What does 29515 SAI mean for my FAFSA aid eligibility?

That SAI (Student Aid Index) is in the mid-range. Not great for big Pell Grant awards, but you might still qualify for some aid depending on your school's cost of attendance. Each college will use your SAI to determine your financial need by subtracting it from their cost of attendance.

SAI (Student Aid Index) replaced the old EFC. It's basically what the govt thinks your family can pay toward college per year. With a 29515 SAI and parents making $78k, you're probably not getting Pell Grants (those typically go to SAIs under 6000), but you should qualify for unsubsidized loans at minimum. Your school's financial aid office will determine what other institutional aid you might get.

my sai was 31000 and i still got some aid!!! dont worry, just wait for your financial aid offer from your schools. each place gives different amounts even with the same SAI number

The whole system is designed to SCAM middle class families!! My daughter had a similar SAI and got basically nothing but loans. Meanwhile her roommate's parents make almost the same but got wayyyy more aid because they have 3 kids in college at once. It's all about gaming the system.

I had so much trouble getting answers about my SAI last year. I kept calling FSA and getting disconnected or waiting for HOURS. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual agent in about 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent was able to explain exactly what my SAI meant for different types of aid. Way better than guessing!

Financial aid counselor here. Here's a general breakdown of what your 29515 SAI might mean: 1. Pell Grants: Unlikely with this SAI (typically needs to be under 6000) 2. Subsidized Loans: Possibly, depending on school cost 3. Unsubsidized Loans: Yes, eligible regardless of need 4. Work-Study: Possibly, depending on school funding 5. Institutional Aid: Varies widely by school Your SAI is subtracted from your school's Cost of Attendance to determine your financial need. For example: - School costs $50,000 = Your need is $20,485 - School costs $25,000 = No demonstrated need Wait for your aid packages from each school before making any decisions!

my cousin said if u call the financial aid office and cry sometimes they give u more money lol

To directly answer your original question: 29515 is your Student Aid Index (SAI), which is a number that determines your eligibility for different types of federal, state, and institutional aid. It's neither inherently "good" nor "bad" - it's just a measure of your family's calculated ability to pay for college. The impact depends entirely on the cost of the schools you're applying to. If you're applying to schools with a total cost around $30k or less, you'll likely get minimal need-based aid. If you're applying to more expensive schools, you'll likely get some form of need-based aid to cover the difference.

Don't stress too much about the SAI number itself - what really matters is how each school uses it in their aid calculations. I had a similar SAI (around 28k) and ended up with very different aid packages from different schools. Some gave me nothing beyond loans, while others offered decent institutional grants that brought my costs down significantly. Also, make sure you're applying for scholarships outside of need-based aid! Merit scholarships don't care about your SAI at all. And if you haven't already, check if your state has any grant programs - some have income cutoffs that might work in your favor even with your current SAI.