What does SAI 31422 mean for FAFSA aid? Decoding our grants & loan options

Your SAI (Student Aid Index) essentially measures your family's financial strength and ability to pay for college. With an SAI of 31422, you're right that you likely won't qualify for need-based federal grants like the Pell Grant, which typically goes to families with an SAI under 6000. The $5,500 Federal Direct Loan is standard for first-year dependent undergraduate students - that's not based on your SAI. It includes $3,500 in subsidized loans (government pays interest while in school) if your daughter demonstrates need, and unsubsidized loans making up the difference. Federal Work Study means your daughter can work on campus in a part-time job with flexible hours designed for students. What happens next: Each college will take your SAI and calculate your daughter's aid package based on their own formulas. Some schools (especially private ones) may offer institutional grants or scholarships even with your SAI. Don't lose hope until you see the final packages!

Lol ya ur basically screwed for any grant money with that SAI. Same thing happened to us last year. Middle class = no help. My kid got the same exact $5500 for federal loans and work study. Thats it. Welcome to the "too rich for aid, too poor to pay" club!!

I'd recommend appealing your financial aid offer if you have any special circumstances. We had a similar SAI (around 29000) but I lost my job right after filing FAFSA. I contacted the financial aid office at my son's top school and submitted documentation of the job loss. They adjusted our package and he qualified for an additional $8,000 in institutional grants. Also, many schools have their own scholarship applications separate from FAFSA - make sure your daughter completes ALL possible applications at each school. Sometimes there are departmental scholarships for specific majors that go unclaimed because students don't know to apply!

Does anyone know if work study is actually guaranteed? My daughter got the same thing on her FAFSA (eligible for work study) but when she got to campus, they said all the positions were filled already. Seems like these aid packages are misleading sometimes.

Try calling Federal Student Aid directly to ask for more specifics about what your SAI means - I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone knowledgeable. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in the phone queue and called me when an agent was ready. Saved me so much frustration and the agent I spoke with was super helpful explaining my daughter's aid eligibility. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Don't give up hope yet! My daughter had a similar SAI (around 30000) and still ended up with decent packages from certain schools. Privare universities sometimes have more institutional aid money than public ones. She got almost no aid from our state university but got $18,000/year in grants from a small private college that really wanted her. The FAFSA is just step 1 - each school has its own formula. Also look at schools that meet 100% of demonstrated need (there's lists online). Even with a high SAI, some top schools might surprise you. And definitely complete the CSS Profile if any of your daughter's schools require it - it asks for more detailed financial info and can sometimes help your situation.

IMO the whole system is broken. FAFSA doesn't account for cost of living differences. We make $105k in California which is basically poverty level here with housing costs, but FAFSA treats us like we're rich. Meanwhile someone making $60k in a low-cost area might get way more aid even though they actually have more disposable income than we do!

Something to keep in mind - your daughter's financial aid package will likely improve after freshman year. The loan limits increase ($6,500 for sophomore year, $7,500 for junior/senior years). Additionally, once she's on campus and established, she'll have more opportunities for departmental scholarships and upper-level work opportunities that often pay better than first-year work study positions. Also, don't overlook outside scholarships! Local community organizations, parent employers, and industry associations often offer scholarships that have much less competition than national ones. Even small scholarships of $500-$1000 can add up quickly.

Based on your SAI, your family is expected to contribute about $31,422 per year toward college costs. Any college with a cost of attendance higher than that amount means your daughter would have demonstrated need. For example: If a college costs $50,000/year total (tuition, room, board, etc.): - Your demonstrated need would be $18,578 ($50,000 - $31,422) - This can be filled with various aid types (loans, work-study, grants) If a college costs $25,000/year: - You'd have no demonstrated need since your SAI exceeds the cost - You'd still get the unsubsidized Direct Loan ($5,500) since that's not need-based This is why you might see very different packages from different schools depending on their total cost.