What does a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 10355 mean for financial aid eligibility?

Your Student Aid Index (SAI) is basically what the government thinks your family can contribute annually toward your education. An SAI of 10355 means they expect your family can pay about $10,355 per year. This puts you in a middle range - not low enough for maximum Pell Grants but not high enough to be completely excluded from aid. With your family income at $85K, this SAI is actually pretty typical. You'll likely qualify for: - Some subsidized federal loans (better than unsubsidized) - Possibly a partial Pell Grant (depends on cost of attendance) - Work-study at some schools - State grants depending on which state universities you're looking at Each school will use this SAI to calculate your final aid package, so the same SAI can result in different aid amounts at different schools.

SAI of 10355 basically means ur screwed for pell grants lol. My SAI was 8700 last year and i only got like $1200 in pell. The cutoff for full pell is way lower like 0-3000 range. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but college is just expensive af these days

Had the exact same problem last year!!! My SAI was 9800-something and I was totally CONFUSED. I spent literally WEEKS trying to call FSA to get someone to explain what it meant for my actual $$$ situation. Could never get through - always disconnected or 3+ hour wait times. So frustrating!!! Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual human at FSA in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent explained everything about my SAI and what aid I qualified for. Turns out I was eligible for some grants I didn't know about! Definitely worth talking to a real person about your specific situation.

everyone on here is giving you different answers because it DEPENDS on your school cost. SAI of 10355 at a $25k/year school means different aid than at a $50k/year school. Call each financial aid office after your FAFSA is processed. they'll give you accurate info for YOUR situation.

I work in financial aid at a state university, so let me clarify a few things: 1) Your SAI of 10355 means federal calculations estimate your family can contribute $10,355/year toward education costs. 2) For Pell Grant 2025-2026, this SAI would likely qualify you for a small Pell Grant (around $1000-1500) depending on your enrollment status (full-time vs part-time). 3) IMPORTANT: Each university will create a unique financial aid package. Your SAI stays the same, but your aid will differ based on: - Cost of attendance at each school - School-specific grants/scholarships - State grant programs (which vary widely) 4) With your parents' income at $85K, also look into the American Opportunity Tax Credit which could give your family up to $2,500 tax credit. 5) Contact each school's financial aid office directly after they receive your FAFSA data. Ask about additional scholarship opportunities too!

Thank you all for the explanations! I'm going to contact each school's financial aid office AND try to get through to FSA to understand my specific situation better. Still wish the FAFSA gave clearer explanations of what the numbers actually MEAN when they send them to you... but I appreciate all the help here!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I wanted to add that your SAI of 10355 actually puts you in a decent position for aid! Don't let anyone discourage you. A few things that really helped me: - Apply for scholarships at each individual school - many have deadlines after acceptance - Look into your state's grant programs (these can be substantial and have different SAI cutoffs than federal aid) - Consider community college for your first two years if costs are still too high - you can transfer and save thousands Also, when you get your aid packages, don't just look at the total amount offered. Pay attention to the grant-to-loan ratio. A school offering $15k in mostly loans isn't as good as one offering $10k mostly in grants. You're doing great by asking questions early. This whole system is designed to be confusing, but you're on the right track!

Your SAI of 10355 is actually right in the middle range - not terrible, but not great either. I had a similar SAI last year (around 11,000) and here's what I learned: You'll probably get a small Pell Grant (maybe $800-1500), some subsidized loans, and possibly work-study. The real difference will be in state grants and institutional aid from each school. One thing that really helped me was appealing my aid packages. If your family has any special circumstances (medical bills, job loss, supporting grandparents, etc.) that weren't captured in your FAFSA, you can request a professional judgment review. I got an extra $2,000 in grants at one school just by explaining some medical expenses we had. Also, don't sleep on merit scholarships! Even with your SAI, you can still get merit aid based on your grades/test scores. Many schools automatically consider you, but some require separate applications. The most important thing is to compare your net price (total cost minus grants/scholarships) at each school, not just the sticker price. Sometimes a more expensive school ends up being cheaper after aid!

Hey Mei! I just wanted to add another perspective as someone who's currently a sophomore and went through this exact same confusion two years ago. My SAI was actually slightly higher than yours (around 11,800) and I was convinced I wouldn't get any aid at all. Here's what I wish someone had told me: don't just focus on the federal aid! Yes, your Pell Grant will be small (I got about $900), but there are SO many other funding sources: 1. State grants can be huge - I got $3,200/year from my state's need-based grant program even with my higher SAI 2. Institutional grants from schools - these vary wildly between schools and often have different criteria than federal aid 3. Department-specific scholarships - many academic departments have their own scholarships that you can apply for once you're enrolled 4. Local scholarships - check with your high school counselor, local businesses, community organizations Also, something nobody talks about enough: work-study jobs are actually pretty sweet! I work 10 hours/week in the library, it's super flexible with my class schedule, and it covers my meal plan. The key is to cast a wide net and don't get discouraged by that SAI number. It's just one piece of the puzzle, not the whole story of what aid you'll get!

Welcome to the confusing world of SAI! I'm a financial aid counselor at a community college, and I see students with your exact situation all the time. Your SAI of 10,355 actually puts you in a pretty common range for middle-income families. Here's the reality: you'll likely qualify for some aid, but it won't be huge amounts. Expect maybe $1,000-2,000 in Pell Grant funding, subsidized loans, and potentially work-study. The real game-changers will be state grants and institutional aid from each school. One thing I always tell students - don't forget about your state's community college system! You could potentially complete your first two years at a community college (where costs are much lower and your aid goes further) then transfer to finish your bachelor's at one of those state universities. Many have guaranteed transfer agreements now. Also, once you're enrolled anywhere, there are often additional scholarship opportunities that become available to continuing students. Your SAI isn't the end of the story - it's just the starting point for your financial aid journey. Keep asking questions and don't let the numbers discourage you. College is still very achievable with some strategic planning!