What does the last column of colleges on my FAFSA mean for my financial aid offers?

Those numbers are actually just the order in which you listed the colleges on your FAFSA. They don't represent any financial information or your SAI (Student Aid Index). The colleges listed can see that they're on your FAFSA, but they can't see what other colleges you've selected or what position they're in. Your SAI is calculated separately and is shown elsewhere in your FAFSA results.

it used to matter what order u put schools in but not anymore. my brother put his safety school first in 2018 & his counselor made him redo the whole app bc it supposedly meant that was his 1st choice. stupid system keeps changing!!!

Wait, now I'm confused again. So the numbers ARE just the order I put them in? But does that order affect anything about my financial aid packages? Will colleges give me less money if they think they're not my first choice?

My daughter just went through this whole process and we learned that the FAFSA simply sends your information to all the schools you list, regardless of order. Each school then uses that information plus their own financial aid policies to create your aid package. The numbers are literally just position markers with no meaning for your actual aid amounts.

Some additional clarification: The 2024-2025 FAFSA and beyond no longer shows schools your listing order at all. Your SAI (which replaced the old EFC) is what determines your aid eligibility, and it's the same for all schools. However, each school has different resources and methodologies for awarding their institutional aid. Some might also ask you to complete the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA for their non-federal aid determination. If you need to contact Federal Student Aid to confirm any of this information, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - I used their service last month when I needed to speak with someone about my daughter's unusual dependency situation. They got me connected to an FSA agent in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Did you find the SAI yet? That's the actual important number that determines federal aid eligibility. It should be somewhere else in your confirmation or on your Student Aid Report (SAR). That's what replaces the old EFC and is the key figure for Pell Grant eligibility. The college order literally means nothing for your aid.

lol i remember freaking out about the same thing last year!! had me and my mom googling for hours trying to figure out what those numbers meant for my chances. turns out they mean absolutely nothing! college applications are stressful enough without these confusing interfaces!!

my cousins friend said the first three schools get more of your data than the others? is that true? i heard some schools can see which other colleges ur applying to and will judge you based on that.

Thanks everyone for the clarification! The FAFSA really needs to add better explanations for all these columns and numbers. I found my actual SAI in the confirmation email from Federal Student Aid - it's a single number that will be shared with all my schools. The column numbers were just the order I entered schools, which doesn't affect anything. Such a relief!

Great to hear you found your SAI! You're absolutely right that the FAFSA interface could be way clearer about what all these numbers mean. For anyone else reading this thread - your SAI (Student Aid Index) is the key number that matters for federal aid eligibility. Lower SAI = more potential aid. The college list order numbers are just cosmetic and have zero impact on your financial aid packages. Each school will use your SAI plus their own institutional aid policies to create your offer. Good luck with your applications!