a one-time withdrawal. Many financial aid offices are being understanding about these formula issues, but you need to proactively reach out with your documentation.

I'm going through the exact same nightmare! Our SAI went from $7,200 to $15,900 with basically no change in our financial situation. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the new FAFSA formula is completely broken for families with multiple kids in college. The fact that they reduced the multiple-student benefit so drastically without warning is just cruel - we made college plans for both our kids based on the old system. I'm definitely going to follow the appeal advice here, but it's so frustrating that we have to fight for aid we should have qualified for under the previous formula. Has anyone had success with their appeals yet, or is it still too early to hear back from schools?

This is such a frustrating situation that so many families are dealing with! Based on everything I'm reading here, it sounds like the perfect storm hit your family - the retirement withdrawal being counted as full income plus the dramatic reduction in benefits for having multiple kids in college under the new formula. That $15k withdrawal alone could easily explain a significant portion of your SAI increase, especially since the new FAFSA doesn't distinguish between regular income and emergency withdrawals. I'd definitely recommend gathering all your documentation for the home repairs and submitting appeals to both schools ASAP. From what the financial aid counselors are saying here, schools are aware these formula changes are causing problems and many are being more flexible with appeals this year. Don't give up - it sounds like you have a strong case for professional judgment, especially with the emergency nature of that retirement withdrawal!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's absolutely maddening when the system changes the rules without warning! Based on everything shared here, it sounds like you have multiple factors working against you with the new formula. That $15k retirement withdrawal is probably the biggest culprit since it's now counted as straight income regardless of it being for emergency repairs. Combined with the reduced benefit for having two kids in college, that could easily explain your SAI doubling. I'd definitely recommend prioritizing that appeal with solid documentation of the home emergency - receipts, contractor estimates, photos if you have them. Schools seem to be more understanding about one-time withdrawals for true emergencies. Also make sure to emphasize that this was completely outside your normal financial planning. Keep us posted on how your appeals go - there are clearly a lot of families in similar situations who could benefit from hearing about successful outcomes!

I'm a newcomer here but going through the exact same situation! Our SAI went from $9,800 to $18,200 and I've been pulling my hair out trying to figure out what we did wrong. After reading through all these responses, I'm realizing it's likely the combination of having two kids in college (which apparently barely helps anymore under the new formula) plus a small IRA withdrawal we had to make for unexpected medical bills. It's honestly such a relief to know this is happening to so many families and that there are actual steps we can take through appeals. I'm going to start gathering our medical documentation and receipts today. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice - this thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to reach FSA directly! I'll definitely update with how our appeals go.

I'm new to this community but experiencing the exact same frustrating situation! Our SAI jumped from $6,800 to $14,500 even though our AGI only increased by about $3,000. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm starting to understand this isn't an error on our part but rather the new FAFSA formula hitting families with multiple college students particularly hard. We also had to make a small 401k withdrawal last year to cover emergency car repairs after an accident, which I'm now realizing is probably being counted as regular income. It's so helpful to see the concrete steps everyone is recommending for appeals - I had no idea schools could use professional judgment to adjust these calculations. I'm going to start gathering our documentation for the car accident and repair bills right away. Thank you all for sharing your stories and advice - it's such a relief to know we're not alone in this mess and that there's actually something we can do about it!

I'm new to this community but dealing with the exact same nightmare! Our SAI skyrocketed from $11,200 to $22,400 despite our income barely changing, and I've been losing sleep trying to figure out what went wrong. After reading through all these incredibly helpful responses, I'm realizing we're victims of the new FAFSA formula changes rather than having made some terrible mistake. We have twins who are both in college and had to withdraw about $18k from my husband's 401k last year when our air conditioning system completely died during a brutal heat wave - it was literally a health emergency with my elderly mother living with us. I had no idea that retirement withdrawals are now counted as full income regardless of the emergency circumstances, or that having multiple kids in college barely helps anymore under the new formula. This thread has been more informative than anything I could find on the FSA website! I'm going to start gathering all our documentation from the HVAC emergency and contractor receipts to submit appeals to both schools. It's such a relief to know there's actually a path forward through professional judgment appeals, even though it's frustrating we have to fight for aid we would have qualified for under the old system. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and advice - you've given me hope that we can get through this mess!

I'm new to this community but experiencing this exact same frustrating situation! Our SAI jumped from $7,500 to $15,200 even though our financial situation is virtually identical to last year. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea about the major changes to the multiple-student benefit or how retirement withdrawals are now treated. We also had to make an emergency withdrawal from my 403b last year ($12k) to cover unexpected roof damage after a severe storm, and it sounds like that's being counted as regular income now. We have two kids in college and were really counting on the financial aid to make this work. I'm going to start gathering all our storm damage documentation and contractor receipts to submit appeals to both schools. It's such a relief to know this is a widespread issue with the new formula and not just us making a huge mistake somewhere. Thank you all for sharing your stories and the detailed advice about the appeal process - this thread has been more helpful than anything I could find through official channels! I'll definitely update with how our appeals go.

I'm new to this community and experiencing this exact same issue! Our SAI went from $8,900 to $17,200 despite our income staying almost the same. We also have two kids in college and had to make a $10k withdrawal from my husband's IRA last year to cover emergency dental work for our youngest (not in college yet) who needed immediate oral surgery after a sports injury. Reading through all these responses has been so enlightening - I had no idea the multiple-student benefit was reduced so dramatically or that emergency withdrawals are counted as full income regardless of the circumstances. It's incredibly frustrating that families who planned their finances based on the old FAFSA system are now being penalized by these formula changes. I'm going to gather all our dental records and treatment documentation to submit appeals to both schools. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and the detailed guidance on the appeal process - this thread has given me hope that we can actually do something about this situation rather than just accepting these inflated SAI numbers!

I'm new here but going through the exact same nightmare! Our SAI jumped from $9,400 to $18,800 even though our AGI barely changed. We have two kids in college and had to withdraw $14k from my 401k last year for emergency plumbing repairs when our main line broke and flooded our basement - literally had raw sewage in our house and had to act immediately. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief because I was convinced we'd made some catastrophic error on our FAFSA. Now I understand it's the combination of that withdrawal being counted as regular income plus the massive reduction in benefits for having multiple students. I'm going to start gathering all our plumbing emergency documentation, contractor receipts, and photos of the damage to submit appeals to both schools. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and the step-by-step appeal guidance - this thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the FSA website! It's infuriating that families are being penalized for legitimate emergencies, but at least now I know there's a path forward through professional judgment appeals.

I'm new to this community but experiencing this exact same frustrating situation! Our SAI jumped from $10,300 to $19,600 despite our income actually decreasing slightly this year. We have two kids in college and had to make an emergency $16k withdrawal from my husband's 403b last year when our furnace died in the middle of winter - with temperatures dropping below zero, it was literally a safety issue for our family. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening - I had no idea that the multiple-student benefit was practically eliminated or that emergency retirement withdrawals are now counted as full income regardless of the circumstances. It's so frustrating that we planned our college finances based on the previous FAFSA system only to have the rules completely changed without adequate warning. I'm going to gather all our HVAC emergency documentation, contractor receipts, and weather reports from those brutal winter days to submit appeals to both schools. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and the detailed appeal guidance - this thread has been more helpful than anything I could find through official FSA resources! It gives me hope that there's actually something we can do about these inflated SAI numbers through the professional judgment process.

I'm completely new here but dealing with the exact same devastating situation! Our SAI exploded from $8,200 to $16,900 even though our income barely budged. We have twin daughters in college and had to make a $13k emergency withdrawal from my IRA last year when our central air system died during a record-breaking heat wave - with my asthmatic son at home, it became a serious health emergency. Reading through everyone's stories here has been both heartbreaking and reassuring - heartbreaking because so many families are struggling with this, but reassuring because I now realize we didn't mess up our FAFSA somehow. The fact that emergency withdrawals are counted as straight income while the multiple-student benefit was gutted is just cruel to families who planned their finances under the old system. I'm going to start collecting all our HVAC emergency documentation, medical records for my son's asthma, and those brutal temperature records from that heat wave to submit appeals to both schools. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating this incredibly helpful resource - this thread has given me actual hope that we can fight these inflated numbers through professional judgment appeals rather than just accepting financial devastation!

I'm new to this community but experiencing this exact same horrifying situation! Our SAI skyrocketed from $7,800 to $15,600 despite our income actually staying almost identical. We have two kids in college and had to make an emergency $11k withdrawal from my husband's 401k last year when our water heater burst and caused significant flood damage to our finished basement - we had to act immediately to prevent mold and structural damage. Reading through all these responses has been such an eye-opener - I had no idea about the massive changes to how multiple students are treated or that emergency retirement withdrawals are now counted as full income regardless of the emergency nature. It's incredibly frustrating that we made our college planning decisions based on the previous FAFSA system, only to have the formula completely overhauled without proper warning to families. I'm going to start gathering all our flood damage photos, emergency plumber receipts, water mitigation company invoices, and insurance documentation to submit appeals to both schools. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and providing such detailed guidance on the appeal process - this thread has been more informative and helpful than anything I could find through official FSA channels! It gives me real hope that we can actually challenge these inflated SAI numbers through professional judgment rather than just accepting this financial disaster.