Unexpectedly high SAI ($105,000) on FAFSA - is my rental property causing this?

The rental property is almost certainly the issue. When you report real estate investments on the FAFSA, they count the full asset value, not just your equity. Did you report the full market value ($180k equity + whatever you still owe)? That would definitely spike your SAI. Also, investment properties are weighted heavily in the formula - they don't get the same protection as your primary residence.

had this exact same problem last yr!! the rental property KILLS u on fafsa. they count the whole thing as an investment asset. we ended up with no aid at all bcuz of it. sucks cuz were not rich either just trying to build some wealth.

The FAFSA calculation for investment properties can be tricky, but there's an important distinction to make. You should report: 1. The current market value of the property (not what you paid for it) 2. Minus any outstanding debt secured by the property That gives you the net value, which is what should be reported. However, rental properties are considered investment assets, not protected assets like your primary home. Another thing to check - did you accidentally report your retirement accounts? Those should be excluded from FAFSA. Also verify you didn't double-count any income from the rental property if it's already reflected in your tax returns.

when r yall gonna realize the whole system is RIGGED against the middle class??? too "rich" for aid, too poor to pay cash. welcome to america where only the super rich and super poor get any help lololol

I spent HOURS trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid last month for a similar issue with our rental property. Kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an agent in under 15 minutes who actually helped fix our reporting error. They have a demo video if you're curious: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent explained that investment properties are assessed differently than primary homes, but there are specific ways to report them correctly. Definitely worth speaking to someone directly about your situation.

Im confused about all this cuz my parents have 2 rental houses and our SAI was only like 8,000??? We're definitely not poor either, my dad makes like 100k. Maybe u entered something wrong in another section?

Based on what you've shared, I strongly suspect you've accidentally included retirement assets or made another major reporting error. With your income (~$140K combined) and one rental property, your SAI would typically be much lower than $105K unless there are substantial additional assets or unusual income situations. Submit a correction on studentaid.gov as soon as possible. You can do this even after you've received your SAI. Look especially at: 1. Retirement accounts (should be EXCLUDED) 2. Value of the rental property (net value only) 3. Any business assets or farm values 4. Any large one-time income events that shouldn't be counted Also, immediately contact each college's financial aid office to explain the situation. They can sometimes make professional judgment adjustments.

did u check the special circumstances box anywhere? sometimes if u have unusual financial situation u can get them to reconsider

After reviewing all the comments, it sounds like you've identified some significant errors in your FAFSA submission that are likely causing the inflated SAI. This is actually good news! Many schools will have deadlines for financial aid corrections, so make sure you: 1. Submit the corrections through studentaid.gov immediately 2. Email each school's financial aid office explaining the situation 3. Follow up with phone calls if you don't hear back within a week 4. Keep documentation of when you discovered the errors and what steps you've taken I had a similar issue years ago when helping my son with his FAFSA, and most schools were very understanding once we explained and documented the errors. Your SAI should decrease substantially once the retirement accounts and double-counted 529 funds are removed from consideration.

This is exactly why I always recommend having someone double-check your FAFSA before submitting! The retirement account mistake is SO common - I see it happen all the time. The good news is that once you get those corrections processed, your SAI should drop dramatically. With your actual income and just the rental property equity, you're probably looking at an SAI closer to $15-25K range, which would qualify you for at least some federal aid. Make sure when you contact the schools that you mention this was an honest mistake discovered immediately after receiving your SAI - most financial aid offices are very reasonable about genuine errors like this.

Welcome to the FAFSA nightmare club! I'm dealing with something similar right now - got an SAI that made absolutely no sense until I started digging into the details. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like you've found the main culprits (retirement accounts and double-counted 529 funds). That's actually great news because those are fixable mistakes! I wanted to add one thing that helped me when I was panicking about our SAI - even if your corrected SAI ends up higher than you'd hoped, don't forget about merit aid and scholarships that aren't need-based. Also, some private schools have their own institutional aid programs that are more generous than federal guidelines. Keep us posted on how the corrections go! It's so stressful when you first see that number, but it sounds like you're on the right track to getting it sorted out.

I'm going through my first FAFSA experience as a parent and this thread has been incredibly educational! Reading about Ashley's situation and all the helpful responses really highlights how easy it is to make costly mistakes on this form. The retirement account error seems to be such a common issue - I'm definitely going to triple-check that section when I fill out our form. For those dealing with rental properties, has anyone found good resources that specifically walk through how to properly report investment real estate? The distinction between market value vs. net equity seems crucial but confusing. I want to make sure I get it right the first time rather than dealing with the stress of corrections later. Also, the tip about contacting schools directly for professional judgment adjustments is something I hadn't heard of before - that could be really valuable to know about even if you don't make reporting errors.

I'm so glad you found those errors and are getting them corrected! This is actually a perfect example of why the FAFSA can be so intimidating - even small mistakes can have huge impacts on your SAI. I went through something similar a few years ago when my older child was applying to college. One additional tip as you're waiting for the corrections to process: document everything with timestamps and screenshots. Keep records of when you submitted the original FAFSA, when you discovered the errors, when you submitted corrections, and all communications with schools. This creates a clear timeline that shows you acted quickly to fix honest mistakes, which financial aid offices really appreciate. Also, while you're waiting for the corrected SAI, it might be worth looking into whether any of your daughter's target schools use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. The CSS Profile sometimes yields different results since it considers factors like home equity differently and allows for more detailed explanations of special circumstances. You're doing everything right by catching this early and taking immediate action. Keep us updated on how it goes!

Reading through this entire thread has been so reassuring! I'm a newcomer to this community and currently going through my first FAFSA experience with my oldest child. Ashley, your situation is exactly the kind of thing that keeps me up at night - the fear of making a simple mistake that completely derails our financial aid eligibility. It's incredible how helpful everyone has been with specific, actionable advice. The retirement account error seems to be a trap that catches so many families, and I never would have thought about the double-counting issue with 529 funds. I'm definitely going to use this thread as a checklist when I review our FAFSA before submitting. The suggestion about using Claimyr to actually reach a human at Federal Student Aid is gold - I've been dreading trying to call them directly. And the reminder that schools have professional judgment options gives me hope that even if we make mistakes, there are still ways to advocate for our kids. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating this overwhelming process!

I'm new to this community and just went through a similar FAFSA shock last month! Reading Ashley's story feels like déjà vu - we also got an unexpectedly high SAI that made no sense given our income. In our case, it turned out we had accidentally reported my husband's rollover IRA contribution as a regular asset instead of excluding it entirely. The panic when you first see that number is real! What really helped us was creating a spreadsheet to track every asset and income source before making corrections. We listed everything out with "include" or "exclude" columns and double-checked each item against the FAFSA guidelines. It sounds like you've already identified the major errors (retirement accounts and double-counted 529 funds), which is huge. One thing I learned from our financial aid officer - they actually prefer when families catch and correct errors quickly rather than trying to explain inflated SAI numbers later. Shows you're being proactive and honest about the mistake. Definitely keep pushing on those corrections and don't be afraid to be a bit persistent with the schools if you don't hear back quickly. You've got this!