Unexpected SAI drops after FAFSA processing - impacts scholarship eligibility?

YES! The exact same thing happened to my daughter this year! We submitted back in January, got processed in March, and then there were like 3 "corrections" we never asked for. One raised our SAI and the next lowered it by around $1500. The financial aid system is completely broken and nobody explains anything. Did your son get any notification about WHY they made the corrections? We never did.

This is actually pretty common with the new FAFSA system. The Department of Education has been running "verification sweeps" where they're rechecking tax data against IRS records. If they find discrepancies between what you reported and the IRS data, they're making automatic corrections. The good news is that a lower SAI means MORE aid eligibility. You should definitely make sure your college has the newest SAI calculation, but this is likely working in your favor.

omg this fafsa rollout has been a MESS!! my sai changed 3 times and i have no idea why. each time was different too. one time it went up $900 then it dropped $1700 then another $600. like make up ur mind already!! 😩

You should absolutely call Federal Student Aid to ask about these changes! They can look at your account and tell you exactly what triggered the corrections. Sometimes it's from income verification or tax return matching. The problem is their phone lines are always jammed... I was on hold for 3 hours last week before getting disconnected.

my freinds SAI went DOWN by $5k and she got way more aid than before... u should be happy ur SAI went down thats a GOOD thing!!!

It's frustrating that the Department of Education isn't communicating these automatic corrections clearly. For your scholarship concern - most need-based scholarship committees have processes for SAI updates. Email them ASAP with your updated SAI information and take screenshots of your studentaid.gov account showing the new number. Most will accept the updated information if you're proactive about notifying them. Also, double-check that your college financial aid office has your most current SAI. Sometimes there's a lag between the FAFSA system and what the school sees in their system. I recommend calling or visiting in person to confirm they're using the lower number for your aid package calculations.

The automatic correction you experienced is part of the new FAFSA processing system. The Education Department implemented a process called "backend verification" where they directly compare submitted FAFSA data against IRS tax information. When discrepancies are found, they make automatic corrections rather than sending it to verification, which is what happened in previous years. If your SAI decreased, it means they found information that makes you eligible for more aid, which is a positive outcome. For the scholarships, most institutions have procedures for handling SAI updates, but you'll need to be proactive. Send formal emails to each scholarship committee with: 1. Your name and application ID 2. Original SAI amount submitted 3. New corrected SAI amount 4. Date of the correction 5. Screenshot from studentaid.gov showing the correction Most scholarship committees understand these situations occur and will consider the updated information if you notify them promptly.

this whole fafsa system is a JOKE this year!! my brothers SAI randomly went UP by $2k and now he doesnt qualify for some grants he was counting on! nobody at the school can explain WHY and we cant get thru to FAFSA on the phone 😡

Good news - I've worked with several students this year who had automatic SAI corrections, and in every case, their scholarships were adjusted when they provided the updated information. Just make sure you follow up persistently. Email the scholarship coordinator weekly until you get confirmation they've received and processed your updated SAI. The most important thing is to make sure your school's financial aid office has the correct number. If they've already packaged your aid with the old SAI, ask them specifically to repackage based on the new SAI. Get the name of everyone you speak with and follow up with emails summarizing your conversations.